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Best states for a cost 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 cost accountant jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for cost accountants.Although there are abundant cost accountant jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. District of Columbia is the best state in the country for cost accountant jobs.
We figured that the best places for cost 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.District of Columbia is the best state, and Long Branch is the city with the highest pay for cost accountants.
10 best states for cost accountants in 2026
1. District of Columbia
Total cost accountant jobs: 262 Average annual salary: $89,977 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 2.19
2. Massachusetts
Total cost accountant jobs: 685 Average annual salary: $67,989 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 1.05
3. Connecticut
Total cost accountant jobs: 304 Average annual salary: $63,183 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
4. New York
Total cost accountant jobs: 999 Average annual salary: $67,790 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
5. Nevada
Total cost accountant jobs: 178 Average annual salary: $59,792 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
6. New Jersey
Total cost accountant jobs: 474 Average annual salary: $68,831 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
7. Colorado
Total cost accountant jobs: 523 Average annual salary: $60,998 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
8. Pennsylvania
Total cost accountant jobs: 753 Average annual salary: $59,347 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
9. Georgia
Total cost accountant jobs: 681 Average annual salary: $60,301 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 0.93
10. Washington
Total cost accountant jobs: 404 Average annual salary: $65,944 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Location Quotient: 0.78
Cost accountant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a cost accountant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a cost accountant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $89,977 | $66,000 | 693,972 | 262 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $67,989 | $51,000 | 6,859,819 | 685 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $63,183 | $47,000 | 3,588,184 | 304 |
| 4 | New York | $67,790 | $50,000 | 19,849,399 | 999 |
| 5 | Nevada | $59,792 | $43,000 | 2,998,039 | 178 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $68,831 | $51,000 | 9,005,644 | 474 |
| 7 | Colorado | $60,998 | $46,000 | 5,607,154 | 523 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $59,347 | $44,000 | 12,805,537 | 753 |
| 9 | Georgia | $60,301 | $44,000 | 10,429,379 | 681 |
| 10 | Washington | $65,944 | $50,000 | 7,405,743 | 404 |
| 11 | Delaware | $58,960 | $44,000 | 961,939 | 99 |
| 12 | Texas | $57,949 | $42,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,527 |
| 13 | Virginia | $61,310 | $45,000 | 8,470,020 | 695 |
| 14 | Illinois | $56,908 | $43,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,106 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $58,832 | $43,000 | 10,273,419 | 553 |
| 16 | California | $60,645 | $44,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,495 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $56,774 | $44,000 | 5,576,606 | 523 |
| 18 | Utah | $56,366 | $42,000 | 3,101,833 | 235 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $57,093 | $42,000 | 1,059,639 | 85 |
| 20 | Indiana | $57,732 | $43,000 | 6,666,818 | 342 |
| 21 | Ohio | $55,801 | $41,000 | 11,658,609 | 661 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $56,380 | $42,000 | 3,930,864 | 175 |
| 23 | Maryland | $57,752 | $42,000 | 6,052,177 | 547 |
| 24 | Michigan | $55,418 | $41,000 | 9,962,311 | 512 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $53,887 | $40,000 | 6,715,984 | 387 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $55,936 | $41,000 | 4,454,189 | 194 |
| 27 | Arizona | $55,205 | $40,000 | 7,016,270 | 439 |
| 28 | Iowa | $53,144 | $40,000 | 3,145,711 | 284 |
| 29 | Alaska | $59,856 | $52,000 | 739,795 | 46 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $54,104 | $41,000 | 1,920,076 | 136 |
| 31 | Oregon | $55,251 | $41,000 | 4,142,776 | 288 |
| 32 | Florida | $54,213 | $38,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,101 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $53,775 | $40,000 | 3,004,279 | 129 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $48,470 | $41,000 | 1,427,538 | 75 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $52,082 | $39,000 | 5,795,483 | 344 |
| 36 | Montana | $49,947 | $39,000 | 1,050,493 | 99 |
| 37 | Missouri | $50,749 | $38,000 | 6,113,532 | 458 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $52,514 | $39,000 | 1,342,795 | 107 |
| 39 | Alabama | $50,273 | $36,000 | 4,874,747 | 280 |
| 40 | Vermont | $53,110 | $40,000 | 623,657 | 39 |
| 41 | Kansas | $52,012 | $39,000 | 2,913,123 | 148 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $51,307 | $38,000 | 1,815,857 | 58 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $51,187 | $37,000 | 2,984,100 | 116 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $52,833 | $38,000 | 5,024,369 | 210 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $49,794 | $36,000 | 4,684,333 | 182 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $49,385 | $36,000 | 2,088,070 | 107 |
| 47 | Maine | $50,115 | $38,000 | 1,335,907 | 62 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $48,424 | $37,000 | 869,666 | 50 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $44,531 | $34,000 | 579,315 | 36 |
| 50 | Idaho | $45,296 | $34,000 | 1,716,943 | 86 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $44,558 | $35,000 | 755,393 | 36 |
Highest paying states for cost accountants
| Rank | State | Avg. Cost Accountant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $89,977 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $67,989 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $63,183 |
| 4 | New York | $67,790 |
| 5 | Nevada | $59,792 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $68,831 |
| 7 | Colorado | $60,998 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $59,347 |
| 9 | Georgia | $60,301 |
| 10 | Washington | $65,944 |
| 11 | Delaware | $58,960 |
| 12 | Texas | $57,949 |
| 13 | Virginia | $61,310 |
| 14 | Illinois | $56,908 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $58,832 |
| 16 | California | $60,645 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $56,774 |
| 18 | Utah | $56,366 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $57,093 |
| 20 | Indiana | $57,732 |
| 21 | Ohio | $55,801 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | $56,380 |
| 23 | Maryland | $57,752 |
| 24 | Michigan | $55,418 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $53,887 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $55,936 |
| 27 | Arizona | $55,205 |
| 28 | Iowa | $53,144 |
| 29 | Alaska | $59,856 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $54,104 |
| 31 | Oregon | $55,251 |
| 32 | Florida | $54,213 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $53,775 |
| 34 | Hawaii | $48,470 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $52,082 |
| 36 | Montana | $49,947 |
| 37 | Missouri | $50,749 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | $52,514 |
| 39 | Alabama | $50,273 |
| 40 | Vermont | $53,110 |
| 41 | Kansas | $52,012 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $51,307 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $51,187 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $52,833 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $49,794 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $49,385 |
| 47 | Maine | $50,115 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $48,424 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $44,531 |
| 50 | Idaho | $45,296 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $44,558 |
Expert opinions on the best states for cost accountants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for cost 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