Accountant Salary: Average, Range, and Influencing Factors

Accountants manage the financial records for companies, government organizations, and individuals. They work across almost all industries, specializing in different areas, such as health care or insurance. Due to such widespread need, the industry is growing steadily relative to the rest of the economy, but it tends to fluctuate as the greater economy fluctuates.

Many factors influence an accountant’s salary, including geographic location and specific certifications. Explore a breakdown of salary averages, including the average tax accountant salary and certified public accountant (CPA) salary based on certifications, experience, skills, location, specialization, and type of company. 

What is an accountant?

Accountants handle their clients’ financial matters, from maintaining and preparing financial records to calculating and paying taxes. Other typical duties often include assessing financial activities, preparing financial reports, providing cost reduction suggestions and strategies, identifying financial inefficiencies, and making recommendations for increasing profit. Accountants can work individually or in large teams, at home or in offices, or for a firm handling multiple clients or a single organization. 

How much does an accountant make?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an accountant earns a median salary of $79,880 in the United States [1]. However, the average annual salary for an accountant may range from $45,928 to $92,678, based on the results on four different websites that post salary data. The data breaks down as follows [1, 2, 3, 4]: 

Your anticipated income as an accountant can vary on many factors, including where you’re looking for work, what education you’ve earned, and what industry you’re interested in. 

Factors that may affect salary

Your salary may vary based on the company you work for, your location, and the type of accounting you do. Additionally, your certification, skills, and experience can impact your earnings. Explore these factors in closer detail below.

Company

The company you work for can be one of the most significant factors affecting your salary. All industries need accountants, but some pay more than others on average. 

For example, accountants in the technology industry earn an average annual salary of $60,365, while accountants in the government sector earn an average of $54,890 [5]. Take a look at some of the companies that pay accountants the highest salaries, according to Zippia [5]:

• Meta: $100,015 

• PayPal: $99,145 

• The Carlyle Group: $96,880 

• Apple: $96,163 

• Google: $91,469 

• The Jordan Company: $91,459 

• Microsoft: $90,104  

• Cisco: $89,933 

• Oracle: $84,756 

Location

The salary you earn as an accountant can vary based on location. According to Zippia, the states with the highest and lowest average accountant salaries are as follows [5]:

Highest accountant salaries

• New York: $68,366

• New Jersey: $67,833

• Massachusetts: $62,743

• Connecticut: $62,386

• Rhode Island: $60,990 

Lowest accountant salaries

• Hawaii: $38,954

• North Dakota: $39,626

• Mississippi: $40,889

• Wyoming: $42,614

• Louisiana: $42,765 

Read more: 8 Types of Accounting: Careers, Degrees, and Salaries

Experience

Gaining experience in the field is another way to help boost your earning potential. Consider the following data. 

Education

Accountants typically earn a bachelor’s degree in accounting or business to break into the field. However, you may be able to earn more with a higher degree, like a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a Master of Science in Accounting. 

Here’s the breakdown of average base salaries according to degree types, per Zippia [5]. 

• Bachelor’s: $56,183

• Master’s: $60,892

• Doctorate: $62,344

Skills

Payscale has valuable data regarding skills that impact the average accountant and CPA salary. Some of the key skills that Payscale has determined may increase your salary include [6]:

• Consulting management: average salary 41 percent higher

• Tax consulting: average salary 25 percent higher

• Budgeting: average salary 16 percent higher 

• Financial modeling: average salary 8 percent higher

• NetSuite software: average salary 13 percent higher 

Job outlook and opportunities

Accounting is a broad field necessary for most industries to keep track of records and financial activities. Because of this variety, it might be easier to find a job and find one in an area that interests you than other occupations.  

The BLS anticipates that accountant jobs may grow 6 percent from 2023 to 2033 [1]. That growth translates into 130,800 new jobs for accountants nationwide in that period [7]. Globalization, an increase in the use of technology, and the health of the economy in general can all impact the need for accountants in the foreseeable future.

Similar job titles and salaries

Interested in a career in finance but not sure accounting is for you? Here are several similar job titles and their respective salaries [8]:

• Accounting clerk: $47,440

• Cost estimator: $74,740

• Financial analyst: $99,890

• Financial managers: $156,100

• Management analyst: $99,410

• Tax examiner: $58,530

Potentially increase your accountant salary by learning more

Accountant positions and salaries can vary depending on your industry, company, location, and more. If you’re ready to take the next step in preparing for a career as an accountant, consider getting started with an online course. On Coursera, you can take courses one by one or as part of a larger goal like a Specialization. 

For example, in just 18 hours of study time, you could learn Introduction to Accounting Data Analytics and Visualization and have a shareable certificate. This class is a part of the Accounting Data Analytics Specialization, allowing you to continue to earn a more substantial credential. The credits you earn in your specialization can count toward your Master of Accountancy Degree when you’re ready to continue your education. All of these are offered by the University of Illinois and available on Coursera.