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How Much Does an Accountant Make?

An accountant in the US earns a median salary of $83,680 a year, or $40.23 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $94,750, and the middle half earn between $67,020 and $109,810.

Median a year $83,680
Median an hour $40.23
Median a month $6,973
Average a year $94,750

Accountant pay range

What accountants earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $56,020 $26.93
25th $67,020 $32.22
Median (50th) $83,680 $40.23
75th $109,810 $52.80
90th (top 10%) $144,090 $69.27

The median is 64% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 1,449,500 people work as accountants in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$1,609
Every two weeks
$3,218
Twice a month
$3,487
A month
$6,973

At the median salary, before tax.

Accountant salary by state

Sorted by average pay. District of Columbia pays accountants the most, at $122,680 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
District of Columbia $122,680 $111,530 9,810 After tax
New York $114,070 $102,640 109,830 After tax
New Jersey $110,590 $100,830 42,250 After tax
Massachusetts $107,170 $99,460 46,230 After tax
California $103,760 $97,050 175,360 After tax
Colorado $103,150 $97,030 35,410 After tax
Washington $102,700 $96,550 34,740 After tax
Connecticut $101,810 $97,550 16,770 After tax
Virginia $100,660 $93,290 47,100 After tax
Rhode Island $99,880 $95,820 6,570 After tax
Maryland $98,210 $89,370 26,170 After tax
Delaware $97,930 $95,020 6,570 After tax
Minnesota $94,060 $81,600 30,530 After tax
Oregon $93,870 $85,800 14,920 After tax
North Carolina $93,810 $82,050 49,270 After tax
Georgia $93,640 $81,900 44,020 After tax
New Hampshire $92,570 $83,470 7,000 After tax
Oklahoma $91,350 $79,370 16,720 After tax
Texas $90,370 $80,920 116,470 After tax
Alaska $90,350 $83,460 2,190 After tax
Nevada $89,310 $81,600 6,930 After tax
Illinois $88,910 $80,230 54,930 After tax
Arizona $88,400 $79,970 27,410 After tax
Ohio $88,280 $79,320 50,440 After tax
Florida $88,210 $79,250 91,000 After tax
Wisconsin $87,870 $79,400 25,100 After tax
Utah $87,700 $79,990 15,490 After tax
Michigan $86,990 $78,820 41,460 After tax
Kansas $86,130 $79,000 13,610 After tax
Pennsylvania $86,070 $79,000 54,290 After tax
South Carolina $85,390 $76,560 15,270 After tax
Vermont $85,280 $78,890 2,630 After tax
South Dakota $85,030 $78,880 5,820 After tax
Maine $84,880 $77,480 3,860 After tax
New Mexico $84,320 $78,580 6,300 After tax
Indiana $84,000 $77,720 25,660 After tax
Wyoming $83,820 $77,620 2,670 After tax
Iowa $83,640 $77,440 13,210 After tax
Missouri $83,180 $76,590 28,000 After tax
Montana $82,750 $75,810 4,730 After tax
Tennessee $82,260 $76,840 27,340 After tax
Alabama $81,080 $74,880 24,300 After tax
Kentucky $80,790 $75,270 11,930 After tax
North Dakota $80,090 $75,730 4,430 After tax
Idaho $79,940 $74,730 5,570 After tax
Hawaii $79,300 $74,500 4,670 After tax
Louisiana $79,130 $73,810 14,050 After tax
West Virginia $78,020 $73,320 4,900 After tax
Mississippi $77,680 $68,100 7,350 After tax
Nebraska $77,660 $72,080 10,340 After tax
Arkansas $76,980 $66,330 7,870 After tax
Virgin Islands $67,870 $59,060 340
Guam $55,510 $50,410 610
Puerto Rico $49,470 $43,530 12,370

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other business and financial jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Accountants and Auditors” (SOC 13-2011). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an accountant make an hour?

The median hourly wage for an accountant is $40.23, and the average is $45.56. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $26.93 an hour and the top 10% over $69.27.

How much does an accountant make a month?

At the median salary of $83,680, an accountant earns about $6,973 a month before tax, or $3,218 every two weeks.

Which state pays accountants the most?

District of Columbia has the highest average pay for an accountant, at $122,680 a year. Next are New York and New Jersey. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for an accountant?

The lowest-paid 10% of accountants earn less than $56,020 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $67,020. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid accountants make?

The top 10% earn more than $144,090 a year, and the top 25% more than $109,810.