Accountant salary in 2026
The median accountant in the United States earns $83,680 a year, or $40.23 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey, published this year. The middle half of accountants earn between $67,020 and $109,810.
Where you work matters more than anything else: District of Columbia pays a median of $111,530, New York $102,640, and the highest paying metro area, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, $121,700. There are 1,449,500 accountants in the country.
Liaison does the routine half of an accountant’s job for 7% of what one costs. See how.
Accountant salary by state
Median annual and hourly wage, the range the middle half earn, and how many accountants work in each state. Click a state for its cities.
| State | Median annual | Median hourly | Middle half earns | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $111,530 | $53.62 | $83,050 to $156,730 | 9,810 |
| New York | $102,640 | $49.35 | $79,760 to $134,820 | 109,830 |
| New Jersey | $100,830 | $48.48 | $80,320 to $129,280 | 42,250 |
| Massachusetts | $99,460 | $47.82 | $79,370 to $128,560 | 46,230 |
| Connecticut | $97,550 | $46.90 | $78,020 to $123,670 | 16,770 |
| California | $97,050 | $46.66 | $75,810 to $125,850 | 175,360 |
| Colorado | $97,030 | $46.65 | $74,900 to $127,270 | 35,410 |
| Washington | $96,550 | $46.42 | $79,180 to $122,480 | 34,740 |
| Rhode Island | $95,820 | $46.07 | $76,400 to $120,280 | 6,570 |
| Delaware | $95,020 | $45.69 | $74,270 to $120,450 | 6,570 |
| Virginia | $93,290 | $44.85 | $74,250 to $123,510 | 47,100 |
| Maryland | $89,370 | $42.97 | $73,100 to $116,420 | 26,170 |
| Oregon | $85,800 | $41.25 | $74,350 to $104,150 | 14,920 |
| New Hampshire | $83,470 | $40.13 | $71,360 to $105,160 | 7,000 |
| Alaska | $83,460 | $40.13 | $72,230 to $102,460 | 2,190 |
| North Carolina | $82,050 | $39.45 | $65,120 to $108,090 | 49,270 |
| Georgia | $81,900 | $39.37 | $64,830 to $109,110 | 44,020 |
| Minnesota | $81,600 | $39.23 | $68,190 to $105,020 | 30,530 |
| Nevada | $81,600 | $39.23 | $68,190 to $103,640 | 6,930 |
| Texas | $80,920 | $38.91 | $65,560 to $103,760 | 116,470 |
| Illinois | $80,230 | $38.57 | $66,290 to $102,270 | 54,930 |
| Utah | $79,990 | $38.46 | $61,910 to $104,140 | 15,490 |
| Arizona | $79,970 | $38.45 | $64,990 to $103,640 | 27,410 |
| Wisconsin | $79,400 | $38.17 | $65,000 to $100,800 | 25,100 |
| Oklahoma | $79,370 | $38.16 | $59,990 to $104,240 | 16,720 |
| Ohio | $79,320 | $38.14 | $63,020 to $102,230 | 50,440 |
| Florida | $79,250 | $38.10 | $62,730 to $103,140 | 91,000 |
| Kansas | $79,000 | $37.98 | $62,960 to $100,650 | 13,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $79,000 | $37.98 | $62,330 to $99,990 | 54,290 |
| Vermont | $78,890 | $37.93 | $66,190 to $97,100 | 2,630 |
| South Dakota | $78,880 | $37.92 | $66,970 to $97,920 | 5,820 |
| Michigan | $78,820 | $37.89 | $63,850 to $101,030 | 41,460 |
| New Mexico | $78,580 | $37.78 | $63,290 to $99,090 | 6,300 |
| Indiana | $77,720 | $37.36 | $62,370 to $100,120 | 25,660 |
| Wyoming | $77,620 | $37.32 | $60,470 to $100,560 | 2,670 |
| Maine | $77,480 | $37.25 | $63,920 to $98,700 | 3,860 |
| Iowa | $77,440 | $37.23 | $62,090 to $98,150 | 13,210 |
| Tennessee | $76,840 | $36.94 | $62,430 to $94,790 | 27,340 |
| Missouri | $76,590 | $36.82 | $60,370 to $99,580 | 28,000 |
| South Carolina | $76,560 | $36.81 | $62,100 to $99,080 | 15,270 |
| Montana | $75,810 | $36.45 | $61,690 to $97,320 | 4,730 |
| North Dakota | $75,730 | $36.41 | $60,960 to $95,780 | 4,430 |
| Kentucky | $75,270 | $36.19 | $61,040 to $96,780 | 11,930 |
| Alabama | $74,880 | $36.00 | $60,840 to $95,870 | 24,300 |
| Idaho | $74,730 | $35.93 | $61,150 to $93,400 | 5,570 |
| Hawaii | $74,500 | $35.82 | $60,710 to $92,870 | 4,670 |
| Louisiana | $73,810 | $35.49 | $59,960 to $91,830 | 14,050 |
| West Virginia | $73,320 | $35.25 | $59,260 to $91,660 | 4,900 |
| Nebraska | $72,080 | $34.65 | $59,990 to $90,660 | 10,340 |
| Mississippi | $68,100 | $32.74 | $57,550 to $93,640 | 7,350 |
| Arkansas | $66,330 | $31.89 | $52,570 to $88,950 | 7,870 |
| Virgin Islands | $59,060 | $28.39 | $48,130 to $83,210 | 340 |
| Guam | $50,410 | $24.24 | $43,220 to $63,630 | 610 |
| Puerto Rico | $43,530 | $20.93 | $34,660 to $57,940 | 12,370 |
Highest paying cities for accountants
The ten metro areas with the highest median, out of the 393 where BLS publishes one.
| Metro area | Median annual | Median hourly | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $121,700 | $58.51 | 13,180 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $110,730 | $53.24 | 25,170 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,650 | $50.80 | 111,930 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $102,140 | $49.11 | 41,470 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $102,020 | $49.05 | 5,000 |
| Midland, TX | $100,890 | $48.51 | 1,240 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $100,420 | $48.28 | 550 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $100,150 | $48.15 | 37,150 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $100,020 | $48.09 | 22,720 |
| Boulder, CO | $99,990 | $48.07 | 2,380 |
The lowest medians in the 50 states and DC: Hot Springs, AR ($59,770), Tallahassee, FL ($61,840), Fort Smith, AR-OK ($62,990), Terre Haute, IN ($63,170) and Gadsden, AL ($63,250).
What it pays where you are
Pick your state or metro area. The wage is the median there; the cost line is what an employer pays once benefits are added.
Accountant, the United States, 40 hours a week
$112,972 a year
$9,414 a month. Wages $83,678 at the median of $40.23 an hour, plus $29,293 in benefits. The middle half of accountants here earn $67,020 to $109,810 in wages.
The routine half of an accountant’s job, for 7% of what one costs.
- Codes the bills, reconciles the processors against the deposits and flags what does not match.
- Prepares month-end: duplicates, missing receipts, payroll cross-checks, the reconciliation notes.
- Chases receivables in your voice and forecasts cash from how each customer actually pays.
Professional is $629 a month, $7,548 a year, against about $113,000 a year for an accountant at the median once benefits are added. On Professional we connect your tools, bring your data in and set up the first rules with you. Anything that moves money waits for your yes.
“Cut our month-end close from 4 days to 4 hours.” Marcus C., owner
$629 a month, or $500 a month on a 12-month term. Prefer to start on your own? Starter is $149 a month, self-serve, with a free trial first: 7 days, no card. More: AI bookkeeper.
What accountants do
Accountants prepare and examine financial records, file taxes, close the books and advise on the numbers. BLS counts them under occupation 13-2011, which is the definition every figure on this page uses.
For an employer, the wage is the start: benefits at a small employer add 35%, so an accountant at the median costs about $113,000 a year. The employer’s numbers, by state and metro, are on what an accountant costs. The routine part of the job, the follow-ups, the reconciling, the scheduling, is the part Liaison does inside the tools a business already runs.
Questions
What is the average accountant salary?
The median accountant in the United States earned $83,680 a year, or $40.23 an hour, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. The middle half earned between $67,020 and $109,810. The median is the wage half of accountants earn more than and half earn less than, which is a steadier guide than an average.
How much does an accountant make an hour?
The median accountant earns $40.23 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. At 2,080 hours a year that is $83,680. The middle half earn between $32.22 and $52.79 an hour.
Which states pay accountants the most?
District of Columbia ($111,530), New York ($102,640), New Jersey ($100,830), Massachusetts ($99,460) and Connecticut ($97,550).
Which cities pay accountants the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($121,700), San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($110,730), New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ ($105,650), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($102,140) and Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT ($102,020), out of the 393 metro areas where BLS publishes a median for accountants.
How many accountants are there?
BLS counted 1,449,500 accountants employed in the United States in May 2025.
What does an accountant cost an employer?
Wages are only part of it. At employers with fewer than 50 workers, benefits add 35% on top of wages (BLS, June 2026), so an accountant at the median costs about $113,000 a year. The employer’s view, by state and metro, is at useliaison.com/back-office-costs/accountant.
Other roles
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Annual figures assume 2,080 hours a year. Updated 2026-10-02.
See it on your own business.
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