How much does a general accountant make?

The average general accountant salary in the United States is $55,043. General accountant salaries typically range between $40,000 and $73,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for general accountants is $26.46 per hour. General accountant salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. General accountants earn the highest average salary in New Jersey.

General accountant salary

Q: What state pays General Accountants the most?

New Jersey pays General Accountants the most in the United States, with an average salary of $77,998 per year, or $37.50 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a general accountant?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a general accountant if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in District of Columbia you should be paid close to $70,157 per year.

Quoted expert

Alyson Ma Ph.D.

Average general accountant salary

$55,043

$26.46 hourly rate

Entry-level general accountant salary

$40,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Average General Accountant Salary

The average salary for a General Accountant as of October 2025 is approximately $55,043 per year. This salary can vary based on several factors, including experience level, location, and industry. For instance, entry-level accountants may earn around $40,000, while those with significant experience can earn upwards of $70,000.

Salary by State

General accountants in states like California, New York, and Washington tend to earn the highest salaries. In contrast, states with lower costs of living may offer lower salaries for the same role. Exploring these variations can provide valuable insights into potential earnings.

Career Advancement

As you advance in your career, salaries are likely to increase. Specializing in areas like tax accounting or forensic accounting can also lead to higher compensation. Understanding the salary landscape will help you navigate your career path effectively.

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General accountant salary by:

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Where can a General Accountant earn more?

Compare salary by location

91k

71k

51k

31k

11k

Columbus, OH$70,194

Brentwood, TN$41,201

Compare salary by company

111k

91k

71k

51k

31k

Apple$91,139

Berklee College of Music$60,731

General accountant salaries by experience level

Experience level	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
Entry-level general accountant	$36,400	$17.49
Mid-level general accountant	$52,400	$25.19
Senior-level general accountant	$88,600	$42.61

General accountant salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Glassdoor, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a general accountant typically falls between $55,043 and $75,646.

zippia

$55,043yearly

glassdoor[1]

$75,646yearly

indeed[2]

$59,145yearly

comparably[3]

$58,586yearly

Salary.com[4]

$67,566yearly

payscale[5]

$55,438yearly

Average general accountant salary by state

The average general accountant salary in New Jersey, New York, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average general accountant salary states are Idaho, Hawaii, and North Dakota.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for general accountants

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New York	$70,027	$33.67
2	District of Columbia	$70,157	$33.73
3	New Jersey	$77,998	$37.50
4	Washington	$66,865	$32.15
5	Massachusetts	$63,888	$30.72
6	Rhode Island	$58,768	$28.25
7	Connecticut	$59,955	$28.82
8	Oregon	$57,660	$27.72
9	Delaware	$57,099	$27.45
10	California	$59,988	$28.84
11	Pennsylvania	$56,699	$27.26
12	Virginia	$57,827	$27.80
13	Maryland	$58,722	$28.23
14	Georgia	$55,375	$26.62
15	North Carolina	$54,069	$25.99
16	Nevada	$51,648	$24.83
17	New Hampshire	$50,875	$24.46
18	Minnesota	$52,136	$25.07
19	Ohio	$50,717	$24.38
20	Kentucky	$51,547	$24.78
21	Vermont	$50,945	$24.49
22	Louisiana	$52,558	$25.27
23	Texas	$50,762	$24.40
24	Alaska	$55,065	$26.47
25	Wisconsin	$52,231	$25.11
26	New Mexico	$50,709	$24.38
27	Colorado	$50,466	$24.26
28	Michigan	$49,910	$24.00
29	Florida	$50,568	$24.31
30	Maine	$47,802	$22.98
31	Illinois	$49,079	$23.60
32	Utah	$50,048	$24.06
33	Arizona	$49,278	$23.69
34	South Dakota	$45,173	$21.72
35	West Virginia	$48,153	$23.15
36	Oklahoma	$47,898	$23.03
37	Nebraska	$44,265	$21.28
38	South Carolina	$48,903	$23.51
39	Alabama	$46,681	$22.44
40	Idaho	$42,363	$20.37
41	Arkansas	$46,566	$22.39
42	North Dakota	$41,889	$20.14
43	Iowa	$43,836	$21.07
44	Hawaii	$42,071	$20.23
45	Wyoming	$44,953	$21.61
46	Montana	$41,862	$20.13
47	Kansas	$45,078	$21.67
48	Missouri	$42,389	$20.38
49	Tennessee	$41,170	$19.79
50	Indiana	$42,810	$20.58
51	Mississippi	$41,025	$19.72

Top general accountant jobs near you

Highest paying cities for general accountants

The highest-paying cities for general accountants are Washington, DC, New York, NY, and Seattle, WA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington, DC	$70,194	$33.75
2	New York, NY	$70,122	$33.71
3	Seattle, WA	$67,399	$32.40
4	Boston, MA	$63,863	$30.70
5	Redwood City, CA	$63,216	$30.39
6	Lake Oswego, OR	$57,507	$27.65
7	Philadelphia, PA	$57,110	$27.46
8	Atlanta, GA	$55,435	$26.65
9	New Orleans, LA	$52,405	$25.19
10	Saint Paul, MN	$52,144	$25.07
11	Irving, TX	$50,979	$24.51
12	Albuquerque, NM	$50,908	$24.48
13	Orlando, FL	$50,805	$24.43
14	Fort Collins, CO	$50,596	$24.32
15	Salt Lake City, UT	$49,958	$24.02
16	Chicago, IL	$49,191	$23.65
17	Cincinnati, OH	$48,553	$23.34
18	Omaha, NE	$44,355	$21.32
19	Brentwood, TN	$41,201	$19.81

General accountant salary details

A general accountant's salary ranges from $40,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $73,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average general accountant salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a general accountant's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$73,000	$6,083	$35
75th Percentile	$64,000	$5,333	$31
Average	$55,043	$4,587	$26
25th Percentile	$47,000	$3,917	$23
10th Percentile	$40,000	$3,333	$19

Highest paying general accountant jobs

The highest paying types of general accountants are senior tax accountant, certified public accountant, and account auditor.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Accounting Internship	$30,642	$2,554	$14.73	80,299
Account Auditor	$76,369	$6,364	$36.72	89,144
Accounting Analyst	$58,399	$4,867	$28.08	81,097
Accountant/Consultant	$64,298	$5,358	$30.91	38,916
Accountant Internship	$33,484	$2,790	$16.10	82,924
Account Analyst	$55,829	$4,652	$26.84	106,327

How would you rate the starting salaries for general accountants, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Alyson Ma Ph.D.

Chair and Professor, University of San Diego

Economics is a combination of critical thinking, problem-solving, and quantitatively analyzing relationships using data. Students studying Economics are trained to interpret the big picture and present complex information about how an economy functions. Given the analytical and quantitative skills, it is not surprising that Economics majors earn higher than average starting salaries. The preliminary 2020 data shows an average salary of $63k for Economics and Business Economics Majors at USD.

Coupled with work experience, students trained in Economics also outpace their peers to advance in their careers. According to Monster.com, a major in Economics ranks third on the fast track to $100K. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal shows that Economics has the highest Mid-Career 90th Percentile Salary for those with a bachelor's degree at $210,000.

A cautionary note is that Economics is not for everyone. Students who gravitate toward Economics tend to be fascinated by the world around them. They are the analytical type and appreciate the logical beauty of math. If you asked many 'why' questions when you were little, then Economics might be for you.

Top companies hiring general accountants now:

Which companies pay general accountants the most?

General accountant salaries at Apple and Pacifi are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average general accountant salary at companies like FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies and University of California, Berkeley are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Apple	$91,139	$43.82
2	Pacifi	$76,844	$36.94
3	FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies	$75,918	$36.50
4	University of California-Berkeley	$73,626	$35.40
5	University of California	$66,080	$31.77
6	AMETEK	$65,139	$31.32
7	Lear	$64,912	$31.21
8	PACCAR	$63,380	$30.47
9	Fidelity Investments	$63,368	$30.47
10	KANA Software	$63,162	$30.37
11	Sage Hospitality	$62,216	$29.91
12	Equifax	$62,011	$29.81
13	Sage Hospitality Group	$61,943	$29.78
14	East Stroudsburg University	$61,822	$29.72
15	CyberCoders	$61,602	$29.62
16	FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA	$61,218	$29.43
17	Marriott International	$61,103	$29.38
18	Drizly	$60,987	$29.32
19	ATI Physical Therapy	$60,906	$29.28
20	Berklee College of Music	$60,731	$29.20

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$56,000$55,200$54,400$53,600$52,800$52,000

MaleFemale

General Accountant salary by industry

The average general accountant salary varies across industries:

The average general accountant salary in the automotive industry is $63,004, the highest of any industry.
The average general accountant salary in the finance industry is $59,816.
General accountants in the construction industry earn an average salary of $56,673, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for general accountants

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Automotive	$63,004	$30.29
2	Hospitality	$59,816	$28.76
3	Manufacturing	$58,649	$28.20
4	Technology	$58,646	$28.20
5	Non Profits	$58,585	$28.17
6	Transportation	$57,535	$27.66
7	Retail	$57,361	$27.58
8	Construction	$56,673	$27.25

High paying general accountant jobs

General accountant salary trends

The average general accountant salary has risen by $8,014 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average general accountant earned $47,029 annually, but today, they earn $55,043 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for general accountants over the last decade.

Compare general accountant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average general accountant salary over time

Compare general accountant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

General accountant salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$55,000	$26.46	+2.7%
2024	$53,500	$25.74	+1.5%
2023	$52,800	$25.36	+1.6%
2022	$51,900	$24.95	+1.7%
2021	$51,000	$24.52	+1.4%

Recently added general accountant salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Get It-Real Estate	Senior General Accountant-Remote	Hampton, NH	06/29/2025	$78,000
Sitio de Experiencia de Candidatos	General Accountant	Hoboken, NJ	06/29/2025	$45,747
Marriott Hotels Resorts	General Accountant	Hoboken, NJ	06/28/2025	$45,747
State of Hawai'i	General Professional V (Budget, Fiscal & Personnel)	Hawaii	06/24/2025	$71,016
Marriott International	General Accountant	Avon, CO	06/23/2025	$55,890
Sitio de Experiencia de Candidatos	General Accountant	Avon, CO	06/23/2025	$55,890
Corrigan Krause CPA's	General Accountant	Chardon, OH	06/22/2025	$56,000
Marriott International	General Accountant	Avon, OH	06/20/2025	$55,890
Duluth Trading Company	General Accountant	Mount Horeb, WI	06/19/2025	$50,000
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources	General Accountant 5-Oakland, CA, Job ID 77440	Oakland, CA	06/19/2025	$98,600

General accountant salary FAQs

What state pays General Accountants the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a general accountant?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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