Source: Alphaundomikron
Because larger cities have more people and businesses, they produce more financial transactions that require accounting expertise. They thus have a higher average accounting salary than smaller cities and towns.
Highest Salaries
The U.S. Department of Labor states that the following metropolitan areas have the best mean accountant salary as of 2011. (Compare them to the standard accountant salary and CPA salary.) Note that all accounting salaries are far higher than the average wage for all workers in that location.
- New York Metro Area, including White Plains and Wayne, New Jersey. With over 11.7 million people, this is the largest urban area of the country.
Average wages here run $28.13 per hour or $58,500 per year for over five million workers.
The mean salary here for 64,450 accountants is $43.13 per hour or $89,720 per year. - Newark, New Jersey and Union, Pennsylvania, show a population of over 2.1 million.
The 949,000 workers here average $26.03 per hour or $54,140 per year.
About 10,100 professionals average an accountant salary of $41.88 hourly or $87,120 yearly. - Nassau and Suffolk Counties, New York, have a combined population of 2.8 million.
Average income is $24.92 per hour or $51,830 per year for 1.2 million workers.
Wages average $41.67 per hour or $86,670 per year for 12,500 accountants.
Lowest Wages
The following three urban areas have the lowest mean accountant salary. Though accountants make more than the average worker, the hourly difference between the pay of both is far smaller than in cities with the highest salaries.
- Jefferson City, Missouri has a population of almost 150,000.
Over 71,410 workers make a mean $18.04 per hour or $37,520 per year.
The average accountant salary is $23.25 hourly or $48,350 yearly for 880 professionals. - Owensborough, Kentucky, has a population of over 114,000.
Mean wages for the 47,480 workers here are $16.91 per hour or $35,180 per year.
With only 240 accountants, this city has the lowest mean accountant salary at $22.81 hourly or $47,440 annually. - Cape Girardeau, Montana to Jackson, Illinois, has a population of over 96,000.
The 43,950 workers here average $17.53 per hour or $36.460 per year.
The 330 accountants here get a mean #22.75 per hour or $47,330 per year.
Selected Cities
The following table shows the employment and salaries for selected large metropolitan areas in the country. The columns show the name of the area, number of accountants, and their mean hourly and yearly pay.
| Area name | Employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia | 22,780 | $34.96 | $72,710 |
| Boston-Cambridge, Massachusetts and Quincy, New Hampshire | 22,800 | $38.02 | $79,090 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Illinois | 29,190 | $35.94 | $74,760 |
| Columbus, Ohio | 8,300 | $31.97 | $66,490 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas | 20,370 | $35.62 | $74,080 |
| Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Michigan | 5,390 | $35.68 | $74,220 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas | 24,550 | $35.72 | $74,300 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, California | 35,840 | $35.72 | $74,290 |
| Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Florida | 10,380 | $35.53 | $73,890 |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 21,220 | $37.84 | $78,700 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, Arizona | 14,550 | $29.62 | $61,610 |
| Washington-DC, Arlington, Virginia, and Alexandria, West Virginia | 30,190 | $40.35 | $83,930 |
References
Hey Leo,
Big cities are really where the money is…. I live in a much smaller town and would never see wages like that. I would be lucky to get $20 per hour around here as an accountant. There are a lot of smaller businesses around here though.
Thanks,
~Jeremy
Jeremy Ruggles @ Internet Marketing Tips recently posted..My First Guest Post – Check It Out
Thanks for stopping by Jeremy. For many professions, big cities are definitely where the money is. But then, small towns perhaps offer a better quality of life, which is why many accountants move there.
I completely agree, this is the same in the UK also, I live in a small town called runcorn and there is hardly any well paid jobs here at all, its mostly retail work and factory jobs, all the head offices and big corporations are in big cities such as Manchester and Birmingham.
Hi do you have any info on the salaries for accountants in London UK?
You can try this website, Andy: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/chartered_certified_accountant_salary.htm
Interesting to see Dept. of Labor statistics on accountant salaries. Of course, some accountants may have “cooked the books” to show a lower salary for tax purposes!
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Because larger cities have more people and businesses, they produce more financial transactions that require accounting expertise. They thus have a higher average accounting salary than smaller cities and towns.
Nice post which three urban areas have the lowest mean accountant salary. Though accountants make more than the average worker, the hourly difference between the pay of both is far smaller than in cities with the highest salaries. Thanks a lot for posting.