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The typical salary for an accountant internship in the United States is approximately $33,484 per year, translating to around $16 per hour. This compensation can vary based on factors such as location, the size of the firm, and the intern's level of education. For example, internships in metropolitan areas tend to offer higher salaries due to increased demand and cost of living.
Interns in states like California and New York often report higher earnings, reflecting the competitive nature of the job market in these regions. Additionally, internships at larger firms or in industries such as finance and technology may provide better pay. It's advisable for prospective interns to research specific companies and locations to maximize their earning potential.
Completing an internship can lead to full-time employment opportunities post-graduation, as many firms prefer hiring interns who have already demonstrated their skills and fit within the company culture. Networking during these internships is crucial for securing future positions in the accounting field.
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The average accountant internship salary in Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average accountant internship salary states are Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $46,780 | $22.49 |
| 2 | Alaska | $41,296 | $19.85 |
| 3 | Colorado | $36,386 | $17.49 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $37,366 | $17.96 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $34,887 | $16.77 |
| 6 | Nevada | $34,318 | $16.50 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $34,082 | $16.39 |
| 8 | California | $37,977 | $18.26 |
| 9 | Texas | $34,368 | $16.52 |
| 10 | Washington | $41,846 | $20.12 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $38,101 | $18.32 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $36,897 | $17.74 |
| 13 | Oregon | $34,402 | $16.54 |
| 14 | Montana | $31,379 | $15.09 |
| 15 | Utah | $32,051 | $15.41 |
| 16 | New York | $34,847 | $16.75 |
| 17 | Michigan | $31,441 | $15.12 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $31,058 | $14.93 |
| 19 | Illinois | $31,823 | $15.30 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $31,639 | $15.21 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $30,574 | $14.70 |
| 22 | Vermont | $30,433 | $14.63 |
| 23 | Iowa | $30,302 | $14.57 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $29,121 | $14.00 |
| 25 | Delaware | $31,057 | $14.93 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $30,347 | $14.59 |
| 27 | Arizona | $30,700 | $14.76 |
| 28 | Indiana | $31,134 | $14.97 |
| 29 | Maine | $28,801 | $13.85 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $28,555 | $13.73 |
| 31 | Ohio | $30,075 | $14.46 |
| 32 | Maryland | $30,144 | $14.49 |
| 33 | Virginia | $30,773 | $14.79 |
| 34 | Idaho | $27,676 | $13.31 |
| 35 | New Hampshire | $29,309 | $14.09 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $29,129 | $14.00 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $28,850 | $13.87 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $26,154 | $12.57 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $28,529 | $13.72 |
| 40 | Kansas | $28,040 | $13.48 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $26,984 | $12.97 |
| 42 | Missouri | $27,297 | $13.12 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $26,944 | $12.95 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $26,703 | $12.84 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $26,176 | $12.58 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $24,493 | $11.78 |
| 47 | Florida | $25,190 | $12.11 |
| 48 | Georgia | $25,014 | $12.03 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $24,944 | $11.99 |
| 50 | Alabama | $24,018 | $11.55 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $23,627 | $11.36 |
The highest-paying cities for accountant interns are Bellevue, WA, San Francisco, CA, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bellevue, WA | $42,088 | $20.23 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $40,701 | $19.57 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $37,375 | $17.97 |
| 4 | Boulder, CO | $36,534 | $17.56 |
| 5 | Reno, NV | $36,036 | $17.32 |
| 6 | Cheektowaga, NY | $35,213 | $16.93 |
| 7 | Austin, TX | $34,434 | $16.55 |
| 8 | New London, CT | $34,194 | $16.44 |
| 9 | Reston, VA | $32,269 | $15.51 |
| 10 | Mount Prospect, IL | $32,115 | $15.44 |
| 11 | Salt Lake City, UT | $32,078 | $15.42 |
| 12 | Bethlehem, PA | $32,076 | $15.42 |
| 13 | Fort Wayne, IN | $31,958 | $15.36 |
| 14 | Cleveland, OH | $31,204 | $15.00 |
| 15 | Billings, MT | $30,811 | $14.81 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $30,779 | $14.80 |
| 17 | Lincoln, NE | $30,439 | $14.63 |
| 18 | Baltimore, MD | $30,417 | $14.62 |
| 19 | Fargo, ND | $28,481 | $13.69 |
| 20 | Mooresville, NC | $28,403 | $13.66 |
An accountant internship's salary ranges from $24,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $45,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 75th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
| Average | $33,484 | $2,790 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $24,000 | $2,000 | $12 |
The highest paying types of accountant interns are certified public accountant, senior accountant analyst, and senior accountant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certified Public Accountant | $76,693 | $6,391 | $36.87 | 78,792 |
| Finance Analyst/Accountant | $62,975 | $5,248 | $30.28 | 118,043 |
| Corporate Accountant | $64,300 | $5,358 | $30.91 | 54,174 |
| General Accountant | $55,043 | $4,587 | $26.46 | 87,663 |
| Project Accountant | $60,467 | $5,039 | $29.07 | 43,672 |
| Staff Accountant | $54,216 | $4,518 | $26.07 | 115,930 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for accountant internships, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Alyson Ma Ph.D.
Chair and Professor, University of San Diego
Top companies hiring accountant interns now:
Accountant internship salaries at Novogradac and Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Worldwide Inc are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average accountant internship salary at companies like Intuitive Surgical and Equinix are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novogradac | $45,782 | $22.01 |
| 2 | Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Worldwide Inc | $45,128 | $21.70 |
| 3 | Intuitive Surgical | $44,282 | $21.29 |
| 4 | Equinix | $43,738 | $21.03 |
| 5 | Allianz Life | $42,553 | $20.46 |
| 6 | Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs | $41,551 | $19.98 |
| 7 | Bosch USA | $41,279 | $19.85 |
| 8 | T-Mobile | $38,849 | $18.68 |
| 9 | Engine Shop | $38,155 | $18.34 |
| 10 | Columbus McKinnon | $37,945 | $18.24 |
| 11 | SpawGlass Holding LP | $37,563 | $18.06 |
| 12 | FleetCor Technologies | $37,561 | $18.06 |
| 13 | Accounting Service | $36,889 | $17.74 |
| 14 | Madison High School | $35,919 | $17.27 |
| 15 | Gates | $35,564 | $17.10 |
| 16 | University of Colorado Boulder | $35,563 | $17.10 |
| 17 | Wasserman | $35,322 | $16.98 |
| 18 | Imre | $35,269 | $16.96 |
| 19 | Aptar | $34,951 | $16.80 |
| 20 | PulsePoint | $34,892 | $16.77 |
The average accountant internship salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Media | $36,253 | $17.43 |
| 2 | Finance | $34,953 | $16.80 |
| 3 | Professional | $34,348 | $16.51 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $33,940 | $16.32 |
| 5 | Telecommunication | $33,662 | $16.18 |
| 6 | Technology | $33,476 | $16.09 |
The average accountant internship salary has risen by $4,875 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average accountant internship earned $28,609 annually, but today, they earn $33,484 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for accountant interns over the last decade.
Compare accountant internship salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare accountant internship salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $33,500 | $16.10 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $32,600 | $15.66 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $32,100 | $15.43 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $31,600 | $15.18 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $31,000 | $14.91 | +1.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tombras | Account Service Intern | Knoxville, TN | 06/27/2025 | $37,566 |
| GCM Grosvenor | 2026 ARS Research Summer Intern | Chicago, IL | 06/24/2025 | $70,000 |
| Genomic Life | Account Management Intern | San Diego, CA | 06/21/2025 | $41,740 |
| Jellysmack | Account Management Intern (Paid) | Los Angeles, CA | 06/12/2025 | $36,063 |
| CBRE | Accountant Internship-Memphis TN | Memphis, TN | 06/11/2025 | $37,566 |
| Novogradac & Co. LLP | 2026 Staff Accountant Intern | Southfield, MI | 06/07/2025 | $56,349 |
| Novogradac & Co. LLP | 2026 Staff Accountant Intern | Cleveland, OH | 06/05/2025 | $56,349 |
| OSF Healthcare | Patient Accounts Internship | Peoria, IL | 05/30/2025 | $35,479 |
| IGT | Intern Account Services | Lakeland, FL | 05/20/2025 | $29,218 |
| Naples Botanical Garden | Staff Accountant Intern | Naples, FL | 05/20/2025 | $31,305 |
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