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Best states for a certified public accountant
Quoted expert
John Thornton Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
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- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to certified public accountant jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of certified public accountants in America is $119,000.
In order to get you the best states for certified public accountants, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as a certified public accountant, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for certified public accountants in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total certified public accountant jobs: 314 Average annual salary: $124,859 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $200,000 Location Quotient: 1.642. New Jersey
Total certified public accountant jobs: 1,291 Average annual salary: $105,526 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $172,000 Location Quotient: 1.433. New York
Total certified public accountant jobs: 2,385 Average annual salary: $92,724 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $153,000 Location Quotient: 1.634. Virginia
Total certified public accountant jobs: 1,624 Average annual salary: $91,078 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.515. Delaware
Total certified public accountant jobs: 94 Average annual salary: $97,851 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 0.666. Connecticut
Total certified public accountant jobs: 282 Average annual salary: $95,895 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 0.757. Massachusetts
Total certified public accountant jobs: 671 Average annual salary: $94,009 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.648. Maryland
Total certified public accountant jobs: 885 Average annual salary: $90,210 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 1.229. Pennsylvania
Total certified public accountant jobs: 668 Average annual salary: $90,310 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 0.510. North Carolina
Total certified public accountant jobs: 575 Average annual salary: $86,821 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.53
Certified public accountant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a certified public accountant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a certified public accountant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $124,859 | $77,000 | 693,972 | 314 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $105,526 | $64,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,291 |
| 3 | New York | $92,724 | $56,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,385 |
| 4 | Virginia | $91,078 | $54,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,624 |
| 5 | Delaware | $97,851 | $59,000 | 961,939 | 94 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $95,895 | $57,000 | 3,588,184 | 282 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $94,009 | $56,000 | 6,859,819 | 671 |
| 8 | Maryland | $90,210 | $54,000 | 6,052,177 | 885 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $90,310 | $54,000 | 12,805,537 | 668 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $86,821 | $52,000 | 10,273,419 | 575 |
| 11 | Oregon | $76,116 | $50,000 | 4,142,776 | 742 |
| 12 | Texas | $77,561 | $50,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,877 |
| 13 | Ohio | $84,804 | $51,000 | 11,658,609 | 600 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $80,900 | $48,000 | 1,059,639 | 99 |
| 15 | Michigan | $80,754 | $49,000 | 9,962,311 | 463 |
| 16 | California | $76,168 | $49,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,995 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $75,158 | $44,000 | 1,342,795 | 204 |
| 18 | Vermont | $75,710 | $44,000 | 623,657 | 89 |
| 19 | Georgia | $77,256 | $49,000 | 10,429,379 | 702 |
| 20 | Illinois | $69,494 | $43,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,203 |
| 21 | Arizona | $69,309 | $45,000 | 7,016,270 | 968 |
| 22 | Indiana | $78,944 | $49,000 | 6,666,818 | 305 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $73,147 | $46,000 | 6,715,984 | 375 |
| 24 | Nevada | $66,725 | $43,000 | 2,998,039 | 323 |
| 25 | Florida | $72,069 | $46,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,103 |
| 26 | Washington | $75,348 | $50,000 | 7,405,743 | 399 |
| 27 | Alaska | $67,497 | $51,000 | 739,795 | 105 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $74,772 | $47,000 | 5,024,369 | 194 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $61,792 | $39,000 | 4,684,333 | 525 |
| 30 | Missouri | $61,056 | $39,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,038 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $66,958 | $43,000 | 5,576,606 | 508 |
| 32 | Maine | $72,168 | $42,000 | 1,335,907 | 59 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $70,307 | $42,000 | 1,815,857 | 57 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $59,546 | $37,000 | 4,454,189 | 601 |
| 35 | Alabama | $60,249 | $38,000 | 4,874,747 | 612 |
| 36 | Utah | $60,445 | $40,000 | 3,101,833 | 429 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $58,185 | $37,000 | 2,984,100 | 346 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $59,211 | $38,000 | 3,004,279 | 308 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $57,359 | $37,000 | 3,930,864 | 511 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $63,238 | $39,000 | 5,795,483 | 318 |
| 41 | Colorado | $62,464 | $42,000 | 5,607,154 | 528 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $56,267 | $37,000 | 869,666 | 152 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $57,414 | $41,000 | 1,427,538 | 121 |
| 44 | Montana | $57,765 | $39,000 | 1,050,493 | 108 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $60,533 | $39,000 | 2,088,070 | 99 |
| 46 | Iowa | $56,781 | $37,000 | 3,145,711 | 241 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $50,931 | $34,000 | 579,315 | 77 |
| 48 | Kansas | $56,347 | $37,000 | 2,913,123 | 145 |
| 49 | Idaho | $53,767 | $36,000 | 1,716,943 | 80 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $51,787 | $34,000 | 1,920,076 | 120 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $53,128 | $35,000 | 755,393 | 28 |
Highest paying states for certified public accountants
| Rank | State | Avg. Certified Public Accountant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $124,859 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $105,526 |
| 3 | New York | $92,724 |
| 4 | Virginia | $91,078 |
| 5 | Delaware | $97,851 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $95,895 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $94,009 |
| 8 | Maryland | $90,210 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $90,310 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $86,821 |
| 11 | Oregon | $76,116 |
| 12 | Texas | $77,561 |
| 13 | Ohio | $84,804 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $80,900 |
| 15 | Michigan | $80,754 |
| 16 | California | $76,168 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $75,158 |
| 18 | Vermont | $75,710 |
| 19 | Georgia | $77,256 |
| 20 | Illinois | $69,494 |
| 21 | Arizona | $69,309 |
| 22 | Indiana | $78,944 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $73,147 |
| 24 | Nevada | $66,725 |
| 25 | Florida | $72,069 |
| 26 | Washington | $75,348 |
| 27 | Alaska | $67,497 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $74,772 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $61,792 |
| 30 | Missouri | $61,056 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $66,958 |
| 32 | Maine | $72,168 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $70,307 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $59,546 |
| 35 | Alabama | $60,249 |
| 36 | Utah | $60,445 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $58,185 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $59,211 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $57,359 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $63,238 |
| 41 | Colorado | $62,464 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $56,267 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $57,414 |
| 44 | Montana | $57,765 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $60,533 |
| 46 | Iowa | $56,781 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $50,931 |
| 48 | Kansas | $56,347 |
| 49 | Idaho | $53,767 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $51,787 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $53,128 |
Expert opinions on the best states for certified public accountants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for certified public accountants to find work opportunities?
John Thornton Ph.D.
Professor of Accounting, School of Business and Management | Azusa Pacific University
CPA firms and corporations are still hiring accounting professionals. The disruption will be temporary, and much of the work will bounce back. But the long-term trend of global outsourcing of professional services, including accounting, has been dramatically accelerated. More than ever, graduates need to focus on setting themselves above the competition through professional certifications, such as the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and the like. Graduates need to think beyond simple data collection and move to data analytics. Critical thinking skills, coupled with strong technical competencies, will win the day. One colossal growth area in accounting will be forensic and investigative accounting. With the increase in online everything, the protection of financial information will face ever-increasing pressures. Cybercrime is on the rise. So to demand innovative ways to stop fraud and white-collar crime. One impressive credential in this area is the Certified Forensic Accountant (CFE).
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Updated January 8, 2025