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Best states for a senior accountant
Quoted expert
John Thornton Ph.D.
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It seems like senior accountants are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for senior accountants aren't the same everywhere in the U.S. In order to help you decide which state is the best for senior accountants, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for senior accountant jobs.
The median salary for senior accountants in District of Columbia is $88,973. Compare that to the median salary in North Dakota of $47,031, which ranked worst for senior accountants, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that District of Columbia is the best state for senior accountant jobs, whereas North Dakota is the worst.
10 best states for senior accountants in 2026
1. District of Columbia
Total senior accountant jobs: 330 Average annual salary: $88,973 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 2.02
2. New York
Total senior accountant jobs: 1,479 Average annual salary: $83,749 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
3. Massachusetts
Total senior accountant jobs: 1,070 Average annual salary: $74,654 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
4. California
Total senior accountant jobs: 4,013 Average annual salary: $78,375 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Location Quotient: 1.41
5. New Jersey
Total senior accountant jobs: 735 Average annual salary: $81,097 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
6. Connecticut
Total senior accountant jobs: 368 Average annual salary: $73,717 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
7. Virginia
Total senior accountant jobs: 948 Average annual salary: $75,261 Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
8. Maryland
Total senior accountant jobs: 726 Average annual salary: $73,334 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $94,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
9. Delaware
Total senior accountant jobs: 134 Average annual salary: $69,747 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
10. Texas
Total senior accountant jobs: 2,159 Average annual salary: $66,697 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.09
Senior accountant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior accountant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a senior accountant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $88,973 | $68,000 | 693,972 | 330 |
| 2 | New York | $83,749 | $64,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,479 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $74,654 | $58,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,070 |
| 4 | California | $78,375 | $57,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,013 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $81,097 | $62,000 | 9,005,644 | 735 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $73,717 | $57,000 | 3,588,184 | 368 |
| 7 | Virginia | $75,261 | $58,000 | 8,470,020 | 948 |
| 8 | Maryland | $73,334 | $56,000 | 6,052,177 | 726 |
| 9 | Delaware | $69,747 | $53,000 | 961,939 | 134 |
| 10 | Texas | $66,697 | $49,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,159 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $66,729 | $51,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,026 |
| 12 | Washington | $67,789 | $51,000 | 7,405,743 | 792 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $69,497 | $54,000 | 10,273,419 | 731 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $66,026 | $51,000 | 1,059,639 | 129 |
| 15 | Georgia | $67,683 | $52,000 | 10,429,379 | 880 |
| 16 | Illinois | $62,465 | $48,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,617 |
| 17 | Nevada | $62,336 | $45,000 | 2,998,039 | 228 |
| 18 | Michigan | $62,385 | $47,000 | 9,962,311 | 639 |
| 19 | Ohio | $61,382 | $47,000 | 11,658,609 | 831 |
| 20 | Arizona | $61,473 | $45,000 | 7,016,270 | 556 |
| 21 | Oregon | $61,641 | $46,000 | 4,142,776 | 420 |
| 22 | Colorado | $61,002 | $45,000 | 5,607,154 | 816 |
| 23 | Indiana | $61,503 | $47,000 | 6,666,818 | 412 |
| 24 | Florida | $61,019 | $46,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,373 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $60,117 | $46,000 | 1,342,795 | 153 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $58,860 | $45,000 | 6,715,984 | 485 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $60,819 | $47,000 | 1,815,857 | 57 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $58,065 | $44,000 | 5,576,606 | 770 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $59,047 | $45,000 | 3,004,279 | 145 |
| 30 | Vermont | $60,196 | $47,000 | 623,657 | 43 |
| 31 | Utah | $55,073 | $40,000 | 3,101,833 | 345 |
| 32 | Maine | $57,407 | $45,000 | 1,335,907 | 84 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $57,410 | $44,000 | 5,024,369 | 291 |
| 34 | Alaska | $60,079 | $52,000 | 739,795 | 49 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $54,922 | $46,000 | 1,427,538 | 83 |
| 36 | Alabama | $57,419 | $44,000 | 4,874,747 | 222 |
| 37 | Missouri | $54,992 | $42,000 | 6,113,532 | 513 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $56,850 | $42,000 | 4,684,333 | 182 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $55,079 | $42,000 | 4,454,189 | 221 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $54,640 | $41,000 | 5,795,483 | 429 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $56,023 | $42,000 | 3,930,864 | 163 |
| 42 | Iowa | $53,021 | $40,000 | 3,145,711 | 299 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $55,164 | $42,000 | 2,984,100 | 83 |
| 44 | Kansas | $52,765 | $40,000 | 2,913,123 | 199 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $54,127 | $40,000 | 2,088,070 | 107 |
| 46 | Montana | $46,651 | $35,000 | 1,050,493 | 110 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $47,712 | $36,000 | 1,920,076 | 166 |
| 48 | Idaho | $47,736 | $35,000 | 1,716,943 | 111 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $50,371 | $38,000 | 869,666 | 58 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $45,681 | $34,000 | 579,315 | 37 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $47,031 | $36,000 | 755,393 | 47 |
Highest paying states for senior accountants
| Rank | State | Avg. Senior Accountant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $88,973 |
| 2 | New York | $83,749 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $74,654 |
| 4 | California | $78,375 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $81,097 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $73,717 |
| 7 | Virginia | $75,261 |
| 8 | Maryland | $73,334 |
| 9 | Delaware | $69,747 |
| 10 | Texas | $66,697 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $66,729 |
| 12 | Washington | $67,789 |
| 13 | North Carolina | $69,497 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $66,026 |
| 15 | Georgia | $67,683 |
| 16 | Illinois | $62,465 |
| 17 | Nevada | $62,336 |
| 18 | Michigan | $62,385 |
| 19 | Ohio | $61,382 |
| 20 | Arizona | $61,473 |
| 21 | Oregon | $61,641 |
| 22 | Colorado | $61,002 |
| 23 | Indiana | $61,503 |
| 24 | Florida | $61,019 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $60,117 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $58,860 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $60,819 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $58,065 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $59,047 |
| 30 | Vermont | $60,196 |
| 31 | Utah | $55,073 |
| 32 | Maine | $57,407 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $57,410 |
| 34 | Alaska | $60,079 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $54,922 |
| 36 | Alabama | $57,419 |
| 37 | Missouri | $54,992 |
| 38 | Louisiana | $56,850 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $55,079 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $54,640 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $56,023 |
| 42 | Iowa | $53,021 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $55,164 |
| 44 | Kansas | $52,765 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $54,127 |
| 46 | Montana | $46,651 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $47,712 |
| 48 | Idaho | $47,736 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $50,371 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $45,681 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $47,031 |
Expert opinions on the best states for senior accountants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior accountants to find work opportunities?
John Thornton Ph.D.
Professor of Accounting, School of Business and Management | Azusa Pacific University
CPA firms and corporations are still hiring accounting professionals. The disruption will be temporary, and much of the work will bounce back. But the long-term trend of global outsourcing of professional services, including accounting, has been dramatically accelerated. More than ever, graduates need to focus on setting themselves above the competition through professional certifications, such as the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and the like. Graduates need to think beyond simple data collection and move to data analytics. Critical thinking skills, coupled with strong technical competencies, will win the day. One colossal growth area in accounting will be forensic and investigative accounting. With the increase in online everything, the protection of financial information will face ever-increasing pressures. Cybercrime is on the rise. So to demand innovative ways to stop fraud and white-collar crime. One impressive credential in this area is the Certified Forensic Accountant (CFE).
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Updated January 8, 2025