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Best states for a staff accountant/auditor
Quoted expert
John Thornton Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
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- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for staff accountant/auditors? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for staff accountant/auditor jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.Although there are abundant staff accountant/auditor jobs in the United States, a large number of them are in the Midwest. New York is the best state in the country for staff accountant/auditor jobs.
We figured that the best places for staff accountant/auditor jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.If you are currently seeking employment as a staff accountant/auditor, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for staff accountant/auditors in 2026
1. New York
Total staff accountant/auditor jobs: 1,923 Average annual salary: $67,168 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
2. Connecticut
Total staff accountant/auditor jobs: 518 Average annual salary: $63,409 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 1.19
3. Pennsylvania
Total staff accountant/auditor jobs: 1,833 Average annual salary: $59,036 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.2
4. Oregon
Total staff accountant/auditor jobs: 580 Average annual salary: $61,995 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $81,000 Location Quotient: 1.07
5. District of Columbia
Total staff accountant/auditor jobs: 323 Average annual salary: $66,549 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Location Quotient: 1.47
6. Virginia
Total staff accountant/auditor jobs: 1,228 Average annual salary: $63,453 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
7. Washington
Total staff accountant/auditor jobs: 1,014 Average annual salary: $61,339 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Location Quotient: 1.06
8. Colorado
Total staff accountant/auditor jobs: 919 Average annual salary: $59,805 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
9. New Jersey
Total staff accountant/auditor jobs: 981 Average annual salary: $63,551 Lowest 10 percent earn: $47,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
10. Massachusetts
Total staff accountant/auditor jobs: 1,532 Average annual salary: $58,130 Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
Staff accountant/auditor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a staff accountant/auditor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a staff accountant/auditor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $67,168 | $50,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,923 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $63,409 | $47,000 | 3,588,184 | 518 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $59,036 | $44,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,833 |
| 4 | Oregon | $61,995 | $47,000 | 4,142,776 | 580 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $66,549 | $49,000 | 693,972 | 323 |
| 6 | Virginia | $63,453 | $47,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,228 |
| 7 | Washington | $61,339 | $47,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,014 |
| 8 | Colorado | $59,805 | $45,000 | 5,607,154 | 919 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $63,551 | $47,000 | 9,005,644 | 981 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $58,130 | $43,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,532 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $54,469 | $40,000 | 1,059,639 | 194 |
| 12 | Texas | $54,056 | $40,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,148 |
| 13 | Alaska | $68,428 | $58,000 | 739,795 | 78 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $56,075 | $43,000 | 1,920,076 | 233 |
| 15 | Delaware | $56,853 | $42,000 | 961,939 | 155 |
| 16 | Missouri | $52,532 | $40,000 | 6,113,532 | 818 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $54,231 | $42,000 | 5,576,606 | 860 |
| 18 | California | $62,414 | $46,000 | 39,536,653 | 2,941 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $50,477 | $38,000 | 5,795,483 | 750 |
| 20 | Maryland | $56,057 | $41,000 | 6,052,177 | 850 |
| 21 | Georgia | $53,225 | $39,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,289 |
| 22 | Arizona | $49,363 | $36,000 | 7,016,270 | 978 |
| 23 | Illinois | $50,631 | $38,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,811 |
| 24 | Idaho | $53,902 | $40,000 | 1,716,943 | 167 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $52,170 | $38,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,100 |
| 26 | Michigan | $51,064 | $38,000 | 9,962,311 | 889 |
| 27 | Indiana | $50,306 | $38,000 | 6,666,818 | 716 |
| 28 | Montana | $49,277 | $38,000 | 1,050,493 | 160 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $49,528 | $37,000 | 1,815,857 | 158 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $51,086 | $38,000 | 2,984,100 | 195 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $50,313 | $38,000 | 1,342,795 | 183 |
| 32 | Vermont | $47,925 | $36,000 | 623,657 | 107 |
| 33 | Ohio | $47,003 | $35,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,279 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $46,651 | $35,000 | 3,004,279 | 331 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $48,049 | $36,000 | 3,930,864 | 327 |
| 36 | Nevada | $45,589 | $33,000 | 2,998,039 | 325 |
| 37 | Alabama | $45,647 | $34,000 | 4,874,747 | 595 |
| 38 | Maine | $46,839 | $35,000 | 1,335,907 | 168 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $45,014 | $34,000 | 6,715,984 | 749 |
| 40 | Utah | $45,134 | $33,000 | 3,101,833 | 477 |
| 41 | Iowa | $44,486 | $34,000 | 3,145,711 | 471 |
| 42 | Kansas | $45,444 | $35,000 | 2,913,123 | 327 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $46,435 | $36,000 | 755,393 | 64 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $44,776 | $34,000 | 579,315 | 72 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $44,764 | $33,000 | 4,684,333 | 396 |
| 46 | Florida | $43,026 | $31,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,066 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $44,617 | $35,000 | 869,666 | 68 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $43,399 | $35,000 | 1,427,538 | 95 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $44,756 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 192 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $44,777 | $33,000 | 5,024,369 | 432 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $41,321 | $31,000 | 4,454,189 | 375 |
Highest paying states for staff accountant/auditors
| Rank | State | Avg. Staff Accountant/Auditor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $67,168 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $63,409 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $59,036 |
| 4 | Oregon | $61,995 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $66,549 |
| 6 | Virginia | $63,453 |
| 7 | Washington | $61,339 |
| 8 | Colorado | $59,805 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $63,551 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $58,130 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $54,469 |
| 12 | Texas | $54,056 |
| 13 | Alaska | $68,428 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $56,075 |
| 15 | Delaware | $56,853 |
| 16 | Missouri | $52,532 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $54,231 |
| 18 | California | $62,414 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $50,477 |
| 20 | Maryland | $56,057 |
| 21 | Georgia | $53,225 |
| 22 | Arizona | $49,363 |
| 23 | Illinois | $50,631 |
| 24 | Idaho | $53,902 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $52,170 |
| 26 | Michigan | $51,064 |
| 27 | Indiana | $50,306 |
| 28 | Montana | $49,277 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $49,528 |
| 30 | Mississippi | $51,086 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $50,313 |
| 32 | Vermont | $47,925 |
| 33 | Ohio | $47,003 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $46,651 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $48,049 |
| 36 | Nevada | $45,589 |
| 37 | Alabama | $45,647 |
| 38 | Maine | $46,839 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $45,014 |
| 40 | Utah | $45,134 |
| 41 | Iowa | $44,486 |
| 42 | Kansas | $45,444 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $46,435 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $44,776 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $44,764 |
| 46 | Florida | $43,026 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $44,617 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $43,399 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $44,756 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $44,777 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $41,321 |
Expert opinions on the best states for staff accountant/auditors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for staff accountant/auditors 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).
Staff accountant/auditor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025