Accountants and Auditors Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for accountants and auditorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $94,750 ≈ $46/hr
National median salary $83,680
Total employment 1,449,500 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +4.6%
Faster than average
Annual openings 124,200 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 1,579,800 → 1,652,600 (+72,800)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$122,680
- New York$114,070
- New Jersey$110,590
- Massachusetts$107,170
- California$103,760
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$76,980
- Nebraska$77,660
- Mississippi$77,680
- West Virginia$78,020
- Louisiana$79,130
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $122,680 | $111,530 | $59 | +29.5% | 9,810 |
| 2 | New York | $114,070 | $102,640 | $55 | +20.4% | 109,830 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $110,590 | $100,830 | $53 | +16.7% | 42,250 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $107,170 | $99,460 | $52 | +13.1% | 46,230 |
| 5 | California | $103,760 | $97,050 | $50 | +9.5% | 175,360 |
| 6 | Colorado | $103,150 | $97,030 | $50 | +8.9% | 35,410 |
| 7 | Washington | $102,700 | $96,550 | $49 | +8.4% | 34,740 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $101,810 | $97,550 | $49 | +7.5% | 16,770 |
| 9 | Virginia | $100,660 | $93,290 | $48 | +6.2% | 47,100 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $99,880 | $95,820 | $48 | +5.4% | 6,570 |
| 11 | Maryland | $98,210 | $89,370 | $47 | +3.7% | 26,170 |
| 12 | Delaware | $97,930 | $95,020 | $47 | +3.4% | 6,570 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $94,060 | $81,600 | $45 | -0.7% | 30,530 |
| 14 | Oregon | $93,870 | $85,800 | $45 | -0.9% | 14,920 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $93,810 | $82,050 | $45 | -1% | 49,270 |
| 16 | Georgia | $93,640 | $81,900 | $45 | -1.2% | 44,020 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $92,570 | $83,470 | $45 | -2.3% | 7,000 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $91,350 | $79,370 | $44 | -3.6% | 16,720 |
| 19 | Texas | $90,370 | $80,920 | $43 | -4.6% | 116,470 |
| 20 | Alaska | $90,350 | $83,460 | $43 | -4.6% | 2,190 |
| 21 | Nevada | $89,310 | $81,600 | $43 | -5.7% | 6,930 |
| 22 | Illinois | $88,910 | $80,230 | $43 | -6.2% | 54,930 |
| 23 | Arizona | $88,400 | $79,970 | $43 | -6.7% | 27,410 |
| 24 | Ohio | $88,280 | $79,320 | $42 | -6.8% | 50,440 |
| 25 | Florida | $88,210 | $79,250 | $42 | -6.9% | 91,000 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $87,870 | $79,400 | $42 | -7.3% | 25,100 |
| 27 | Utah | $87,700 | $79,990 | $42 | -7.4% | 15,490 |
| 28 | Michigan | $86,990 | $78,820 | $42 | -8.2% | 41,460 |
| 29 | Kansas | $86,130 | $79,000 | $41 | -9.1% | 13,610 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $86,070 | $79,000 | $41 | -9.2% | 54,290 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $85,390 | $76,560 | $41 | -9.9% | 15,270 |
| 32 | Vermont | $85,280 | $78,890 | $41 | -10% | 2,630 |
| 33 | South Dakota | $85,030 | $78,880 | $41 | -10.3% | 5,820 |
| 34 | Maine | $84,880 | $77,480 | $41 | -10.4% | 3,860 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $84,320 | $78,580 | $41 | -11% | 6,300 |
| 36 | Indiana | $84,000 | $77,720 | $40 | -11.3% | 25,660 |
| 37 | Wyoming | $83,820 | $77,620 | $40 | -11.5% | 2,670 |
| 38 | Iowa | $83,640 | $77,440 | $40 | -11.7% | 13,210 |
| 39 | Missouri | $83,180 | $76,590 | $40 | -12.2% | 28,000 |
| 40 | Montana | $82,750 | $75,810 | $40 | -12.7% | 4,730 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $82,260 | $76,840 | $40 | -13.2% | 27,340 |
| 42 | Alabama | $81,080 | $74,880 | $39 | -14.4% | 24,300 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $80,790 | $75,270 | $39 | -14.7% | 11,930 |
| 44 | North Dakota | $80,090 | $75,730 | $39 | -15.5% | 4,430 |
| 45 | Idaho | $79,940 | $74,730 | $38 | -15.6% | 5,570 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $79,300 | $74,500 | $38 | -16.3% | 4,670 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $79,130 | $73,810 | $38 | -16.5% | 14,050 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $78,020 | $73,320 | $38 | -17.7% | 4,900 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $77,680 | $68,100 | $37 | -18% | 7,350 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $77,660 | $72,080 | $37 | -18% | 10,340 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $76,980 | $66,330 | $37 | -18.8% | 7,870 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 521 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $121,700 | $128,520 | 13,180 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $110,730 | $120,780 | 25,170 |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,650 | $119,280 | 111,930 |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $102,140 | $113,640 | 41,470 |
| 5 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $102,020 | $111,650 | 5,000 |
| 6 | Midland, TX | $100,890 | $111,820 | 1,240 |
| 7 | Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $100,420 | $97,200 | 550 |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $100,150 | $108,660 | 37,150 |
| 9 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $100,020 | $107,620 | 22,720 |
| 10 | Boulder, CO | $99,990 | $106,320 | 2,380 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing accountants and auditorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nuclear Electric Power Generation | $130,420 | $132,310 | 130 |
| 2 | Taxi and Limousine Service | $126,940 | $121,920 | 540 |
| 3 | Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas | $125,400 | $115,400 | 510 |
| 4 | Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | $121,460 | $115,710 | 780 |
| 5 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $120,950 | $124,650 | 21,710 |
| 6 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $120,520 | $124,040 | 22,370 |
| 7 | Pipeline Transportation | $119,910 | $109,980 | 870 |
| 8 | Other Electric Power Generation | $113,790 | $124,980 | 370 |
| 9 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $110,940 | $119,860 | 5,040 |
| 10 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $110,940 | $119,860 | 5,040 |
| 11 | Monetary Authorities-Central Bank | $109,430 | $116,010 | 300 |
| 12 | Monetary Authorities-Central Bank | $109,430 | $116,010 | 300 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do accountants and auditors make in the U.S.?
The median accountants and auditors salary in the United States is $83,680 per year (mean $94,750), and about 80% earn between $56,020 and $144,090.
How much do accountants and auditors make per hour?
Roughly $46 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $94,750 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays accountants and auditors the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for accountants and auditors at $122,680 per year (median $111,530).
What is the job outlook for accountants and auditors?
Employment is projected to change +4.6% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 124,200 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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