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The average salary for accountants in the United States is currently $54,890 per year. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and the specific field of accounting. For instance, entry-level positions tend to earn less than experienced accountants.
Accountants with more years of experience typically see substantial salary increases. An entry-level accountant may start around $40,000 annually, while those with over ten years in the field can earn upwards of $70,000.
Accountants in states like California and New York often enjoy higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. For example, the highest paying state for accountants is New York, where salaries can exceed $70,000.
Various job platforms provide salary estimates for accountants, reflecting the competitive nature of the industry. As more businesses seek to manage finances effectively, the demand for qualified accountants continues to grow.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level accountant | $36,300 | $17.44 |
| Mid-level accountant | $52,200 | $25.12 |
| Senior-level accountant | $88,400 | $42.49 |
The highest-paying states for accountants are New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. The lowest average accountant salary states are Arkansas, Louisiana, and Wyoming.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $71,993 | $34.61 |
| 2 | New York | $68,366 | $32.87 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $62,386 | $29.99 |
| 4 | Delaware | $59,242 | $28.48 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $62,743 | $30.16 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $60,990 | $29.32 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $67,833 | $32.61 |
| 8 | Virginia | $60,099 | $28.89 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $54,607 | $26.25 |
| 10 | Maryland | $58,489 | $28.12 |
| 11 | Washington | $56,929 | $27.37 |
| 12 | Colorado | $52,649 | $25.31 |
| 13 | Oregon | $52,823 | $25.40 |
| 14 | California | $55,339 | $26.61 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $54,960 | $26.42 |
| 16 | Michigan | $51,209 | $24.62 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $50,767 | $24.41 |
| 18 | Texas | $49,856 | $23.97 |
| 19 | Illinois | $50,229 | $24.15 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $51,783 | $24.90 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $49,883 | $23.98 |
| 22 | Ohio | $49,196 | $23.65 |
| 23 | Vermont | $52,073 | $25.04 |
| 24 | Alaska | $55,612 | $26.74 |
| 25 | Georgia | $49,935 | $24.01 |
| 26 | Iowa | $46,149 | $22.19 |
| 27 | Nevada | $46,895 | $22.55 |
| 28 | Maine | $50,399 | $24.23 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $44,616 | $21.45 |
| 30 | Indiana | $47,841 | $23.00 |
| 31 | Utah | $45,148 | $21.71 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $46,027 | $22.13 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $44,642 | $21.46 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $45,426 | $21.84 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $45,280 | $21.77 |
| 36 | Missouri | $44,893 | $21.58 |
| 37 | Arizona | $47,972 | $23.06 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $45,154 | $21.71 |
| 39 | Florida | $45,139 | $21.70 |
| 40 | Montana | $43,390 | $20.86 |
| 41 | Idaho | $45,231 | $21.75 |
| 42 | Alabama | $44,027 | $21.17 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $45,123 | $21.69 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $38,954 | $18.73 |
| 45 | Kansas | $44,835 | $21.56 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $43,817 | $21.07 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $42,614 | $20.49 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $42,844 | $20.60 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $42,765 | $20.56 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $40,889 | $19.66 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $39,626 | $19.05 |
The highest-paying cities for accountants are Washington, DC, New York, NY, and Fort Lee, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $71,991 | $34.61 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $68,492 | $32.93 |
| 3 | Fort Lee, NJ | $67,932 | $32.66 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $62,769 | $30.18 |
| 5 | Arlington, VA | $61,511 | $29.57 |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | $58,980 | $28.36 |
| 7 | Baltimore, MD | $58,761 | $28.25 |
| 8 | Seattle, WA | $57,336 | $27.57 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $55,064 | $26.47 |
| 10 | Denver, CO | $52,610 | $25.29 |
| 11 | Washington, MI | $52,023 | $25.01 |
| 12 | Duluth, MN | $51,899 | $24.95 |
| 13 | Charlotte, NC | $50,764 | $24.41 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $50,446 | $24.25 |
| 15 | Duluth, GA | $50,014 | $24.05 |
| 16 | Austin, TX | $49,884 | $23.98 |
| 17 | Columbus, OH | $48,446 | $23.29 |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ | $48,134 | $23.14 |
| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | $47,721 | $22.94 |
| 20 | Las Vegas, NV | $46,453 | $22.33 |
Accountants are the most in-demand in these five cities:
An accountant's salary ranges from $41,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $72,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| 75th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| Average | $54,890 | $4,574 | $26 |
| 25th Percentile | $47,000 | $3,917 | $23 |
| 10th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
The highest paying types of accountants are senior tax accountant, certified public accountant, and senior accountant analyst.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant And Office Manager | $51,217 | $4,268 | $24.62 | 107,701 |
| Certified Public Accountant | $76,693 | $6,391 | $36.87 | 78,792 |
| Finance Analyst/Accountant | $62,975 | $5,248 | $30.28 | 118,043 |
| General Ledger Accountant | $60,034 | $5,003 | $28.86 | 81,408 |
| Fixed Asset Accountant | $59,691 | $4,974 | $28.70 | 42,860 |
| Accountant/Consultant | $64,298 | $5,358 | $30.91 | 38,916 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for accountants, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Alyson Ma Ph.D.
Chair and Professor, University of San Diego
Top companies hiring accountants now:
Accountant salaries at Meta and PayPal are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average accountant salary at companies like The Carlyle Group and Apple are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $100,015 | $48.08 |
| 2 | PayPal | $99,145 | $47.67 |
| 3 | The Carlyle Group | $96,880 | $46.58 |
| 4 | Apple | $96,163 | $46.23 |
| 5 | $91,469 | $43.98 | |
| 6 | Jordan Company | $91,459 | $43.97 |
| 7 | Microsoft | $90,104 | $43.32 |
| 8 | Cisco | $89,933 | $43.24 |
| 9 | Oracle | $84,756 | $40.75 |
| 10 | Pacific Investment Management Company LLC | $83,766 | $40.27 |
| 11 | Adobe | $83,384 | $40.09 |
| 12 | McKinsey & Company Inc | $82,880 | $39.85 |
| 13 | Ernst & Young | $82,205 | $39.52 |
| 14 | PBF Energy | $82,166 | $39.50 |
| 15 | Atlassian | $81,373 | $39.12 |
| 16 | Novartis | $79,911 | $38.42 |
| 17 | American Century Investments | $79,738 | $38.34 |
| 18 | Nabors Holding Company | $79,544 | $38.24 |
| 19 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $78,973 | $37.97 |
| 20 | FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies | $78,550 | $37.76 |
The average accountant salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $60,365 | $29.02 |
| 2 | Finance | $59,666 | $28.69 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $58,822 | $28.28 |
| 4 | Professional | $58,017 | $27.89 |
| 5 | Health Care | $56,686 | $27.25 |
| 6 | Hospitality | $56,335 | $27.08 |
| 7 | Government | $55,133 | $26.51 |
The average accountant salary has risen by $7,992 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average accountant earned $46,898 annually, but today, they earn $54,890 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for accountants over the last decade.
Compare accountant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare accountant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $54,900 | $26.39 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $53,400 | $25.67 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $52,600 | $25.29 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $51,700 | $24.88 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $50,900 | $24.45 | +1.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | Investment Accountant-Mid Level | Charlotte, NC | 06/30/2025 | $69,920 |
| Us Government Other Agencies and Independent Organizations | Supervisory Accountant | Washington, DC | 06/30/2025 | $120,579 |
| Lakewood Companies | Senior Financial Accountant | Lakewood, CO | 06/30/2025 | $104,682 |
| State of Illinois | Accountant Advanced | Springfield, IL | 06/30/2025 | $64,608 |
| Ioaging | Accountant II | San Francisco, CA | 06/30/2025 | $80,000 |
| Access: Supports for Living | Accountant | Middletown, NY | 06/29/2025 | $58,436 |
| Property Accountant-Hybrid | Arlington, VA | 06/29/2025 | $75,000 | |
| Lincoln Property Company | Property Accountant-Hybrid | Arlington, VA | 06/29/2025 | $75,000 |
| State of Florida | Accountant IV | Tallahassee, FL | 06/29/2025 | $45,000 |
| Corecivic | Accountant | Eloy, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $50,276 |
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