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Best states for a chief accountant
Quoted expert
John Thornton Ph.D.
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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 chief accountant jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for chief accountants.In fact, our research shows that New York is the best state for chief accountants in America. The best city in America for chief accountants with the highest pay is New York, NY.
We figured that the best places for chief accountant jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.New York is the best state, and Long Beach is the city with the highest pay for chief accountants.
10 best states for chief accountants in 2026
1. New York
Total chief accountant jobs: 1,077 Average annual salary: $80,586 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
2. District of Columbia
Total chief accountant jobs: 270 Average annual salary: $75,461 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 2.59
3. California
Total chief accountant jobs: 2,356 Average annual salary: $72,092 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
4. Delaware
Total chief accountant jobs: 97 Average annual salary: $64,203 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
5. Rhode Island
Total chief accountant jobs: 66 Average annual salary: $68,783 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 0.87
6. New Jersey
Total chief accountant jobs: 418 Average annual salary: $72,963 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Location Quotient: 0.85
7. Connecticut
Total chief accountant jobs: 242 Average annual salary: $65,410 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
8. Washington
Total chief accountant jobs: 383 Average annual salary: $71,439 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
9. Arizona
Total chief accountant jobs: 399 Average annual salary: $62,426 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
10. Virginia
Total chief accountant jobs: 637 Average annual salary: $63,481 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $91,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
Chief accountant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a chief accountant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a chief accountant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $80,586 | $55,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,077 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $75,461 | $52,000 | 693,972 | 270 |
| 3 | California | $72,092 | $51,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,356 |
| 4 | Delaware | $64,203 | $44,000 | 961,939 | 97 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $68,783 | $47,000 | 1,059,639 | 66 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $72,963 | $50,000 | 9,005,644 | 418 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $65,410 | $45,000 | 3,588,184 | 242 |
| 8 | Washington | $71,439 | $52,000 | 7,405,743 | 383 |
| 9 | Arizona | $62,426 | $44,000 | 7,016,270 | 399 |
| 10 | Virginia | $63,481 | $43,000 | 8,470,020 | 637 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $60,363 | $42,000 | 6,859,819 | 744 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $62,882 | $44,000 | 1,342,795 | 81 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $59,350 | $42,000 | 5,795,483 | 286 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $59,149 | $42,000 | 5,576,606 | 443 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $57,473 | $39,000 | 12,805,537 | 661 |
| 16 | Ohio | $56,734 | $39,000 | 11,658,609 | 537 |
| 17 | Colorado | $58,151 | $43,000 | 5,607,154 | 434 |
| 18 | Alaska | $60,637 | $49,000 | 739,795 | 47 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $58,697 | $40,000 | 10,273,419 | 445 |
| 20 | Texas | $55,303 | $38,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,387 |
| 21 | Indiana | $57,500 | $40,000 | 6,666,818 | 241 |
| 22 | Illinois | $54,956 | $39,000 | 12,802,023 | 881 |
| 23 | Georgia | $55,748 | $39,000 | 10,429,379 | 556 |
| 24 | Florida | $56,069 | $38,000 | 20,984,400 | 966 |
| 25 | Michigan | $54,899 | $38,000 | 9,962,311 | 391 |
| 26 | Maryland | $56,434 | $38,000 | 6,052,177 | 509 |
| 27 | Missouri | $56,149 | $41,000 | 6,113,532 | 294 |
| 28 | Oregon | $54,941 | $40,000 | 4,142,776 | 286 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $56,347 | $41,000 | 3,930,864 | 115 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $54,986 | $39,000 | 2,088,070 | 97 |
| 31 | Nevada | $51,194 | $36,000 | 2,998,039 | 173 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $51,452 | $37,000 | 6,715,984 | 325 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $54,559 | $38,000 | 4,454,189 | 115 |
| 34 | Alabama | $53,275 | $38,000 | 4,874,747 | 181 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $53,161 | $37,000 | 5,024,369 | 210 |
| 36 | Utah | $49,251 | $36,000 | 3,101,833 | 219 |
| 37 | Idaho | $52,932 | $39,000 | 1,716,943 | 63 |
| 38 | Iowa | $49,548 | $36,000 | 3,145,711 | 201 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $49,756 | $36,000 | 3,004,279 | 90 |
| 40 | Montana | $43,844 | $32,000 | 1,050,493 | 94 |
| 41 | Kansas | $49,341 | $36,000 | 2,913,123 | 125 |
| 42 | Vermont | $50,868 | $35,000 | 623,657 | 32 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $48,122 | $35,000 | 1,920,076 | 114 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $47,630 | $35,000 | 579,315 | 30 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $48,767 | $34,000 | 1,815,857 | 41 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $46,341 | $35,000 | 1,427,538 | 45 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $47,719 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 38 |
| 48 | Maine | $47,438 | $33,000 | 1,335,907 | 64 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $48,245 | $33,000 | 4,684,333 | 127 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $45,316 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 32 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $43,812 | $31,000 | 2,984,100 | 64 |
Highest paying states for chief accountants
| Rank | State | Avg. Chief Accountant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $80,586 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $75,461 |
| 3 | California | $72,092 |
| 4 | Delaware | $64,203 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $68,783 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $72,963 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $65,410 |
| 8 | Washington | $71,439 |
| 9 | Arizona | $62,426 |
| 10 | Virginia | $63,481 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $60,363 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $62,882 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $59,350 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $59,149 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $57,473 |
| 16 | Ohio | $56,734 |
| 17 | Colorado | $58,151 |
| 18 | Alaska | $60,637 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $58,697 |
| 20 | Texas | $55,303 |
| 21 | Indiana | $57,500 |
| 22 | Illinois | $54,956 |
| 23 | Georgia | $55,748 |
| 24 | Florida | $56,069 |
| 25 | Michigan | $54,899 |
| 26 | Maryland | $56,434 |
| 27 | Missouri | $56,149 |
| 28 | Oregon | $54,941 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $56,347 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $54,986 |
| 31 | Nevada | $51,194 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $51,452 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $54,559 |
| 34 | Alabama | $53,275 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $53,161 |
| 36 | Utah | $49,251 |
| 37 | Idaho | $52,932 |
| 38 | Iowa | $49,548 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $49,756 |
| 40 | Montana | $43,844 |
| 41 | Kansas | $49,341 |
| 42 | Vermont | $50,868 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $48,122 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $47,630 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $48,767 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $46,341 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $47,719 |
| 48 | Maine | $47,438 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $48,245 |
| 50 | North Dakota | $45,316 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $43,812 |
Expert opinions on the best states for chief accountants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for chief 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