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Certified public accountant salary
Average certified public accountant salary
$76,693
Average Certified Public Accountant Salary
The average salary for a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) stands at $76,693 per year. This salary can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the specific sector of employment.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level CPAs can expect salaries around $55,000, while those with five to ten years of experience may earn approximately $85,000. Senior professionals often exceed $100,000 annually.
Regional Variations
Regions such as California and New York typically offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled accountants. For instance, the highest paying states report average salaries over $90,000.
Career Opportunities
CPAs can find opportunities in various sectors, including public accounting, corporate finance, and government agencies. By aligning their skills with market demand, CPAs can enhance their earning potential and career trajectory.
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Where can a Certified Public Accountant earn more?
Certified public accountant salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level certified public accountant | $50,700 | $24.36 |
| Mid-level certified public accountant | $73,000 | $35.10 |
| Senior-level certified public accountant | $123,000 | $59.37 |
Certified public accountant salary estimates from across the web
Average certified public accountant salary by state
The highest-paying states for certified public accountants are New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut. The lowest average certified public accountant salary states are Kansas, South Dakota, and Idaho.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for certified public accountants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $124,859 | $60.03 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $105,526 | $50.73 |
| 3 | New York | $92,724 | $44.58 |
| 4 | Virginia | $91,078 | $43.79 |
| 5 | Delaware | $97,851 | $47.04 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $95,895 | $46.10 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $94,009 | $45.20 |
| 8 | Maryland | $90,210 | $43.37 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $90,310 | $43.42 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $86,821 | $41.74 |
| 11 | Oregon | $76,116 | $36.59 |
| 12 | Texas | $77,561 | $37.29 |
| 13 | Ohio | $84,804 | $40.77 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $80,900 | $38.89 |
| 15 | Michigan | $80,754 | $38.82 |
| 16 | California | $76,168 | $36.62 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $75,158 | $36.13 |
| 18 | Vermont | $75,710 | $36.40 |
| 19 | Georgia | $77,256 | $37.14 |
| 20 | Illinois | $69,494 | $33.41 |
| 21 | Arizona | $69,309 | $33.32 |
| 22 | Indiana | $78,944 | $37.95 |
| 23 | Tennessee | $73,147 | $35.17 |
| 24 | Nevada | $66,725 | $32.08 |
| 25 | Florida | $72,069 | $34.65 |
| 26 | Washington | $75,348 | $36.23 |
| 27 | Alaska | $67,497 | $32.45 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $74,772 | $35.95 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $61,792 | $29.71 |
| 30 | Missouri | $61,056 | $29.35 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $66,958 | $32.19 |
| 32 | Maine | $72,168 | $34.70 |
| 33 | West Virginia | $70,307 | $33.80 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $59,546 | $28.63 |
| 35 | Alabama | $60,249 | $28.97 |
| 36 | Utah | $60,445 | $29.06 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $58,185 | $27.97 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $59,211 | $28.47 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $57,359 | $27.58 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $63,238 | $30.40 |
| 41 | Colorado | $62,464 | $30.03 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $56,267 | $27.05 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $57,414 | $27.60 |
| 44 | Montana | $57,765 | $27.77 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $60,533 | $29.10 |
| 46 | Iowa | $56,781 | $27.30 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $50,931 | $24.49 |
| 48 | Kansas | $56,347 | $27.09 |
| 49 | Idaho | $53,767 | $25.85 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $51,787 | $24.90 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $53,128 | $25.54 |
Highest paying cities for certified public accountants
The highest-paying cities for certified public accountants are Washington, DC, Springfield, MA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $126,263 | $60.70 |
| 2 | Springfield, MA | $94,082 | $45.23 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $93,024 | $44.72 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $91,088 | $43.79 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $90,545 | $43.53 |
| 6 | Greenville, NC | $90,361 | $43.44 |
| 7 | Columbus, OH | $84,352 | $40.55 |
| 8 | San Francisco, CA | $81,956 | $39.40 |
| 9 | Detroit, MI | $81,536 | $39.20 |
| 10 | San Antonio, TX | $78,778 | $37.87 |
| 11 | Indianapolis, IN | $78,442 | $37.71 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $76,814 | $36.93 |
| 13 | Seattle, WA | $76,511 | $36.78 |
| 14 | Portland, OR | $75,669 | $36.38 |
| 15 | Greenville, SC | $73,532 | $35.35 |
| 16 | Tampa, FL | $72,895 | $35.05 |
| 17 | Portland, ME | $72,814 | $35.01 |
| 18 | Chicago, IL | $70,026 | $33.67 |
| 19 | Peoria, AZ | $69,472 | $33.40 |
| 20 | Saint Louis, MO | $62,328 | $29.97 |
Certified public accountant salary details
A certified public accountant's salary ranges from $49,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $119,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a certified public accountant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $119,000 | $9,917 | $57 |
| 75th Percentile | $96,000 | $8,000 | $46 |
| Average | $76,693 | $6,391 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| 10th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
Highest paying certified public accountant jobs
The highest paying types of certified public accountants are senior tax accountant, senior accountant, and tax consultant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tax Professional | $60,241 | $5,020 | $28.96 | 82,351 |
| Tax Analyst | $61,745 | $5,145 | $29.69 | 56,223 |
| Tax Consultant | $66,737 | $5,561 | $32.08 | 39,379 |
| Accountant Internship | $33,484 | $2,790 | $16.10 | 82,924 |
| Accountant/Consultant | $64,298 | $5,358 | $30.91 | 38,916 |
| Tax Accountant | $62,142 | $5,178 | $29.88 | 57,919 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for certified public accountants, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Alyson Ma Ph.D.
Chair and Professor, University of San Diego
Coupled with work experience, students trained in Economics also outpace their peers to advance in their careers. According to Monster.com, a major in Economics ranks third on the fast track to $100K. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal shows that Economics has the highest Mid-Career 90th Percentile Salary for those with a bachelor's degree at $210,000.
A cautionary note is that Economics is not for everyone. Students who gravitate toward Economics tend to be fascinated by the world around them. They are the analytical type and appreciate the logical beauty of math. If you asked many 'why' questions when you were little, then Economics might be for you.
Top companies hiring certified public accountants now:
Which companies pay certified public accountants the most?
Certified public accountant salaries at Applied Materials and Microsoft are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average certified public accountant salary at companies like Ocean Tomo and Intuit are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Applied Materials | $123,927 | $59.58 |
| 2 | Microsoft | $122,599 | $58.94 |
| 3 | Ocean Tomo | $120,948 | $58.15 |
| 4 | Intuit | $119,626 | $57.51 |
| 5 | Ameriprise Financial | $105,144 | $50.55 |
| 6 | Voya Financial | $104,902 | $50.43 |
| 7 | Sherpa | $104,605 | $50.29 |
| 8 | Coldwell Banker McMahan | $103,766 | $49.89 |
| 9 | Herbein | $102,003 | $49.04 |
| 10 | Schultheis & Panettieri | $101,146 | $48.63 |
| 11 | KROST | $99,035 | $47.61 |
| 12 | Hantz Group | $98,413 | $47.31 |
| 13 | RGP | $97,806 | $47.02 |
| 14 | Moneta Group | $97,700 | $46.97 |
| 15 | NFP Ventures | $95,989 | $46.15 |
| 16 | Jones & Roth CPAs and Business Advisors | $95,392 | $45.86 |
| 17 | Club Car | $93,930 | $45.16 |
| 18 | Empower Media Marketing | $92,104 | $44.28 |
| 19 | National Railroad Passenger Corporation | $90,572 | $43.54 |
| 20 | Jackson Hewitt | $89,262 | $42.91 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Certified Public Accountant salary by industry
The average certified public accountant salary varies across industries:
- The average certified public accountant salary in the finance industry is $92,755, the highest of any industry.
- The average certified public accountant salary in the finance industry is $91,120.
- Certified public accountants in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $78,810, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for certified public accountants
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $92,755 | $44.59 |
| 2 | Professional | $91,120 | $43.81 |
| 3 | Health Care | $88,309 | $42.46 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $78,810 | $37.89 |
High paying certified public accountant jobs
Certified public accountant salary trends
The average certified public accountant salary has risen by $11,167 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average certified public accountant earned $65,526 annually, but today, they earn $76,693 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for certified public accountants over the last decade.
Compare certified public accountant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average certified public accountant salary over time
Compare certified public accountant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Certified public accountant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $76,700 | $36.87 | +2.7% |
| 2025 | $74,600 | $35.86 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | $73,500 | $35.34 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $72,300 | $34.76 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $71,100 | $34.16 | +1.4% |
Recently added certified public accountant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corning Federal Credit Union | Senior Tax Advisor/Cpa | Corning, NY | 06/29/2025 | $85,000 |
| Get It-Finance | Enrolled Agent-CPA-Remote | WFH | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $40,000 |
| Get It-Finance | Audit Manager-CPA-Remote | WFH | Atlanta, GA | 06/29/2025 | $40,000 |
| Get It-Finance | Certified Public Accountant-Remote | WFH | Phoenix, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $90,000 |
| Get It-Finance | Bilingual Bookkeeper/Tax Preparer-CPA Firm (Hybrid Position)-Remote | WFH | Garland, TX | 06/29/2025 | $52,175 |
| Get It-Finance | CPA Tax Accountant/Cpa Tax Manager (PER Diem)-Remote-WFH | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $122,000 |
| Get It-Real Estate | Tax Manager, CPA-Real Estate-Remote | WFH | Washington, DC | 06/29/2025 | $112,000 |
| Get It-Real Estate | CPA, Tax Accountant-Remote | WFH | Ellicott City, MD | 06/29/2025 | $62,610 |
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Remote CPA SR Accountant | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $106,437 |
| Paychex | Sales Consultant-CPA Centric | Seattle, WA | 06/27/2025 | $57,000 |
Certified public accountant salary FAQs
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