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Best states for a tax accountant
Quoted expert
John Thornton Ph.D.
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Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for tax accountants? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for tax accountant 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.Our research found that District of Columbia is the best state for tax accountants, while New York and New Jersey are ranked highest in terms of median salary. District of Columbia has a median salary of $96,412 and New York has the highest median salary among all 50 states for tax accountants.
We figured that the best places for tax accountant 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 tax accountant, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for tax accountants in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total tax accountant jobs: 247 Average annual salary: $96,412 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $135,000 Location Quotient: 2.252. Connecticut
Total tax accountant jobs: 417 Average annual salary: $71,080 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Location Quotient: 1.933. Massachusetts
Total tax accountant jobs: 812 Average annual salary: $72,326 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.354. Rhode Island
Total tax accountant jobs: 116 Average annual salary: $65,213 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 1.465. New Jersey
Total tax accountant jobs: 526 Average annual salary: $73,756 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 1.016. Illinois
Total tax accountant jobs: 1,332 Average annual salary: $62,293 Lowest 10 percent earn: $45,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Location Quotient: 1.717. Virginia
Total tax accountant jobs: 675 Average annual salary: $68,138 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Location Quotient: 1.18. New York
Total tax accountant jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $78,256 Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 09. Delaware
Total tax accountant jobs: 109 Average annual salary: $62,721 Lowest 10 percent earn: $44,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location Quotient: 1.3310. Texas
Total tax accountant jobs: 1,811 Average annual salary: $59,939 Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Location Quotient: 1.37
Tax accountant jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a tax accountant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a tax accountant
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $96,412 | $68,000 | 693,972 | 247 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $71,080 | $50,000 | 3,588,184 | 417 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $72,326 | $52,000 | 6,859,819 | 812 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $65,213 | $46,000 | 1,059,639 | 116 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $73,756 | $52,000 | 9,005,644 | 526 |
| 6 | Illinois | $62,293 | $45,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,332 |
| 7 | Virginia | $68,138 | $48,000 | 8,470,020 | 675 |
| 8 | New York | $78,256 | $55,000 | 19,849,399 | 0 |
| 9 | Delaware | $62,721 | $44,000 | 961,939 | 109 |
| 10 | Texas | $59,939 | $42,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,811 |
| 11 | Georgia | $60,771 | $43,000 | 10,429,379 | 812 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $59,394 | $42,000 | 12,805,537 | 867 |
| 13 | Michigan | $59,312 | $42,000 | 9,962,311 | 577 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $59,535 | $43,000 | 4,454,189 | 248 |
| 15 | California | $62,828 | $45,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,173 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $60,960 | $43,000 | 10,273,419 | 0 |
| 17 | Ohio | $56,936 | $40,000 | 11,658,609 | 736 |
| 18 | Colorado | $59,049 | $43,000 | 5,607,154 | 607 |
| 19 | Washington | $64,176 | $47,000 | 7,405,743 | 0 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $57,723 | $42,000 | 5,576,606 | 618 |
| 21 | Iowa | $54,536 | $40,000 | 3,145,711 | 355 |
| 22 | Maryland | $63,808 | $45,000 | 6,052,177 | 0 |
| 23 | Alabama | $55,636 | $40,000 | 4,874,747 | 255 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $56,813 | $40,000 | 1,342,795 | 118 |
| 25 | Indiana | $55,531 | $40,000 | 6,666,818 | 412 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $54,761 | $40,000 | 3,930,864 | 210 |
| 27 | Alaska | $58,437 | $46,000 | 739,795 | 54 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $55,164 | $39,000 | 1,815,857 | 75 |
| 29 | Kansas | $55,153 | $40,000 | 2,913,123 | 178 |
| 30 | Vermont | $57,619 | $41,000 | 623,657 | 0 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $55,890 | $41,000 | 1,920,076 | 0 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $54,843 | $39,000 | 4,684,333 | 211 |
| 33 | Florida | $54,924 | $38,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,334 |
| 34 | Arizona | $53,716 | $39,000 | 7,016,270 | 529 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $53,522 | $39,000 | 3,004,279 | 149 |
| 36 | Missouri | $55,116 | $40,000 | 6,113,532 | 0 |
| 37 | Maine | $54,945 | $39,000 | 1,335,907 | 72 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $53,093 | $38,000 | 6,715,984 | 0 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $52,904 | $38,000 | 2,984,100 | 116 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $51,676 | $37,000 | 5,795,483 | 433 |
| 41 | Oregon | $54,397 | $40,000 | 4,142,776 | 0 |
| 42 | Montana | $50,422 | $38,000 | 1,050,493 | 99 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $48,278 | $37,000 | 1,427,538 | 91 |
| 44 | Nevada | $52,422 | $37,000 | 2,998,039 | 0 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $50,222 | $37,000 | 869,666 | 0 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $49,814 | $36,000 | 2,088,070 | 105 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $50,262 | $35,000 | 5,024,369 | 0 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $45,427 | $34,000 | 579,315 | 40 |
| 49 | Utah | $49,255 | $36,000 | 3,101,833 | 0 |
| 50 | Idaho | $45,196 | $33,000 | 1,716,943 | 105 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $46,014 | $34,000 | 755,393 | 37 |
Highest paying states for tax accountants
| Rank | State | Avg. Tax Accountant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $96,412 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $71,080 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $72,326 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $65,213 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $73,756 |
| 6 | Illinois | $62,293 |
| 7 | Virginia | $68,138 |
| 8 | New York | $78,256 |
| 9 | Delaware | $62,721 |
| 10 | Texas | $59,939 |
| 11 | Georgia | $60,771 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $59,394 |
| 13 | Michigan | $59,312 |
| 14 | Kentucky | $59,535 |
| 15 | California | $62,828 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $60,960 |
| 17 | Ohio | $56,936 |
| 18 | Colorado | $59,049 |
| 19 | Washington | $64,176 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $57,723 |
| 21 | Iowa | $54,536 |
| 22 | Maryland | $63,808 |
| 23 | Alabama | $55,636 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $56,813 |
| 25 | Indiana | $55,531 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $54,761 |
| 27 | Alaska | $58,437 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $55,164 |
| 29 | Kansas | $55,153 |
| 30 | Vermont | $57,619 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $55,890 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $54,843 |
| 33 | Florida | $54,924 |
| 34 | Arizona | $53,716 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $53,522 |
| 36 | Missouri | $55,116 |
| 37 | Maine | $54,945 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $53,093 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $52,904 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $51,676 |
| 41 | Oregon | $54,397 |
| 42 | Montana | $50,422 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $48,278 |
| 44 | Nevada | $52,422 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $50,222 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $49,814 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $50,262 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $45,427 |
| 49 | Utah | $49,255 |
| 50 | Idaho | $45,196 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $46,014 |
Expert opinions on the best states for tax accountants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for tax 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