Accountant Salary: $80K US Median

The 2026 US national median Accountant salary is $79,880 per year. Entry-level (25th percentile) starts at $55,000, while experienced professionals (90th percentile) earn $132,690 or more. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, blended with 2026 market data from Levels.fyi, Glassdoor, and Robert Half.

Yes — Accountant salaries grew approximately 410.0% year-over-year, from $15,663 in 2025 to $79,880 in 2026 (+$64,217). This reflects the Finance sector's 2025-2026 wage growth, driven by demand for CPA and Advisory services.

The 5 highest-paying US cities for Accountants: San Francisco, CA ($124K); Oakland, CA ($112K); New York, NY ($108K); Seattle, WA ($105K); Washington, DC ($104K). Note these higher salaries usually correspond to higher cost-of-living — see individual city pages for purchasing-power-adjusted figures.

Lowest-paying metros for Accountants: Wichita ($68K), El Paso ($68K), Tulsa ($70K). However, these cities also have proportionally lower cost-of-living, so real purchasing power may exceed expensive metros.

Accountant employment projected to grow 6% through 2034. CPA shortage driving competitive salaries, especially in public accounting. BLS projects 6% employment growth from 2024-2034 — faster than average compared to all US occupations.

The hottest 2026 skills are: CPA, Advisory services, Data analytics, Automation tools, ESG reporting. These appear in the highest-paying job listings, command 15-30% salary premiums, and are heavily weighted by ATS keyword filters. Adding them to your resume — naturally and in context — significantly improves your match rate.

Bachelor's degree in accounting; 150 credit hours for CPA. However, the 2026 market increasingly values demonstrable skills, portfolios, and certifications alongside (or in place of) traditional degrees — particularly in Finance. Top recognized credentials: CPA, CMA, CIA.

I'm walking away from $X in unvested deferred compensation if I leave now. Can we structure the offer with a sign-on that makes me whole, plus a guaranteed first-year bonus floor? Key leverage points for Finance: Bonus targets and historical payout percentages (ask for last 3 years actual); Profit-share, carry, or AUM-linked compensation for senior roles; CFA, CPA, or Series licenses materially shift base compensation. Beyond base salary, negotiate: Guaranteed first-year bonus (especially in IB, PE, hedge funds), Sign-on / make-whole for forfeited deferred comp, Carried interest or profit-share at PE/HF/VC firms, CFA / Series exam fees and study time off.

Major US employers hiring Accountants include: Big Four (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG), Berkshire Hathaway, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Mid-tier firms (BDO, RSM). Most use ATS software (Workday, Greenhouse, Taleo, iCIMS) to screen resumes — meaning your resume must be ATS-optimized to even reach a human recruiter.

Entry-level (0–1 year) Accountants typically earn around $50,600. By year 2–3, salary climbs to $55,000. With 7–10 years of experience, Accountants earn $105,000 on average. Senior/lead roles (15+ years) reach $118,845 or more.