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Staff accountant/auditor salary

Quoted expert
Alyson Ma Ph.D.

Average staff accountant/auditor salary

$56,993

$27.4 hourly rate

Entry-level staff accountant/auditor salary
$42,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Staff Accountant/Auditor Salary Overview

The average salary for a staff accountant/auditor stands at $56,993 annually, translating to approximately $27 per hour. This figure can vary based on factors such as location, years of experience, and specific industry. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to increased living costs and demand for skilled professionals.

Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level positions typically earn less, while experienced staff accountants can command significantly higher salaries. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for those considering a career in accounting. Zippia also provides insights into the highest paying cities and states for this profession.

Top Paying Locations

For those looking to maximize their earning potential, cities such as San Francisco and New York are at the forefront, offering salaries above the national average. Utilizing Zippia’s resources can guide you in identifying opportunities that align with your career aspirations.

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Where can a Staff Accountant/Auditor earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
93k
73k
53k
33k
13k
Columbus, OH$67,282
Miami, FL$43,328
Compare salary by company
Vs
85k
65k
45k
25k
LBMC$65,830
Perkins & Co$54,924

Staff accountant/auditor salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level staff accountant/auditor$37,700$18.11
Mid-level staff accountant/auditor$54,200$26.08
Senior-level staff accountant/auditor$91,800$44.12

Average staff accountant/auditor salary by state

The average staff accountant/auditor salary in Alaska, New York, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average staff accountant/auditor salary states are New Mexico, South Dakota, and Iowa.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for staff accountant/auditors

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New York$67,168$32.29
2Connecticut$63,409$30.49
3Pennsylvania$59,036$28.38
4Oregon$61,995$29.81
5District of Columbia$66,549$31.99
6Virginia$63,453$30.51
7Washington$61,339$29.49
8Colorado$59,805$28.75
9New Jersey$63,551$30.55
10Massachusetts$58,130$27.95
11Rhode Island$54,469$26.19
12Texas$54,056$25.99
13Alaska$68,428$32.90
14Nebraska$56,075$26.96
15Delaware$56,853$27.33
16Missouri$52,532$25.26
17Minnesota$54,231$26.07
18California$62,414$30.01
19Wisconsin$50,477$24.27
20Maryland$56,057$26.95
21Georgia$53,225$25.59
22Arizona$49,363$23.73
23Illinois$50,631$24.34
24Idaho$53,902$25.91
25North Carolina$52,170$25.08
26Michigan$51,064$24.55
27Indiana$50,306$24.19
28Montana$49,277$23.69
29West Virginia$49,528$23.81
30Mississippi$51,086$24.56
31New Hampshire$50,313$24.19
32Vermont$47,925$23.04
33Ohio$47,003$22.60
34Arkansas$46,651$22.43
35Oklahoma$48,049$23.10
36Nevada$45,589$21.92
37Alabama$45,647$21.95
38Maine$46,839$22.52
39Tennessee$45,014$21.64
40Utah$45,134$21.70
41Iowa$44,486$21.39
42Kansas$45,444$21.85
43North Dakota$46,435$22.32
44Wyoming$44,776$21.53
45Louisiana$44,764$21.52
46Florida$43,026$20.69
47South Dakota$44,617$21.45
48Hawaii$43,399$20.86
49New Mexico$44,756$21.52
50South Carolina$44,777$21.53
51Kentucky$41,321$19.87

Highest paying cities for staff accountant/auditors

The highest-paying cities for staff accountant/auditors are New York, NY, Washington, DC, and San Francisco, CA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New York, NY$67,282$32.35
2Washington, DC$66,551$32.00
3San Francisco, CA$65,069$31.28
4Hackensack, NJ$63,640$30.60
5Portland, OR$61,897$29.76
6Denver, CO$59,779$28.74
7Horsham, PA$59,388$28.55
8Omaha, NE$55,955$26.90
9Bethesda, MD$55,893$26.87
10Saint Cloud, MN$54,310$26.11
11Houston, TX$53,704$25.82
12Atlanta, GA$53,253$25.60
13Kansas City, MO$52,815$25.39
14Farmington Hills, MI$51,090$24.56
15Chicago, IL$50,869$24.46
16Indianapolis, IN$49,973$24.03
17Akron, OH$48,232$23.19
18Chattanooga, TN$44,961$21.62
19Miami, FL$43,328$20.83

Staff accountant/auditor salary details

A staff accountant/auditor's salary ranges from $42,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $75,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average staff accountant/auditor salary graph
Average staff accountant/auditor salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a staff accountant/auditor's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$75,000$6,250$36
75th Percentile$66,000$5,500$32
Average$56,993$4,749$27
25th Percentile$49,000$4,083$24
10th Percentile$42,000$3,500$20

Highest paying staff accountant/auditor jobs

The highest paying types of staff accountant/auditors are lead auditor, senior tax accountant, and account auditor.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Auditor/Quality$35,312$2,943$16.9877,040
Revenue Auditor$41,905$3,492$20.1521,643
Auditor$54,853$4,571$26.3720,325
Accountant Internship$33,484$2,790$16.1082,924
Internal Auditor$63,013$5,251$30.2925,571
Lead Auditor$85,352$7,113$41.0320,504

How would you rate the starting salaries for staff accountant/auditors, 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 accountant/auditors now:

  1. Grant Thornton jobs (7)
  2. Baker Tilly jobs (6)
  3. Ernst & Young jobs (38)
  4. Moss Adams jobs (5)
  5. Cherry Bekaert jobs (6)

Which companies pay staff accountant/auditors the most?

Staff accountant/auditor salaries at LBMC and Armanino are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average staff accountant/auditor salary at companies like Carr, Riggs & Ingram and Mohle Adams are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1LBMC$65,830$31.65
2Armanino$63,623$30.59
3Carr, Riggs & Ingram$63,584$30.57
4Mohle Adams$63,401$30.48
5Strothman and$63,338$30.45
6BerganKDV$63,058$30.32
7Wipfli$62,735$30.16
8Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt LLP$62,675$30.13
9Briggs & Veselka Co.$61,968$29.79
10Kerkering Barberio$61,678$29.65
11Stearns County MN$61,016$29.33
12Confident Care$59,890$28.79
13JI Companies$59,427$28.57
14Hayes & Firm$59,427$28.57
15Frazer Center$59,412$28.56
16SC&A$59,057$28.39
17Robert Half$57,144$27.47
18Perkins & Co$54,924$26.41

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$57,000$56,400$55,800$55,200$54,600$54,000
MaleFemale

Staff accountant/auditor salary trends

The average staff accountant/auditor salary has risen by $8,298 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average staff accountant/auditor earned $48,695 annually, but today, they earn $56,993 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for staff accountant/auditors over the last decade.

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

Average staff accountant/auditor salary over time

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

Staff accountant/auditor salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$57,000$27.40+2.7%
2025$55,400$26.65+1.5%
2024$54,600$26.26+1.6%
2023$53,700$25.83+1.7%
2022$52,800$25.39+1.4%

Recently added staff accountant/auditor salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Auberge ResortsStaff Accountant-Accounts/Income Audit/Accounts ReceivableNapa, CA06/13/2025$58,436
Stanly RanchStaff Accountant-Accounts/Income Audit/Accounts ReceivableNapa, CA06/12/2025$58,436
Smith Elliott Kearns & CompanyAudit Staff AccountantYork, PA06/11/2025$62,000
O'Connor & CompanyAudit Staff Accountant/AuditorPetaluma, CA06/09/2025$65,000
Christianson PLLPAudit Staff AccountantWillmar, MN03/09/2025$65,000
Get It-FinanceAudit Staff Accountant-Covington, KY02/26/2025$40,000
Smith Elliott Kearns & Company, LLCAudit Staff AccountantChambersburg, PA02/18/2025$60,000
Snyder Cohn, PCStaff Accountant-Tax and AuditBethesda, MD02/17/2025$82,000
EosllpAudit Staff Accountant Japanese/English BilingualChicago, IL02/16/2025$60,000
Haskell & White LLPAudit Staff AccountantIrvine, CA02/06/2025$69,500

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