Staff accountant salary

Q: How much does a staff accountant make?

The average staff accountant salary in the United States is $54,216. Staff accountant salaries typically range between $42,000 and $68,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for staff accountants is $26.07 per hour. Staff accountant salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Staff accountants earn the highest average salary in New York.

Q: What state pays Staff Accountants the most?

New York pays Staff Accountants the most in the United States, with an average salary of $70,470 per year, or $33.88 per hour.

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

You know if you are being paid fairly as a staff accountant if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in New York you should be paid close to $67,093 per year.

Q: What is a good starting salary for a Staff Accountant?

A good starting salary for a staff accountant is $42,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a staff accountant in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for staff accountants is $52,650, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a staff accountant can vary by state.

Q: How much does a staff accountant at EY make?

The average salary for a staff accountant at EY is around $52,000 a year. This amount is slightly higher than the United States staff accountant averages, around $50,000 annually. This is comparable to the other Big Four accounting firms, which typically pay slightly more than average to retain the best talent.

Q: How much does a staff accountant make at Deloitte?

The average salary for staff accountants at Deloitte is around $57,000 a year. This amount is slightly higher than the United States staff accountant averages, around $50,000 annually. This is comparable to the other Big Four accounting firms, which typically pay slightly more than average to retain the best talent.

Q: Is staff accountant higher than accountant?

Yes, a staff accountant is a higher position than an accountant. Depending on the organization, the title of staff accountant is typically a higher role than an accountant, often referred to as a junior accountant.

Quoted expert

Alyson Ma Ph.D.

Average staff accountant salary

$54,216

$26.07 hourly rate

Entry-level staff accountant salary

$42,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Average Staff Accountant Salary

The average salary for a staff accountant is $54,216 per year, translating to about $26 per hour. This figure varies based on factors like location, experience, and the specific industry. For example, staff accountants in larger metropolitan areas or specialized sectors often command higher salaries. Entry-level positions typically start lower, while those with several years of experience can see significant increases in pay.

Salary by State

Geographic location greatly influences salary. States such as California and New York frequently offer some of the highest salaries for staff accountants, often exceeding the national average due to the higher cost of living. Understanding these regional differences can help job seekers target their applications effectively and negotiate better offers.

Opportunities for Advancement

Many staff accountants can advance to senior positions or specialize in areas like tax accounting or auditing, leading to higher earning potential. Continuous professional development, such as obtaining certifications like CPA or CMA, can also enhance career prospects. By staying informed about salary trends and opportunities, individuals can make strategic career moves.

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Staff accountant salary by:

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Where can a Staff Accountant earn more?

Compare salary by location

98k

78k

58k

38k

18k

Columbus, OH$70,499

Indianapolis, IN$47,895

Compare salary by company

99k

79k

59k

39k

Meta$89,356

Moody's$69,385

Staff accountant salaries by experience level

Experience level	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
Entry-level staff accountant	$35,800	$17.22
Mid-level staff accountant	$51,600	$24.81
Senior-level staff accountant	$87,300	$41.97

Staff accountant salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Ziprecruiter, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a staff accountant typically falls between $54,216 and $76,127.

zippia

$54,216yearly

indeed[1]

$62,689yearly

comparably[2]

$76,127yearly

Salary.com[3]

$72,398yearly

ZipRecruiter[4]

$66,994yearly

payscale[5]

$56,621yearly

Average staff accountant salary by state

The highest-paying states for staff accountants are New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. The lowest average staff accountant salary states are Kentucky, Arkansas, and Maine.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for staff accountants

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	District of Columbia	$70,470	$33.88
2	New York	$67,093	$32.26
3	Massachusetts	$60,523	$29.10
4	New Jersey	$65,717	$31.59
5	Rhode Island	$58,100	$27.93
6	Connecticut	$59,958	$28.83
7	Pennsylvania	$54,456	$26.18
8	Delaware	$57,485	$27.64
9	California	$58,651	$28.20
10	Virginia	$59,365	$28.54
11	Washington	$57,920	$27.85
12	Oregon	$53,823	$25.88
13	Minnesota	$52,075	$25.04
14	Maryland	$57,531	$27.66
15	Colorado	$54,281	$26.10
16	Michigan	$51,440	$24.73
17	Alaska	$56,947	$27.38
18	Texas	$50,375	$24.22
19	Illinois	$50,728	$24.39
20	Ohio	$49,558	$23.83
21	Nevada	$48,494	$23.31
22	North Carolina	$51,542	$24.78
23	New Hampshire	$50,811	$24.43
24	Arizona	$49,912	$24.00
25	Wisconsin	$49,898	$23.99
26	Georgia	$50,768	$24.41
27	Utah	$47,787	$22.97
28	Vermont	$48,851	$23.49
29	Indiana	$48,021	$23.09
30	Tennessee	$46,231	$22.23
31	Iowa	$46,714	$22.46
32	West Virginia	$47,725	$22.94
33	Montana	$46,003	$22.12
34	Wyoming	$46,940	$22.57
35	North Dakota	$46,854	$22.53
36	Missouri	$46,413	$22.31
37	Kansas	$46,780	$22.49
38	Idaho	$47,254	$22.72
39	Alabama	$45,134	$21.70
40	Oklahoma	$46,308	$22.26
41	Nebraska	$45,318	$21.79
42	Florida	$45,485	$21.87
43	Hawaii	$39,964	$19.21
44	South Dakota	$45,509	$21.88
45	Maine	$43,781	$21.05
46	New Mexico	$45,129	$21.70
47	South Carolina	$45,311	$21.78
48	Arkansas	$44,007	$21.16
49	Louisiana	$43,707	$21.01
50	Kentucky	$44,301	$21.30
51	Mississippi	$43,035	$20.69

Top staff accountant jobs near you

Highest paying cities for staff accountants

The highest-paying cities for staff accountants are Washington, DC, New York, NY, and Englewood, NJ.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington, DC	$70,499	$33.89
2	New York, NY	$67,231	$32.32
3	Englewood, NJ	$65,769	$31.62
4	San Francisco, CA	$61,919	$29.77
5	Arlington, VA	$60,869	$29.26
6	Boston, MA	$60,385	$29.03
7	Seattle, WA	$58,302	$28.03
8	Baltimore, MD	$57,788	$27.78
9	Philadelphia, PA	$54,815	$26.35
10	Englewood, CO	$54,290	$26.10
11	Portland, OR	$53,621	$25.78
12	Minneapolis, MN	$52,070	$25.03
13	Cleveland, OH	$51,043	$24.54
14	Chicago, IL	$50,859	$24.45
15	Atlanta, GA	$50,815	$24.43
16	Charlotte, NC	$50,779	$24.41
17	Arlington, TX	$50,666	$24.36
18	Phoenix, AZ	$50,054	$24.06
19	Las Vegas, NV	$48,178	$23.16
20	Indianapolis, IN	$47,895	$23.03

Staff Accountants are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Staff accountant salary details

A staff accountant's salary ranges from $42,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $68,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average staff accountant salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a staff accountant's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$68,000	$5,667	$33
75th Percentile	$61,000	$5,083	$29
Average	$54,216	$4,518	$26
25th Percentile	$47,000	$3,917	$23
10th Percentile	$42,000	$3,500	$20

Highest paying staff accountant jobs

The highest paying types of staff accountants are senior tax accountant, certified public accountant, and senior staff accountant.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Finance Analyst/Accountant	$62,975	$5,248	$30.28	118,043
Accounting Analyst	$58,399	$4,867	$28.08	81,097
Accountant Internship	$33,484	$2,790	$16.10	82,924
Accountant/Consultant	$64,298	$5,358	$30.91	38,916
Account Analyst	$55,829	$4,652	$26.84	106,327
General Ledger Accountant	$60,034	$5,003	$28.86	81,408

How would you rate the starting salaries for staff 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 staff accountants now:

Which companies pay staff accountants the most?

Staff accountant salaries at Meta and The Carlyle Group are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average staff accountant salary at companies like Google and Friends Seminary are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Meta	$89,356	$42.96
2	The Carlyle Group	$84,773	$40.76
3	Google	$81,052	$38.97
4	Friends Seminary	$78,029	$37.51
5	Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton	$77,134	$37.08
6	Evernote	$75,034	$36.07
7	Eni	$74,584	$35.86
8	Goldman Sachs	$73,552	$35.36
9	Nabors Industries	$72,545	$34.88
10	Cheniere Energy	$72,194	$34.71
11	HP	$71,765	$34.50
12	Eli Lilly and Company	$71,050	$34.16
13	Fidelity National Financial	$70,704	$33.99
14	AppDynamics	$70,683	$33.98
15	Bloomberg	$70,661	$33.97
16	Smartsheet	$70,645	$33.96
17	Low Income Investment Fund	$70,057	$33.68
18	BioMarin	$69,782	$33.55
19	Children's Hospital Colorado	$69,760	$33.54
20	Moody's	$69,385	$33.36

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$55,000$54,200$53,400$52,600$51,800$51,000

MaleFemale

Staff accountant salary trends

The average staff accountant salary has risen by $7,894 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average staff accountant earned $46,322 annually, but today, they earn $54,216 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for staff accountants over the last decade.

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

Average staff accountant salary over time

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

Staff accountant salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2026	$54,200	$26.07	+2.7%
2025	$52,700	$25.35	+1.5%
2024	$52,000	$24.98	+1.6%
2023	$51,100	$24.57	+1.7%
2022	$50,200	$24.15	+1.4%

Recently added staff accountant salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Aristocrat	Staff Accountant-Revenue	Las Vegas, NV	06/30/2025	$57,750
Baker Commodities	Staff Accountant	Kerman, CA	06/30/2025	$60,523
Montage Hotels & Resorts	Staff Accountant	Ione, WA	06/30/2025	$73,045
Neopost USA	Staff Accountant	Noank, CT	06/30/2025	$50,100
Transdev	Staff Accountant	Phoenix, AZ	06/30/2025	$66,560
LPL Financial	Staff Accountant	Arlington, VA	06/30/2025	$55,988
Lifesouth Community Blood Centers	Junior Staff Accountant	Gainesville, FL	06/30/2025	$33,392
California College of The Arts	Staff Accountant	San Francisco, CA	06/30/2025	$70,000
Porte Brown	Staff Accountant (June 2026)	Elgin, IL	06/30/2025	$65,000
Enova	Staff Accountant (Hybrid)	Chicago, IL	06/29/2025	$43,200

Staff accountant salary FAQs

What state pays Staff Accountants the most?

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

What is a good starting salary for a Staff Accountant?

How much does a staff accountant at EY make?

How much does a staff accountant make at Deloitte?

Is staff accountant higher than accountant?

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

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Updated December 15, 2025

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