Accountant Salary by U.S. City (2026)

Accountant salaries across 50 U.S. cities, from BLS wage data: median and 10th-90th percentiles, plus cost-of-living-adjusted real pay. Compare metros.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS) & BEA Regional Price Parities · Updated June 2026

Cities tracked
50
National average
$90,780

How Accountant pay varies by city

Across the 50 U.S. metros tracked here, Accountant pay ranges from about $64,740 in El Paso, TX to $113,980 in San Jose, CA (median wage). But the highest nominal pay isn’t the best deal once local prices are factored in: adjusted for cost of living, Wichita, KS delivers the strongest real buying power (about $424,863 in national-average dollars). The U.S. national average for this role is about $90,780.

The table below ranks every metro by median wage. “Real pay” adjusts each salary for local cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parity, U.S. = 100) so you can compare what the paycheck is actually worth. See our methodology for sources and formulas.

CityMedian10th %ile90th %ileCost of living
(US = 100)		Real pay
(COL-adjusted)
San Jose, CA$113,980$76,020$180,860110.4$112,359
Boston, MA$106,335$59,697$138,981108.3$98,216
Oakland, CA$103,990$71,070$175,590115.6$102,004
San Francisco, CA$103,990$71,070$175,590115.6$102,004
New York, NY$103,900$65,160$186,960112.6$105,763
Washington, DC$97,320$61,540$160,690108.9$96,295
Seattle, WA$95,580$64,740$144,900111.1$91,827
San Diego, CA$89,120$59,840$158,950111.9$88,250
Denver, CO$88,770$59,620$142,270105.8$92,019
Charlotte, NC$86,900$58,580$162,32097.3$102,755
Long Beach, CA$85,540$57,340$149,970113.6$85,078
Los Angeles, CA$85,540$57,340$149,970113.6$85,078
Sacramento, CA$84,940$57,820$128,140106.7$85,216
Houston, TX$81,830$56,370$143,50098.6$96,848
Fort Worth, TX$81,782$43,766$108,392103.1$79,331
Baltimore, MD$81,390$58,250$138,080104.5$87,351
Atlanta, GA$81,220$51,170$149,310100.1$94,275
Philadelphia, PA$81,060$54,030$133,590102.6$91,376
Portland, OR$80,540$58,130$126,040105.4$83,911
Raleigh, NC$80,270$53,670$133,47098.2$91,802
Austin, TX$80,210$51,050$134,93098.1$91,724
Arlington, TX$79,840$53,160$132,250——
Dallas, TX$79,840$53,160$132,250103.1$87,428
Chicago, IL$79,810$52,080$132,430103.6$86,384
Minneapolis, MN$79,750$53,790$134,400104.8$85,364
Miami, FL$79,730$49,080$134,300114.2$76,966
Mesa, AZ$79,550$51,290$133,550103.3$87,034
Phoenix, AZ$79,550$51,290$133,550103.3$87,034
Detroit, MI$79,320$52,450$131,950100.3$87,659
Columbus, OH$78,830$51,320$128,32095.5$89,966
Kansas City, MO$78,500$49,310$129,60092.5$91,212
Tulsa, OK$78,490$49,630$130,04089.2$95,400
Milwaukee, WI$78,260$54,760$128,69096.9$89,099
Colorado Springs, CO$77,720$50,060$131,270100.7$85,585
Jacksonville, FL$77,550$45,260$124,99099.5$80,375
Cleveland, OH$77,500$50,150$127,340——
San Antonio, TX$77,490$51,020$128,31094.7$92,561
Indianapolis, IN$76,710$49,260$124,29095.7$85,239
Fresno, CA$76,540$47,800$128,670102.2$82,588
Nashville, TN$76,440$53,770$137,99096.3$90,203
Wichita, KS$74,530$49,690$111,04018.3$424,863
New Orleans, LA$74,090$47,620$110,75026.3$299,087
Albuquerque, NM$73,650$49,520$118,69095.5$83,133
Oklahoma City, OK$73,610$47,150$127,22090.4$90,092
Louisville, KY$73,470$48,490$118,05093.1$84,707
Omaha, NE$72,330$48,610$109,05091.9$84,876
Memphis, TN$72,060$44,990$128,99092.2$86,777
Las Vegas, NV$69,280$36,570$103,160100.2$71,317
Tucson, AZ$68,310$47,400$111,78096.9$78,558
El Paso, TX$64,740$42,590$112,87089.9$81,257

“Real pay” = average wage × 100 ÷ the metro’s Regional Price Parity — what the salary is worth in national-average dollars. A high-paying city with high costs can rank below a cheaper one on real pay.

Put these numbers to work