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Head accountant salary
Average head accountant salary
$119,485
Understanding Head Accountant Salaries
The role of a Head Accountant is vital in any organization, focusing on financial oversight, reporting, and compliance. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $119,485 per year. Factors influencing this salary include location, experience, and industry sector.
In states like California and New York, salaries can be significantly higher, reflecting the cost of living and demand for skilled accountants. For example, in California, the average salary can exceed $130,000. Experience levels also play a critical role; entry-level positions may start around $70,000, while seasoned professionals can earn upwards of $150,000.
Moreover, specialized fields such as tax accounting or forensic accounting can command higher salaries. Employers often seek candidates with advanced degrees or certifications, such as CPA or CMA, which can further enhance earning potential.
For those considering a career as a Head Accountant, the path offers not only competitive salaries but also opportunities for growth and specialization within the financial sector.
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Where can a Head Accountant earn more?
Head accountant salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level head accountant | $79,000 | $37.96 |
| Mid-level head accountant | $114,000 | $54.68 |
| Senior-level head accountant | $192,000 | $92.49 |
Head accountant salary estimates from across the web
Average head accountant salary by state
The average head accountant salary in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average head accountant salary states are Mississippi, South Dakota, and Kansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for head accountants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $168,650 | $81.08 |
| 2 | New York | $164,818 | $79.24 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | $164,509 | $79.09 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $162,107 | $77.94 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $166,471 | $80.03 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $158,961 | $76.42 |
| 7 | Delaware | $139,023 | $66.84 |
| 8 | Washington | $151,052 | $72.62 |
| 9 | Virginia | $145,545 | $69.97 |
| 10 | Oregon | $140,002 | $67.31 |
| 11 | Maryland | $138,214 | $66.45 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $134,778 | $64.80 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $134,499 | $64.66 |
| 14 | Maine | $136,685 | $65.71 |
| 15 | California | $135,862 | $65.32 |
| 16 | Vermont | $142,379 | $68.45 |
| 17 | Ohio | $123,647 | $59.45 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $126,804 | $60.96 |
| 19 | Nevada | $119,737 | $57.57 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $119,716 | $57.56 |
| 21 | Michigan | $124,188 | $59.71 |
| 22 | Georgia | $124,806 | $60.00 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $121,257 | $58.30 |
| 24 | Illinois | $111,327 | $53.52 |
| 25 | Texas | $111,928 | $53.81 |
| 26 | Idaho | $123,885 | $59.56 |
| 27 | Utah | $107,924 | $51.89 |
| 28 | Colorado | $106,390 | $51.15 |
| 29 | Arizona | $109,835 | $52.81 |
| 30 | Montana | $100,563 | $48.35 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $112,734 | $54.20 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $101,354 | $48.73 |
| 33 | Indiana | $105,442 | $50.69 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $104,536 | $50.26 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $105,903 | $50.91 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $105,138 | $50.55 |
| 37 | Iowa | $96,446 | $46.37 |
| 38 | Alaska | $104,634 | $50.30 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $103,646 | $49.83 |
| 40 | Missouri | $95,419 | $45.87 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $101,859 | $48.97 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $100,935 | $48.53 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $97,315 | $46.79 |
| 44 | Florida | $85,820 | $41.26 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $94,309 | $45.34 |
| 46 | Alabama | $95,882 | $46.10 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $91,914 | $44.19 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $89,724 | $43.14 |
| 49 | Kansas | $89,796 | $43.17 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $90,961 | $43.73 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $56,425 | $27.13 |
Highest paying cities for head accountants
The highest-paying cities for head accountants are Albany, NY, Billerica, MA, and Hoboken, NJ.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany, NY | $180,733 | $86.89 |
| 2 | Billerica, MA | $176,678 | $84.94 |
| 3 | Hoboken, NJ | $174,462 | $83.88 |
| 4 | Concord, NH | $168,344 | $80.93 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $163,503 | $78.61 |
| 6 | San Francisco, CA | $156,959 | $75.46 |
| 7 | Arlington, VA | $151,520 | $72.85 |
| 8 | Dover, DE | $140,006 | $67.31 |
| 9 | Annapolis, MD | $139,964 | $67.29 |
| 10 | Hartford, CT | $137,614 | $66.16 |
| 11 | Harrisburg, PA | $134,908 | $64.86 |
| 12 | Carson City, NV | $131,136 | $63.05 |
| 13 | Alpharetta, GA | $126,582 | $60.86 |
| 14 | Lansing, MI | $125,888 | $60.52 |
| 15 | Columbus, OH | $124,706 | $59.95 |
| 16 | Irving, TX | $118,373 | $56.91 |
| 17 | Juneau, AK | $117,710 | $56.59 |
| 18 | Columbia, SC | $114,626 | $55.11 |
| 19 | Frankfort, KY | $107,601 | $51.73 |
| 20 | Denver, CO | $107,321 | $51.60 |
Head accountant salary details
A head accountant's salary ranges from $73,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $194,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a head accountant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $194,000 | $16,167 | $93 |
| 75th Percentile | $154,000 | $12,833 | $74 |
| Average | $119,485 | $9,957 | $57 |
| 25th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| 10th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
Highest paying head accountant jobs
The highest paying types of head accountants are account leader, senior tax accountant, and certified public accountant.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant And Office Manager | $51,217 | $4,268 | $24.62 | 107,701 |
| Account Leader | $108,843 | $9,070 | $52.33 | 135,207 |
| Accountant/Consultant | $64,298 | $5,358 | $30.91 | 38,916 |
| Finance Analyst/Accountant | $62,975 | $5,248 | $30.28 | 118,043 |
| Certified Public Accountant | $76,693 | $6,391 | $36.87 | 78,792 |
| Corporate Accountant | $64,300 | $5,358 | $30.91 | 54,174 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for head accountants, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Alyson Ma Ph.D.
Chair and Professor, University of San Diego
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 head accountants now:
Which companies pay head accountants the most?
Head accountant salaries at Citi and Bill.com are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average head accountant salary at companies like Lord Abbett and BNY Mellon are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Citi | $166,850 | $80.22 |
| 2 | Bill.com | $165,265 | $79.45 |
| 3 | Lord Abbett | $143,830 | $69.15 |
| 4 | BNY Mellon | $140,118 | $67.36 |
| 5 | MUFG EMEA | $136,207 | $65.48 |
| 6 | Lantheus | $135,852 | $65.31 |
| 7 | AIG | $134,600 | $64.71 |
| 8 | WorkBoard | $134,366 | $64.60 |
| 9 | Morgan Stanley | $130,366 | $62.68 |
| 10 | Venables Bell & Partners | $129,489 | $62.25 |
| 11 | MUFG Americas Holdings | $128,909 | $61.98 |
| 12 | Amazon | $119,648 | $57.52 |
| 13 | Fresenius Medical Care North America Holdings Limited Partnership | $119,392 | $57.40 |
| 14 | Outbrain | $115,399 | $55.48 |
| 15 | Chiquita Brands International | $113,383 | $54.51 |
| 16 | TEAM Industries | $112,785 | $54.22 |
| 17 | Riot Games | $108,959 | $52.38 |
| 18 | TD Bank | $108,553 | $52.19 |
| 19 | Adyen | $108,260 | $52.05 |
| 20 | Gusto | $108,053 | $51.95 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Head accountant salary trends
The average head accountant salary has risen by $17,397 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average head accountant earned $102,088 annually, but today, they earn $119,485 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for head accountants over the last decade.
Compare head accountant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average head accountant salary over time
Compare head accountant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Head accountant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $119,000 | $57.44 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $116,000 | $55.87 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $115,000 | $55.06 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $113,000 | $54.16 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $111,000 | $53.22 | +1.4% |
Recently added head accountant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asana | Head of Technical Account Management | San Francisco, CA | 06/29/2025 | $207,000 |
| Wells Fargo | Head of Account Management-Commercial Card | Atlanta, GA | 06/25/2025 | $144,400 |
| Wells Fargo | Head of Account Management-Commercial Card | New York, NY | 06/25/2025 | $144,400 |
| TD Bank | Head of Wiam, Centralized Account Provisioning-Transformation & Implementation-Sailpoint | New York, NY | 06/24/2025 | $200,000 |
| Etched | Head of Accounting | San Jose, CA | 06/24/2025 | $155,000 |
| Genzyme Corporation | Head of US National Accounts, Market Access-Cigna | Cambridge, MA | 06/21/2025 | $258,750 |
| Boll & Branch | Head of Accounting & Process | Summit, NJ | 06/14/2025 | $130,000 |
| Sanofi Group | Head of US National Accounts, Market Access-Optum/United | Bridgewater, NJ | 06/11/2025 | $258,750 |
| Sanofi Group | Head of US National Accounts, Market Access | Cambridge, MA | 06/11/2025 | $258,750 |
| Archer | Head of Tax | San Jose, CA | 06/11/2025 | $180,000 |
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