Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$56,020
- 25th Percentile — Junior$67,020
- 50th Percentile — Median$83,680
- 75th Percentile — Senior$109,810
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$144,090
The top 10% of Accountants and Auditors earn $144,090 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $56,020, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What Accountants and Auditors Do
Role, training and entry requirements
Accountants and auditors prepare and examine financial records, ensure taxes are paid correctly, assess financial operations, and check that organizations follow laws and internal controls. They work in public accounting firms, corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits.
How to become one
A bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field is the standard requirement. Becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) requires additional coursework, passing the CPA exam, and meeting state experience rules, and it significantly expands career options.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $122,680 | +29.5% |
| New York | $114,070 | +20.4% |
| New Jersey | $110,590 | +16.7% |
| Massachusetts | $107,170 | +13.1% |
| California | $103,760 | +9.5% |
| Colorado | $103,150 | +8.9% |
| Washington | $102,700 | +8.4% |
| Connecticut | $101,810 | +7.5% |
| Virginia | $100,660 | +6.2% |
| Rhode Island | $99,880 | +5.4% |
| Maryland | $98,210 | +3.7% |
| Delaware | $97,930 | +3.4% |
| Minnesota | $94,060 | -0.7% |
| Oregon | $93,870 | -0.9% |
| North Carolina | $93,810 | -1.0% |
| Georgia | $93,640 | -1.2% |
| New Hampshire | $92,570 | -2.3% |
| Oklahoma | $91,350 | -3.6% |
| Texas | $90,370 | -4.6% |
| Alaska | $90,350 | -4.6% |
| Nevada | $89,310 | -5.7% |
| Illinois | $88,910 | -6.2% |
| Arizona | $88,400 | -6.7% |
| Ohio | $88,280 | -6.8% |
| Florida | $88,210 | -6.9% |
| Wisconsin | $87,870 | -7.3% |
| Utah | $87,700 | -7.4% |
| Michigan | $86,990 | -8.2% |
| Kansas | $86,130 | -9.1% |
| Pennsylvania | $86,070 | -9.2% |
| South Carolina | $85,390 | -9.9% |
| Vermont | $85,280 | -10.0% |
| South Dakota | $85,030 | -10.3% |
| Maine | $84,880 | -10.4% |
| New Mexico | $84,320 | -11.0% |
| Indiana | $84,000 | -11.3% |
| Wyoming | $83,820 | -11.5% |
| Iowa | $83,640 | -11.7% |
| Missouri | $83,180 | -12.2% |
| Montana | $82,750 | -12.7% |
| Tennessee | $82,260 | -13.2% |
| Alabama | $81,080 | -14.4% |
| Kentucky | $80,790 | -14.7% |
| North Dakota | $80,090 | -15.5% |
| Idaho | $79,940 | -15.6% |
| Hawaii | $79,300 | -16.3% |
| Louisiana | $79,130 | -16.5% |
| West Virginia | $78,020 | -17.7% |
| Mississippi | $77,680 | -18.0% |
| Nebraska | $77,660 | -18.0% |
| Arkansas | $76,980 | -18.8% |
What Factors Affect Accountants and Auditors Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Accountants and Auditors is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: District of Columbia pays an average of $122,680, while Arkansas pays $76,980 — a gap of $45,700 per year.
CPA licensure is one of the biggest pay factors in this field. Accountants at large public accounting firms and in corporate finance tend to earn more than those in small firms or government, and moving into controller or finance manager roles is the typical route to the top of the range.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
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Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Accountants and Auditors?
The average salary for Accountants and Auditors in the United States is $94,750 per year, with a median of $83,680.
What is the starting salary for Accountants and Auditors?
Entry-level Accountants and Auditors typically earn between $56,020 and $67,020 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Accountants and Auditors the most?
District of Columbia pays Accountants and Auditors the most at $122,680 per year on average, followed by New York ($114,070) and New Jersey ($110,590).
How much do Accountants and Auditors make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $94,750, Accountants and Auditors earn approximately $45.55 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Accountants and Auditors a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 1,449,500 Accountants and Auditors jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $94,750 and a median of $83,680 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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