How Much Do Accountants Make a Year? Accountant Salary Calculator
BLS accountant and auditor salaries by state and percentile, tax-season hours, industry pay and take-home after 2026 tax
By the Monthly Income Booster editorial team · Updated · How we research and fact-check
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How Much Do Accountants Make a Year? Accountant Salary Calculator
Printed 2026-10-27 from billorganizingapp.com/income/calculators/accountant-salary/ — an estimate for planning, not financial or tax advice.
United States accountants and auditors: median $83,680 a year, 10th–90th percentile $56,020–$144,090 (BLS OEWS May 2025). Your salary is in the between the median and the 75th percentile.
Estimate for 2026, on a fixed salary with no overtime: federal income tax (standard deduction), Social Security and Medicare, a flat state rate you enter, and the overtime deduction on the half-time premium when your overtime is legally required. No credits or itemised deductions. Starting wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, which excludes overtime and shift differentials.
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Accountants and auditors earned a median salary of $83,680 in May 2025, or $40.23 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 1,449,500 on payrolls. The bottom tenth earned under $56,020 and the top tenth over $144,090. Year-end and non-production bonuses aren't counted.
Accountants: pay at every level
This is the BLS line for accountants and auditors (SOC 13-2011) on employers' payrolls — public, management, government and internal accountants and auditors together. Bookkeeping clerks, tax preparers and financial managers are separate lines, and self-employed accountants aren't counted. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $26.93 | $56,020 | $4,668 | $47,192 |
| 25th percentile | $32.22 | $67,020 | $5,585 | $55,979 |
| Median | $40.23 | $83,680 | $6,973 | $67,699 |
| 75th percentile | $52.80 | $109,810 | $9,151 | $86,081 |
| 90th percentile | $69.27 | $144,090 | $12,008 | $109,752 |
Accountant pay by state
Washington, D.C. has the highest median, $111,530, then New York ($102,640) and New Jersey ($100,830). Arkansas is lowest at $66,330. California employs the most accountants, 175,360, at $97,050; Texas pays $80,920 and Florida $79,250.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $53.62 | $111,530 | 9,810 |
| New York | $49.35 | $102,640 | 109,830 |
| New Jersey | $48.48 | $100,830 | 42,250 |
| Massachusetts | $47.82 | $99,460 | 46,230 |
| Connecticut | $46.90 | $97,550 | 16,770 |
| California | $46.66 | $97,050 | 175,360 |
| Colorado | $46.65 | $97,030 | 35,410 |
| Washington | $46.42 | $96,550 | 34,740 |
| Rhode Island | $46.07 | $95,820 | 6,570 |
| Delaware | $45.69 | $95,020 | 6,570 |
| Virginia | $44.85 | $93,290 | 47,100 |
| Maryland | $42.97 | $89,370 | 26,170 |
| Oregon | $41.25 | $85,800 | 14,920 |
| Alaska | $40.13 | $83,460 | 2,190 |
| New Hampshire | $40.13 | $83,470 | 7,000 |
| North Carolina | $39.45 | $82,050 | 49,270 |
| Georgia | $39.37 | $81,900 | 44,020 |
| Minnesota | $39.23 | $81,600 | 30,530 |
| Nevada | $39.23 | $81,600 | 6,930 |
| Texas | $38.91 | $80,920 | 116,470 |
| Illinois | $38.57 | $80,230 | 54,930 |
| Utah | $38.46 | $79,990 | 15,490 |
| Arizona | $38.45 | $79,970 | 27,410 |
| Wisconsin | $38.17 | $79,400 | 25,100 |
| Oklahoma | $38.16 | $79,370 | 16,720 |
| Ohio | $38.14 | $79,320 | 50,440 |
| Florida | $38.10 | $79,250 | 91,000 |
| Kansas | $37.98 | $79,000 | 13,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $37.98 | $79,000 | 54,290 |
| Vermont | $37.93 | $78,890 | 2,630 |
| South Dakota | $37.92 | $78,880 | 5,820 |
| Michigan | $37.89 | $78,820 | 41,460 |
| New Mexico | $37.78 | $78,580 | 6,300 |
| Indiana | $37.36 | $77,720 | 25,660 |
| Wyoming | $37.32 | $77,620 | 2,670 |
| Maine | $37.25 | $77,480 | 3,860 |
| Iowa | $37.23 | $77,440 | 13,210 |
| Tennessee | $36.94 | $76,840 | 27,340 |
| Missouri | $36.82 | $76,590 | 28,000 |
| South Carolina | $36.81 | $76,560 | 15,270 |
| Montana | $36.45 | $75,810 | 4,730 |
| North Dakota | $36.41 | $75,730 | 4,430 |
| Kentucky | $36.19 | $75,270 | 11,930 |
| Alabama | $36.00 | $74,880 | 24,300 |
| Idaho | $35.93 | $74,730 | 5,570 |
| Hawaii | $35.82 | $74,500 | 4,670 |
| Louisiana | $35.49 | $73,810 | 14,050 |
| West Virginia | $35.25 | $73,320 | 4,900 |
| Nebraska | $34.65 | $72,080 | 10,340 |
| Mississippi | $32.74 | $68,100 | 7,350 |
| Arkansas | $31.89 | $66,330 | 7,870 |
Which employers pay accountants most
Accountants in finance and insurance have the highest median, $93,290, ahead of corporate headquarters — management of companies — at $91,940 and government at $83,350. Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll firms, which employ the most accountants, pay $81,490 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Finance and insurance | $93,290 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | $91,940 |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | $83,350 |
| Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services | $81,490 |
A accountant's schedule
Most accountants and auditors work full time, with longer hours typical at certain times of year, such as quarterly audits and tax season. Most work in offices, some from home, and some travel to clients. Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll firms employ 21% of them, finance and insurance 8%, government 8%, and 5% are self-employed (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
Overtime for accountants
Federal rules say certified public accountants generally meet the duties test for the learned-professional exemption, and many non-CPA accountants doing similar work do too, while bookkeepers and accounting clerks doing routine work generally don't (29 CFR 541.301). An exempt accountant also has to be paid a salary of at least $684 a week (DOL Fact Sheet #17D). So busy-season hours usually aren't paid extra; the table further down shows what they do to your salary per hour.
A accountant's salary per hour actually worked
Most accountants are salaried and exempt, so a 55-hour week in tax season or audit close pays the same as a 40-hour one. The table divides the BLS median and 75th percentile salaries by weekly hours over 52 weeks; for a busy season of a few months, your real figure sits between the 40-hour row and your peak-week row.
| Hours a week | Median salary per hour | 75th percentile per hour |
|---|---|---|
| 35 | $45.98 | $60.34 |
| 40 | $40.23 | $52.79 |
| 45 | $35.76 | $46.93 |
| 50 | $32.18 | $42.23 |
| 55 | $29.26 | $38.40 |
| 60 | $26.82 | $35.20 |
Training, licenses and pay
Accountants typically need a bachelor's in accounting or a related field, and some employers prefer a master's. Anyone filing reports with the SEC must be a licensed CPA. CPAs are licensed by their state board of accountancy after passing a national exam; all states require 150 semester hours of college coursework, 30 more than a usual bachelor's, though a master's isn't required. Public accountants can advance to senior, manager or partner (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
Related tools and guides
More ways to work with your accountant pay:
Official sources
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS May 2025: Accountants and Auditors (13-2011) wage estimates
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors
- U.S. Department of Labor: Fact Sheet #17D: Exemption for professional employees
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS FAQ: how wages are defined (overtime and shift differentials excluded)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do accountants make a year?+
$83,680 a year ($40.23 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $67,020 to $109,810.
Which state pays accountants the most?+
District of Columbia ($53.62 an hour, $111,530 a year), then New York and New Jersey; Arkansas pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Do accountants get paid overtime during tax season?+
Usually not. CPAs, and many other accountants doing similar work, meet the duties test for the learned-professional exemption (29 CFR 541.301), and if they're paid a salary of at least $684 a week they're exempt from overtime (DOL Fact Sheet #17D). Bookkeepers and clerks doing routine work generally aren't exempt.
Which accountants earn the most?+
By employer, accountants in finance and insurance have the highest median in the Occupational Outlook Handbook's industry table, then management of companies; accounting and tax-preparation firms have the lowest of the four listed. By state, see the table on this page.
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