Accountant Salary by Metro 2026: 40 Metros Ranked (BLS)
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — Accountants and Auditors, SOC 13-2011. Tables computed by Salario from the published metro estimates; take-home estimates use 2026 tax rules.
Accounting is the rare profession that pays a real premium everywhere and a huge premium almost nowhere. The BLS median for accountants and auditors spans $121,700 in San Jose, CA to $59,770 in Hot Springs, AR — a 2.0x spread, the narrowest of the four occupations Salario ranks by metro. This guide lists every major market, shows which of the big ones actually pay, and estimates the 2026 take-home behind each median.
Quick answer
- National accountant & auditor median: $83,680 ($40.23/hour); mean $94,750; 1,449,500 employed (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- Highest-paying metro: San Jose, CA — $121,700, 45% above the national median. Then San Francisco, CA $110,730, New York, NY-NJ $105,650, Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV $102,140.
- 8 metros have a median of $100,000 or more, including two surprises: Midland, TX ($100,890) and Parkersburg, WV ($100,420).
- After estimated 2026 taxes, Midland, TX ($79,806) nets almost as much as San Francisco, CA ($80,523) on $9,840 less gross pay, because Texas has no state income tax.
The 40 highest-paying metros for accountants and auditors
Ranked by the BLS median annual wage for Accountants and Auditors in each metropolitan statistical area. “Premium” compares the accountant median with the same metro's all-occupations median. Click a metro for its full salary and cost-of-living page.
| # | Metro area | Median (annual) | Hourly | Premium vs. all jobs | Est. take-home 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $121,700 | $58.51 | +45% | $87,220 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $110,730 | $53.24 | +49% | $80,523 |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,650 | $50.79 | +72% | $77,962 |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $102,140 | $49.11 | +44% | $74,972 |
| 5 | Midland, TX | $100,890 | $48.50 | +85% | $79,806 |
| 6 | Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $100,420 | $48.28 | +139% | $75,674 |
| 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $100,150 | $48.15 | +50% | $74,278 |
| 8 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $100,020 | $48.09 | +60% | $75,502 |
| 9 | Boulder, CO | $99,990 | $48.07 | +44% | $75,482 |
| 10 | Napa, CA | $99,640 | $47.90 | +80% | $73,752 |
| 11 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $99,550 | $47.86 | +57% | $74,648 |
| 12 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $99,370 | $47.77 | +37% | $78,737 |
| 13 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $96,340 | $46.32 | +64% | $71,738 |
| 14 | Barnstable Town, MA | $96,110 | $46.21 | +71% | $71,638 |
| 15 | Vallejo, CA | $95,800 | $46.06 | +63% | $71,408 |
| 16 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $95,020 | $45.68 | +77% | $72,516 |
| 17 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $94,690 | $45.52 | +67% | $70,730 |
| 18 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $94,470 | $45.42 | +52% | $75,290 |
| 19 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $94,360 | $45.37 | +69% | $70,529 |
| 20 | Worcester, MA | $94,070 | $45.23 | +63% | $70,305 |
| 21 | Carson City, NV | $93,560 | $44.98 | +65% | $74,649 |
| 22 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $93,280 | $44.85 | +63% | $74,452 |
| 23 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $93,130 | $44.77 | +62% | $74,347 |
| 24 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $92,920 | $44.67 | +56% | $74,199 |
| 25 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $92,910 | $44.67 | +86% | $70,994 |
| 26 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $92,200 | $44.33 | +52% | $66,199 |
| 27 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $92,110 | $44.28 | +54% | $69,155 |
| 28 | Springfield, MA | $92,010 | $44.24 | +77% | $68,959 |
| 29 | Midland, MI | $91,790 | $44.13 | +86% | $69,503 |
| 30 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $91,610 | $44.04 | +77% | $68,850 |
| 31 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $90,340 | $43.43 | +72% | $68,075 |
| 32 | Walla Walla, WA | $89,630 | $43.09 | +69% | $71,885 |
| 33 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $89,340 | $42.95 | +62% | $68,458 |
| 34 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $88,900 | $42.74 | +74% | $67,166 |
| 35 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $88,250 | $42.43 | +40% | $70,914 |
| 36 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $88,160 | $42.38 | +74% | $66,744 |
| 37 | Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $87,770 | $42.20 | +78% | $70,576 |
| 38 | Salem, OR | $87,480 | $42.06 | +58% | $63,291 |
| 39 | Greeley, CO | $87,240 | $41.94 | +58% | $67,073 |
| 40 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $86,500 | $41.59 | +46% | $65,324 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov/oes), SOC 13-2011, metropolitan statistical areas. Premium = accountant median ÷ metro all-occupations median − 1. Computed by Salario.
Estimated take-home is for a single filer taking the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100): federal income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) and Medicare (1.45%), plus estimated state income tax using the first state listed for multi-state metros. Local taxes, pre-tax benefits and credits are not modeled — use the paycheck calculator for your own situation.
What the ranking shows
The financial and government capitals lead, as expected. San Jose, San Francisco, New York, Washington and Boston hold five of the top seven places. The premium column is modest in those metros (+44% in Washington, +45% in San Jose) because every occupation pays well there.
Two small metros crash the top ten. Midland, TX (#5) reflects oil-and-gas accounting in the Permian Basin; Parkersburg, WV (#6) has an accountant median 139% above its all-occupations median of $42,000 — the largest premium in the table and a reminder that small-metro medians depend on a handful of employers.
Washington State and Texas pull ahead after tax. Seattle, WA ranks #12 on gross pay ($99,370) but its estimated take-home of $78,737 beats New York's $77,962 on $6,280 less gross. 8 Washington metros appear in the top 40 — Seattle, Olympia, Kennewick-Richland, Longview, Mount Vernon, Walla Walla, Bremerton and Wenatchee — none of them levying a state income tax. Model your own situation in the paycheck calculator.
Accountant pay in the 25 largest job markets
The same ranking restricted to the 25 largest metropolitan areas by total employment, where most accounting jobs are.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Computed by Salario.
Every one of the 25 largest metros pays at or above $78,630, and 16 of the 25 exceed the national median. Chicago, IL-IN is the notable laggard for its size at $82,360 (#19 of 25); Orlando, FL is last at $78,630.
The 10 lowest-paying metros
| Metro area | Accountant median | vs. national median |
|---|---|---|
| Hot Springs, AR | $59,770 | -29% |
| Tallahassee, FL | $61,840 | -26% |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | $62,990 | -25% |
| Terre Haute, IN | $63,170 | -25% |
| Gadsden, AL | $63,250 | -24% |
| Laredo, TX | $63,410 | -24% |
| Twin Falls, ID | $63,460 | -24% |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $64,010 | -24% |
| Jefferson City, MO | $64,040 | -23% |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | $64,470 | -23% |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, lowest published metro medians for SOC 13-2011. Computed by Salario.
Even the lowest metro median is 17% above the U.S. all-occupations median of $50,980. Tallahassee — a state-capital metro — appears alongside small Southern and Midwestern markets, so a low median does not simply track local living costs; check the cost of living calculator before assuming a low number means a poor deal.
How to read these numbers
- →CPAs and non-CPAs together. SOC 13-2011 pools staff accountants, auditors, tax accountants and controllers below the executive level, with or without a license. Public accounting firms and Big Four pay bands are not broken out — see the accountant salary guide.
- →Straight-time wages. Busy-season overtime and year-end bonuses (non-production) are excluded from the OEWS median.
- →Median, not average. The national mean ($94,750) exceeds the median ($83,680) by $11,070 — senior and partner-track pay lifts the average.
- →Reference period May 2025, published by BLS in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which metro area pays accountants the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has the highest median wage for accountants and auditors of any U.S. metro: $121,700 per year ($58.51 per hour) in the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, 45% above the national median of $83,680. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont ($110,730), New York-Newark-Jersey City ($105,650), Washington-Arlington-Alexandria ($102,140) and Midland, TX ($100,890) complete the top five; 8 metros in total have a median at or above $100,000.
What is the national median salary for accountants?
The BLS OEWS May 2025 national median for Accountants and Auditors (SOC 13-2011) is $83,680 per year, or $40.23 per hour; the mean is $94,750. BLS counts 1,449,500 accountants and auditors employed nationally and publishes a metro median for all 340 metropolitan areas it covers. The figures pool CPAs and non-CPAs, public accounting and corporate roles, so a licensed CPA in public practice typically earns above the median.
Why does Midland, Texas pay accountants so well?
Midland, TX (median $100,890) is the center of the Permian Basin oil and gas industry, and Parkersburg-Vienna, WV ($100,420) is a small metro where a few large employers dominate — its accountant median is 139% above the local all-occupations median, the highest premium in the top 40. BLS publishes wages, not causes, and medians in small metros can move noticeably between releases, so treat these as real but less stable than the large-metro figures.
How does accountant pay vary by metro compared with other professions?
Less than most. The highest accountant median ($121,700) is 2.0x the lowest ($59,770 in Hot Springs, AR), versus a 2.5x spread for software developers and 3.3x for registered nurses in the same BLS release. Accounting demand is spread across every industry and metro, which compresses the geographic gap; the largest swings come from state income tax, not gross pay.
Turn a metro median into your own numbers
Convert any figure above to hourly pay, take-home pay or a cost-of-living-adjusted equivalent in another city.
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