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Best states for a public accountant
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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 public accountant jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for public accountants.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for public accountants. We found that New York is the best state in the nation for public accountants, and people in Southampton earn the most in the field.
We figured that the best places for public 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 Southampton is the city with the highest pay for public accountants.
10 best states for public accountants in 2025
1. New York
Total public accountant jobs: 1,171 Average annual salary: $78,673 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
2. Rhode Island
Total public accountant jobs: 121 Average annual salary: $68,688 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
3. District of Columbia
Total public accountant jobs: 292 Average annual salary: $72,705 Lowest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 2.19
4. Virginia
Total public accountant jobs: 749 Average annual salary: $70,275 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 1
5. Massachusetts
Total public accountant jobs: 753 Average annual salary: $69,189 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
6. Colorado
Total public accountant jobs: 568 Average annual salary: $64,290 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
7. New Jersey
Total public accountant jobs: 562 Average annual salary: $73,841 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $104,000 Location Quotient: 0.89
8. Montana
Total public accountant jobs: 118 Average annual salary: $59,622 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.29
9. California
Total public accountant jobs: 2,887 Average annual salary: $64,225 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1.24
10. Delaware
Total public accountant jobs: 104 Average annual salary: $61,612 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
Public accountant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a public accountant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a public accountant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $78,673 | $55,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,171 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $68,688 | $48,000 | 1,059,639 | 121 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $72,705 | $51,000 | 693,972 | 292 |
| 4 | Virginia | $70,275 | $50,000 | 8,470,020 | 749 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $69,189 | $48,000 | 6,859,819 | 753 |
| 6 | Colorado | $64,290 | $48,000 | 5,607,154 | 568 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $73,841 | $52,000 | 9,005,644 | 562 |
| 8 | Montana | $59,622 | $44,000 | 1,050,493 | 118 |
| 9 | California | $64,225 | $46,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,887 |
| 10 | Delaware | $61,612 | $43,000 | 961,939 | 104 |
| 11 | Oregon | $61,899 | $45,000 | 4,142,776 | 317 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $64,043 | $45,000 | 1,342,795 | 104 |
| 13 | Maryland | $61,651 | $43,000 | 6,052,177 | 548 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $58,677 | $41,000 | 12,805,537 | 845 |
| 15 | Texas | $56,419 | $41,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,755 |
| 16 | Michigan | $57,920 | $41,000 | 9,962,311 | 549 |
| 17 | Alaska | $60,927 | $48,000 | 739,795 | 57 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $57,369 | $41,000 | 10,273,419 | 655 |
| 19 | Nevada | $52,440 | $38,000 | 2,998,039 | 212 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $56,155 | $40,000 | 5,795,483 | 390 |
| 21 | Arizona | $54,557 | $40,000 | 7,016,270 | 464 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $53,497 | $37,000 | 3,588,184 | 343 |
| 23 | Ohio | $54,248 | $38,000 | 11,658,609 | 719 |
| 24 | Washington | $58,874 | $43,000 | 7,405,743 | 436 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $52,441 | $38,000 | 5,576,606 | 565 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $51,476 | $38,000 | 3,930,864 | 231 |
| 27 | Illinois | $50,634 | $36,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,181 |
| 28 | Idaho | $53,679 | $39,000 | 1,716,943 | 99 |
| 29 | Vermont | $52,643 | $37,000 | 623,657 | 55 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $47,547 | $35,000 | 6,715,984 | 436 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $49,845 | $39,000 | 1,427,538 | 73 |
| 32 | Missouri | $47,781 | $35,000 | 6,113,532 | 497 |
| 33 | Georgia | $48,271 | $35,000 | 10,429,379 | 794 |
| 34 | Iowa | $47,423 | $34,000 | 3,145,711 | 295 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $49,395 | $36,000 | 4,684,333 | 203 |
| 36 | Utah | $46,482 | $34,000 | 3,101,833 | 281 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $48,705 | $36,000 | 2,088,070 | 109 |
| 38 | Maine | $49,540 | $35,000 | 1,335,907 | 70 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $47,610 | $34,000 | 4,454,189 | 205 |
| 40 | Indiana | $47,555 | $34,000 | 6,666,818 | 354 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $47,395 | $35,000 | 3,004,279 | 138 |
| 42 | Florida | $45,663 | $33,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,275 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $44,950 | $33,000 | 579,315 | 45 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $46,401 | $33,000 | 1,815,857 | 65 |
| 45 | Kansas | $46,084 | $34,000 | 2,913,123 | 168 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $45,206 | $33,000 | 1,920,076 | 149 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $44,993 | $33,000 | 869,666 | 54 |
| 48 | Alabama | $44,126 | $32,000 | 4,874,747 | 259 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $43,779 | $31,000 | 5,024,369 | 246 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $42,253 | $31,000 | 2,984,100 | 122 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $44,244 | $32,000 | 755,393 | 36 |
Highest paying states for public accountants
| Rank | State | Avg. Public Accountant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $78,673 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $68,688 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $72,705 |
| 4 | Virginia | $70,275 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $69,189 |
| 6 | Colorado | $64,290 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $73,841 |
| 8 | Montana | $59,622 |
| 9 | California | $64,225 |
| 10 | Delaware | $61,612 |
| 11 | Oregon | $61,899 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $64,043 |
| 13 | Maryland | $61,651 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $58,677 |
| 15 | Texas | $56,419 |
| 16 | Michigan | $57,920 |
| 17 | Alaska | $60,927 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $57,369 |
| 19 | Nevada | $52,440 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $56,155 |
| 21 | Arizona | $54,557 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $53,497 |
| 23 | Ohio | $54,248 |
| 24 | Washington | $58,874 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $52,441 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $51,476 |
| 27 | Illinois | $50,634 |
| 28 | Idaho | $53,679 |
| 29 | Vermont | $52,643 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $47,547 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $49,845 |
| 32 | Missouri | $47,781 |
| 33 | Georgia | $48,271 |
| 34 | Iowa | $47,423 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $49,395 |
| 36 | Utah | $46,482 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $48,705 |
| 38 | Maine | $49,540 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $47,610 |
| 40 | Indiana | $47,555 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $47,395 |
| 42 | Florida | $45,663 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $44,950 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $46,401 |
| 45 | Kansas | $46,084 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $45,206 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $44,993 |
| 48 | Alabama | $44,126 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $43,779 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $42,253 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $44,244 |
Expert opinions on the best states for public accountants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for public 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