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Best states for an accounting manager/controller
Quoted expert
Dr. Steve Shanklin
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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- 41 - 51
Job opportunities vary from state to state, and business and financial careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to accounting manager/controller jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for accounting managers/controller.We wanted to look at the best states for accounting managers/controller -- where there are plenty of accounting manager/controller jobs to go around and accounting managers/controller get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for accounting managers/controller.New York is the best state, and Southampton is the city with the highest pay for accounting managers/controller.
10 best states for accounting managers/controller in 2025
1. New York
Total accounting manager/controller jobs: 1,352 Average annual salary: $120,439 Lowest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 1.13
2. District of Columbia
Total accounting manager/controller jobs: 271 Average annual salary: $112,967 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 1.73
3. Massachusetts
Total accounting manager/controller jobs: 985 Average annual salary: $108,864 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
4. California
Total accounting manager/controller jobs: 3,577 Average annual salary: $107,860 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 1.31
5. Delaware
Total accounting manager/controller jobs: 154 Average annual salary: $96,918 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 1.32
6. Texas
Total accounting manager/controller jobs: 1,769 Average annual salary: $106,192 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
7. New Jersey
Total accounting manager/controller jobs: 671 Average annual salary: $115,681 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
8. Connecticut
Total accounting manager/controller jobs: 363 Average annual salary: $99,165 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
9. Rhode Island
Total accounting manager/controller jobs: 108 Average annual salary: $99,719 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
10. Virginia
Total accounting manager/controller jobs: 902 Average annual salary: $100,271 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
Accounting manager/controller jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an accounting manager/controller
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an accounting manager/controller
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $120,439 | $81,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,352 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $112,967 | $76,000 | 693,972 | 271 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $108,864 | $74,000 | 6,859,819 | 985 |
| 4 | California | $107,860 | $73,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,577 |
| 5 | Delaware | $96,918 | $65,000 | 961,939 | 154 |
| 6 | Texas | $106,192 | $73,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,769 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $115,681 | $78,000 | 9,005,644 | 671 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $99,165 | $67,000 | 3,588,184 | 363 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $99,719 | $67,000 | 1,059,639 | 108 |
| 10 | Virginia | $100,271 | $68,000 | 8,470,020 | 902 |
| 11 | Nevada | $88,508 | $59,000 | 2,998,039 | 226 |
| 12 | Washington | $95,127 | $64,000 | 7,405,743 | 728 |
| 13 | Florida | $91,065 | $61,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,447 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $89,308 | $60,000 | 12,805,537 | 993 |
| 15 | Maryland | $92,553 | $62,000 | 6,052,177 | 718 |
| 16 | Ohio | $87,905 | $58,000 | 11,658,609 | 877 |
| 17 | Illinois | $88,573 | $58,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,528 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $88,433 | $59,000 | 1,342,795 | 177 |
| 19 | Georgia | $90,957 | $62,000 | 10,429,379 | 788 |
| 20 | Oregon | $87,167 | $59,000 | 4,142,776 | 449 |
| 21 | Vermont | $90,375 | $60,000 | 623,657 | 53 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $87,055 | $59,000 | 10,273,419 | 683 |
| 23 | Michigan | $85,072 | $56,000 | 9,962,311 | 653 |
| 24 | Arizona | $86,719 | $60,000 | 7,016,270 | 511 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $83,429 | $54,000 | 5,795,483 | 476 |
| 26 | Maine | $85,727 | $58,000 | 1,335,907 | 105 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $85,787 | $59,000 | 2,088,070 | 126 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $80,254 | $52,000 | 5,576,606 | 756 |
| 29 | Colorado | $79,515 | $54,000 | 5,607,154 | 778 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $84,337 | $57,000 | 5,024,369 | 299 |
| 31 | Idaho | $82,605 | $55,000 | 1,716,943 | 111 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $80,644 | $54,000 | 1,815,857 | 62 |
| 33 | Alabama | $81,496 | $55,000 | 4,874,747 | 251 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $82,373 | $57,000 | 3,930,864 | 177 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $79,882 | $54,000 | 4,454,189 | 247 |
| 36 | Utah | $75,167 | $50,000 | 3,101,833 | 287 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $74,309 | $51,000 | 6,715,984 | 479 |
| 38 | Iowa | $73,284 | $48,000 | 3,145,711 | 319 |
| 39 | Indiana | $76,012 | $50,000 | 6,666,818 | 466 |
| 40 | Alaska | $75,153 | $57,000 | 739,795 | 61 |
| 41 | Missouri | $73,322 | $50,000 | 6,113,532 | 451 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $77,356 | $52,000 | 4,684,333 | 158 |
| 43 | Montana | $62,628 | $41,000 | 1,050,493 | 136 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $74,438 | $51,000 | 3,004,279 | 157 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $59,314 | $46,000 | 1,427,538 | 87 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $67,208 | $45,000 | 1,920,076 | 180 |
| 47 | Kansas | $66,461 | $45,000 | 2,913,123 | 212 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $65,777 | $44,000 | 579,315 | 41 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $68,268 | $46,000 | 2,984,100 | 102 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $65,772 | $44,000 | 869,666 | 54 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $63,650 | $42,000 | 755,393 | 62 |
Highest paying states for accounting managers/controller
| Rank | State | Avg. Accounting Manager/Controller Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $120,439 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $112,967 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $108,864 |
| 4 | California | $107,860 |
| 5 | Delaware | $96,918 |
| 6 | Texas | $106,192 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $115,681 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $99,165 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $99,719 |
| 10 | Virginia | $100,271 |
| 11 | Nevada | $88,508 |
| 12 | Washington | $95,127 |
| 13 | Florida | $91,065 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $89,308 |
| 15 | Maryland | $92,553 |
| 16 | Ohio | $87,905 |
| 17 | Illinois | $88,573 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $88,433 |
| 19 | Georgia | $90,957 |
| 20 | Oregon | $87,167 |
| 21 | Vermont | $90,375 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $87,055 |
| 23 | Michigan | $85,072 |
| 24 | Arizona | $86,719 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | $83,429 |
| 26 | Maine | $85,727 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $85,787 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $80,254 |
| 29 | Colorado | $79,515 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $84,337 |
| 31 | Idaho | $82,605 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $80,644 |
| 33 | Alabama | $81,496 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $82,373 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $79,882 |
| 36 | Utah | $75,167 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $74,309 |
| 38 | Iowa | $73,284 |
| 39 | Indiana | $76,012 |
| 40 | Alaska | $75,153 |
| 41 | Missouri | $73,322 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $77,356 |
| 43 | Montana | $62,628 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $74,438 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $59,314 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $67,208 |
| 47 | Kansas | $66,461 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $65,777 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $68,268 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $65,772 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $63,650 |
Expert opinions on the best states for accounting managers/controller
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for accounting manager/controllers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Steve Shanklin
Associate Professor, Tennessee State University
The pandemic has changed and is further changing the established "workplace" concept by questioning the idea of "place" in recruiting better students. The locale is becoming a smaller piece of the equation with deliverables and professional accountability emerging as the values that have moved up in expectations for new hires. While urban areas have borne the brunt of the medical impact to firms/businesses, population density, once a social lure for new grads, may now be negative toward recruiting many.
The good workplace now, beyond the virus, maybe the workspace that has evolved in a virtually planned and emerging way. The work will still be there. The future "good workplaces" will be those that enjoy high degrees of technological infrastructure, wherever it may be. The nature of the work and social interaction adaptations will be challenging but still professionally rewarding.
Accounting manager/controller best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025