What education do accountants and auditors need?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists bachelor's degree as the typical education to start. The federal crosswalk from fields of study to jobs links 3 programs here to accountants and auditors: Accounting (Bachelor's), Accounting (Associate's), and Accounting (Certificate).

Accountants and Auditors: Pay by State and the Programs That Lead There

Q: Which state pays accountants and auditors the most?

District of Columbia, at a median of $111,530. After adjusting for prices, District of Columbia is highest, at $101,482 in US-average prices.

1,449,500 jobs in the US
Typical education to start: bachelor's degree
Occupation code 13-2011

BLS wages May 2025 · BLS projections 2025 to 2035 · BEA price parities 2024

The short answer

Accountants and auditors earn a median of $83,680 a year in the US, across all experience levels. Pay is highest in District of Columbia ($111,530) and lowest in Puerto Rico ($43,530). After adjusting for prices, District of Columbia is highest ($101,482) and Hawaii lowest ($67,757). Jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 115,300 openings a year across the US.

Median pay$83,680US, all experience levels

Bottom 10% earn under$56,020US

Top 10% earn over$144,090US

Projected job growth5%2025 to 2035, about 115,300 openings a year

Pay for accountants and auditors by state

Median pay across all experience levels. "After prices" divides it by the state's price level (US average = 100), so states can be compared by what the pay buys.

#	State	Median pay	After prices	Jobs	Bottom 10%	Top 10%
1	District of Columbia	$111,530	$101,482	9,810	$71,470	$185,220
2	New York	$102,640	$95,107	109,830	$63,700	$171,030
3	New Jersey	$100,830	$92,670	42,250	$65,710	$167,080
4	Massachusetts	$99,460	$94,046	46,230	$70,460	$160,100
5	Connecticut	$97,550	$94,151	16,770	$64,230	$156,670
6	California	$97,050	$87,654	175,360	$61,770	$160,520
7	Colorado	$97,030	$94,156	35,410	$60,760	$162,160
8	Washington	$96,550	$90,223	34,740	$66,330	$152,310
9	Rhode Island	$95,820	$93,684	6,570	$59,920	$150,320
10	Delaware	$95,020	$95,203	6,570	$60,500	$132,550
11	Virginia	$93,290	$92,271	47,100	$60,000	$156,730
12	Maryland	$89,370	$85,148	26,170	$59,760	$156,660
13	Oregon	$85,800	$83,010	14,920	$62,590	$130,650
14	New Hampshire	$83,470	$80,132	7,000	$59,920	$131,110
15	Alaska	$83,460	$81,537	2,190	$57,690	$125,810
16	North Carolina	$82,050	$86,986	49,270	$53,610	$146,100
17	Georgia	$81,900	$85,053	44,020	$51,830	$145,960
18	Minnesota	$81,600	$82,741	30,530	$58,280	$138,960
18	Nevada	$81,600	$81,617	6,930	$58,630	$128,760
20	Texas	$80,920	$83,374	116,470	$53,380	$132,040
21	Illinois	$80,230	$80,264	54,930	$54,510	$131,990
22	Utah	$79,990	$80,909	15,490	$48,770	$131,590
23	Arizona	$79,970	$79,432	27,410	$55,430	$128,890
24	Wisconsin	$79,400	$84,383	25,100	$58,340	$127,800
25	Oklahoma	$79,370	$90,354	16,720	$47,670	$155,480
26	Ohio	$79,320	$85,498	50,440	$52,140	$131,400
27	Florida	$79,250	$76,634	91,000	$50,280	$131,930
28	Kansas	$79,000	$87,712	13,610	$52,960	$129,800
28	Pennsylvania	$79,000	$80,966	54,290	$50,680	$130,270
30	Vermont	$78,890	$80,535	2,630	$59,770	$118,800
31	South Dakota	$78,880	$89,043	5,820	$61,190	$115,470
32	Michigan	$78,820	$81,919	41,460	$52,620	$131,080
33	New Mexico	$78,580	$85,217	6,300	$52,390	$125,420
34	Indiana	$77,720	$83,275	25,660	$50,950	$125,880
35	Wyoming	$77,620	$83,741	2,670	$50,900	$126,520
36	Maine	$77,480	$79,835	3,860	$55,640	$125,130
37	Iowa	$77,440	$88,239	13,210	$51,420	$123,700
38	Tennessee	$76,840	$83,640	27,340	$49,920	$122,160
39	Missouri	$76,590	$84,334	28,000	$49,290	$128,300
40	South Carolina	$76,560	$81,665	15,270	$50,370	$131,220
41	Montana	$75,810	$80,099	4,730	$49,250	$125,290
42	North Dakota	$75,730	$85,129	4,430	$49,330	$124,960
43	Kentucky	$75,270	$83,486	11,930	$50,750	$121,230
44	Alabama	$74,880	$84,302	24,300	$50,240	$123,170
45	Idaho	$74,730	$78,256	5,570	$48,170	$121,820
46	Hawaii	$74,500	$67,757	4,670	$49,860	$117,840
47	Louisiana	$73,810	$83,678	14,050	$48,950	$117,110
48	West Virginia	$73,320	$81,925	4,900	$49,240	$115,210
49	Nebraska	$72,080	$79,997	10,340	$48,590	$114,530
50	Mississippi	$68,100	$78,318	7,350	$45,440	$120,290
51	Arkansas	$66,330	$76,297	7,870	$45,810	$119,520
52	Puerto Rico	$43,530	Not available	12,370	$27,530	$77,860

State names link to the state's college page. Puerto Rico has no BEA price level, so its pay is not adjusted.

Programs that lead to this job

The federal crosswalk from fields of study to jobs links these programs to accountants and auditors. Figures are medians across each program type's US programs. Program names link to the national ranking.

Program	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
Accounting (Bachelor's)	636	$54,059	$24,958
Accounting (Associate's)	102	$37,249	$17,919
Accounting (Certificate)	36	$33,922	$14,081

Program figures are first-year pay for new graduates. The job's median pay covers every experience level.

Common questions

Accountants and auditors earn a median of $83,680 a year in the US, across all experience levels (May 2025). The bottom 10% earn less than $56,020, and the top 10% more than $144,090.

About this data

Pay is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025. It covers all experience levels and all industries, and leaves out self-employed workers.
Projections are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections for 2025 to 2035, for the whole US.
Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.
Program figures are College Scorecard medians across programs, and only include students who received federal financial aid.

Sources

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study files, June 2026 release