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Best states for a principal accountant
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John Thornton Ph.D.
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Principal accountant opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for principal accountants, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for principal accountants.Our research shows that Rhode Island is the best state in the country for principal accountants.
In order to get you the best states for principal 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 principal accountant, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for principal accountants in 2025
1. Rhode Island
Total principal accountant jobs: 261 Average annual salary: $106,624 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.95
2. New Jersey
Total principal accountant jobs: 1,058 Average annual salary: $117,637 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.21
3. Massachusetts
Total principal accountant jobs: 1,506 Average annual salary: $106,451 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000 Location Quotient: 1.49
4. New York
Total principal accountant jobs: 1,585 Average annual salary: $114,737 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
5. New Hampshire
Total principal accountant jobs: 241 Average annual salary: $97,023 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
6. District of Columbia
Total principal accountant jobs: 188 Average annual salary: $114,877 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
7. Maryland
Total principal accountant jobs: 864 Average annual salary: $98,214 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.23
8. Pennsylvania
Total principal accountant jobs: 1,374 Average annual salary: $93,353 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $134,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
9. Delaware
Total principal accountant jobs: 139 Average annual salary: $98,266 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1
10. Virginia
Total principal accountant jobs: 1,400 Average annual salary: $91,189 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.35
Principal accountant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a principal accountant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a principal accountant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $106,624 | $74,000 | 1,059,639 | 261 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $117,637 | $82,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,058 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $106,451 | $74,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,506 |
| 4 | New York | $114,737 | $79,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,585 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $97,023 | $68,000 | 1,342,795 | 241 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $114,877 | $80,000 | 693,972 | 188 |
| 7 | Maryland | $98,214 | $68,000 | 6,052,177 | 864 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $93,353 | $64,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,374 |
| 9 | Delaware | $98,266 | $68,000 | 961,939 | 139 |
| 10 | Virginia | $91,189 | $64,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,400 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $91,824 | $64,000 | 10,273,419 | 985 |
| 12 | California | $103,794 | $68,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,323 |
| 13 | Texas | $84,784 | $57,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,447 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $84,013 | $58,000 | 3,588,184 | 491 |
| 15 | Nevada | $82,411 | $53,000 | 2,998,039 | 264 |
| 16 | Illinois | $82,854 | $54,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,634 |
| 17 | Ohio | $83,256 | $56,000 | 11,658,609 | 934 |
| 18 | Vermont | $77,361 | $53,000 | 623,657 | 124 |
| 19 | Georgia | $85,236 | $59,000 | 10,429,379 | 932 |
| 20 | Michigan | $86,149 | $57,000 | 9,962,311 | 558 |
| 21 | Oregon | $79,986 | $52,000 | 4,142,776 | 578 |
| 22 | Florida | $78,879 | $55,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,012 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $75,149 | $48,000 | 5,795,483 | 605 |
| 24 | Washington | $71,259 | $47,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,205 |
| 25 | Arizona | $71,417 | $47,000 | 7,016,270 | 915 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $80,991 | $55,000 | 4,684,333 | 192 |
| 27 | Colorado | $68,861 | $45,000 | 5,607,154 | 985 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $73,001 | $49,000 | 1,815,857 | 116 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $73,099 | $48,000 | 2,088,070 | 173 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $71,287 | $47,000 | 4,454,189 | 265 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $69,679 | $46,000 | 6,715,984 | 463 |
| 32 | Montana | $62,610 | $40,000 | 1,050,493 | 162 |
| 33 | Maine | $73,193 | $51,000 | 1,335,907 | 84 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $71,017 | $49,000 | 5,024,369 | 296 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $65,337 | $43,000 | 3,004,279 | 261 |
| 36 | Idaho | $63,349 | $40,000 | 1,716,943 | 185 |
| 37 | Indiana | $69,824 | $46,000 | 6,666,818 | 432 |
| 38 | Alabama | $68,367 | $46,000 | 4,874,747 | 321 |
| 39 | Minnesota | $55,958 | $36,000 | 5,576,606 | 841 |
| 40 | Alaska | $62,947 | $52,000 | 739,795 | 61 |
| 41 | Missouri | $61,393 | $40,000 | 6,113,532 | 539 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $68,512 | $45,000 | 3,930,864 | 188 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $60,786 | $49,000 | 1,427,538 | 68 |
| 44 | Iowa | $58,230 | $38,000 | 3,145,711 | 295 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $64,699 | $43,000 | 2,984,100 | 136 |
| 46 | Kansas | $57,323 | $37,000 | 2,913,123 | 236 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $51,501 | $34,000 | 1,920,076 | 205 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $48,475 | $31,000 | 579,315 | 56 |
| 49 | Utah | $56,674 | $36,000 | 3,101,833 | 211 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $48,678 | $32,000 | 869,666 | 69 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $47,963 | $31,000 | 755,393 | 61 |
Highest paying states for principal accountants
| Rank | State | Avg. Principal Accountant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | $106,624 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $117,637 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $106,451 |
| 4 | New York | $114,737 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $97,023 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $114,877 |
| 7 | Maryland | $98,214 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $93,353 |
| 9 | Delaware | $98,266 |
| 10 | Virginia | $91,189 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $91,824 |
| 12 | California | $103,794 |
| 13 | Texas | $84,784 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $84,013 |
| 15 | Nevada | $82,411 |
| 16 | Illinois | $82,854 |
| 17 | Ohio | $83,256 |
| 18 | Vermont | $77,361 |
| 19 | Georgia | $85,236 |
| 20 | Michigan | $86,149 |
| 21 | Oregon | $79,986 |
| 22 | Florida | $78,879 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $75,149 |
| 24 | Washington | $71,259 |
| 25 | Arizona | $71,417 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $80,991 |
| 27 | Colorado | $68,861 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $73,001 |
| 29 | New Mexico | $73,099 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $71,287 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $69,679 |
| 32 | Montana | $62,610 |
| 33 | Maine | $73,193 |
| 34 | South Carolina | $71,017 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $65,337 |
| 36 | Idaho | $63,349 |
| 37 | Indiana | $69,824 |
| 38 | Alabama | $68,367 |
| 39 | Minnesota | $55,958 |
| 40 | Alaska | $62,947 |
| 41 | Missouri | $61,393 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $68,512 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $60,786 |
| 44 | Iowa | $58,230 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $64,699 |
| 46 | Kansas | $57,323 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $51,501 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $48,475 |
| 49 | Utah | $56,674 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $48,678 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $47,963 |
Expert opinions on the best states for principal accountants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for principal 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