Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a forensic accountant
Quoted expert
John Thornton Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to forensic 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. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for forensic accountants. We found that District of Columbia is the best state in the nation for forensic accountants, and people in South Kingstown earn the most in the field.
The median salary for forensic accountants in District of Columbia is $112,595. Compare that to the median salary in North Dakota of $50,163, which ranked worst for forensic accountants, and you can see how your location is important for your career.District of Columbia is the best state, and South Kingstown is the city with the highest pay for forensic accountants.
10 best states for forensic accountants in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total forensic accountant jobs: 202 Average annual salary: $112,595 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 1.792. Rhode Island
Total forensic accountant jobs: 88 Average annual salary: $93,542 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.083. New York
Total forensic accountant jobs: 965 Average annual salary: $85,318 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.124. Massachusetts
Total forensic accountant jobs: 637 Average annual salary: $86,024 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.035. Delaware
Total forensic accountant jobs: 91 Average annual salary: $81,732 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.086. Maryland
Total forensic accountant jobs: 514 Average annual salary: $81,228 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Location Quotient: 1.217. New Jersey
Total forensic accountant jobs: 434 Average annual salary: $90,631 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 0.818. Illinois
Total forensic accountant jobs: 1,043 Average annual salary: $75,078 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $113,000 Location Quotient: 1.39. Georgia
Total forensic accountant jobs: 668 Average annual salary: $80,342 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000 Location Quotient: 0.9610. New Hampshire
Total forensic accountant jobs: 86 Average annual salary: $87,716 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
Forensic accountant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a forensic accountant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a forensic accountant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $112,595 | $73,000 | 693,972 | 202 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $93,542 | $61,000 | 1,059,639 | 88 |
| 3 | New York | $85,318 | $56,000 | 19,849,399 | 965 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $86,024 | $56,000 | 6,859,819 | 637 |
| 5 | Delaware | $81,732 | $53,000 | 961,939 | 91 |
| 6 | Maryland | $81,228 | $53,000 | 6,052,177 | 514 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $90,631 | $59,000 | 9,005,644 | 434 |
| 8 | Illinois | $75,078 | $49,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,043 |
| 9 | Georgia | $80,342 | $52,000 | 10,429,379 | 668 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $87,716 | $57,000 | 1,342,795 | 86 |
| 11 | Oregon | $81,120 | $52,000 | 4,142,776 | 259 |
| 12 | Michigan | $77,237 | $50,000 | 9,962,311 | 457 |
| 13 | Virginia | $78,913 | $51,000 | 8,470,020 | 644 |
| 14 | Texas | $72,643 | $48,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,573 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $72,669 | $48,000 | 3,588,184 | 277 |
| 16 | Nevada | $69,808 | $46,000 | 2,998,039 | 167 |
| 17 | California | $75,351 | $50,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,327 |
| 18 | Ohio | $71,464 | $46,000 | 11,658,609 | 643 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $72,433 | $47,000 | 5,795,483 | 327 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $70,627 | $46,000 | 12,805,537 | 745 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $72,020 | $46,000 | 10,273,419 | 495 |
| 22 | Washington | $72,251 | $46,000 | 7,405,743 | 381 |
| 23 | Montana | $64,855 | $42,000 | 1,050,493 | 90 |
| 24 | Colorado | $64,363 | $43,000 | 5,607,154 | 485 |
| 25 | Indiana | $68,002 | $44,000 | 6,666,818 | 313 |
| 26 | Vermont | $71,796 | $46,000 | 623,657 | 34 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $66,893 | $44,000 | 2,984,100 | 109 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $64,719 | $43,000 | 3,930,864 | 180 |
| 29 | Florida | $64,851 | $41,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,035 |
| 30 | Maine | $67,561 | $44,000 | 1,335,907 | 60 |
| 31 | Idaho | $66,611 | $43,000 | 1,716,943 | 78 |
| 32 | Utah | $60,190 | $39,000 | 3,101,833 | 241 |
| 33 | Iowa | $59,276 | $39,000 | 3,145,711 | 273 |
| 34 | Missouri | $59,925 | $40,000 | 6,113,532 | 438 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $59,627 | $39,000 | 6,715,984 | 397 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $61,198 | $40,000 | 4,454,189 | 193 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $62,501 | $40,000 | 4,684,333 | 167 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $59,475 | $39,000 | 5,576,606 | 488 |
| 39 | Arizona | $59,869 | $40,000 | 7,016,270 | 401 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $62,223 | $42,000 | 2,088,070 | 92 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $60,524 | $39,000 | 1,815,857 | 58 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $59,213 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 112 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $44,781 | $34,000 | 1,427,538 | 62 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $52,758 | $35,000 | 579,315 | 38 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $54,997 | $37,000 | 1,920,076 | 126 |
| 46 | Alabama | $55,073 | $36,000 | 4,874,747 | 226 |
| 47 | Kansas | $56,872 | $38,000 | 2,913,123 | 139 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $53,504 | $34,000 | 5,024,369 | 213 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $53,100 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 44 |
| 50 | Alaska | $49,454 | $34,000 | 739,795 | 40 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $50,163 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 32 |
Highest paying states for forensic accountants
| Rank | State | Avg. Forensic Accountant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $112,595 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $93,542 |
| 3 | New York | $85,318 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $86,024 |
| 5 | Delaware | $81,732 |
| 6 | Maryland | $81,228 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $90,631 |
| 8 | Illinois | $75,078 |
| 9 | Georgia | $80,342 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $87,716 |
| 11 | Oregon | $81,120 |
| 12 | Michigan | $77,237 |
| 13 | Virginia | $78,913 |
| 14 | Texas | $72,643 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $72,669 |
| 16 | Nevada | $69,808 |
| 17 | California | $75,351 |
| 18 | Ohio | $71,464 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $72,433 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $70,627 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $72,020 |
| 22 | Washington | $72,251 |
| 23 | Montana | $64,855 |
| 24 | Colorado | $64,363 |
| 25 | Indiana | $68,002 |
| 26 | Vermont | $71,796 |
| 27 | Mississippi | $66,893 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $64,719 |
| 29 | Florida | $64,851 |
| 30 | Maine | $67,561 |
| 31 | Idaho | $66,611 |
| 32 | Utah | $60,190 |
| 33 | Iowa | $59,276 |
| 34 | Missouri | $59,925 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $59,627 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $61,198 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $62,501 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $59,475 |
| 39 | Arizona | $59,869 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $62,223 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $60,524 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $59,213 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $44,781 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $52,758 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $54,997 |
| 46 | Alabama | $55,073 |
| 47 | Kansas | $56,872 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $53,504 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $53,100 |
| 50 | Alaska | $49,454 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $50,163 |
Expert opinions on the best states for forensic accountants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for forensic 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).
Forensic accountant best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
Search for forensic accountant jobs
Updated January 8, 2025