California · Accounting Manager Salary
Accounting Manager Salary in California
What accounting managers earn in California — an estimated median and range built on the verified BLS OEWS May 2025 wage for accountants and auditors in the state.
Estimate · verified BLS California wage ($97,050) → accounting manager role multiplier · updated June 2026
How much does a Accounting Manager make in California?
Verified: the BLS OEWS May 2025 California wage for Accountants & Auditors (SOC 13-2011). The accounting manager figure is a modeled Estimate layered on it — BLS publishes no role-specific wage.
Accounting Manager · estimated median
$137,800
Modeled median for a accounting manager in California, scaled from the verified BLS state wage.
Model your payCalifornia · verified BLS median
$97,050
The measured OEWS May 2025 median for accountants & auditors in California — the base every estimate here is built on.
All California payState rank (verified)
#6 of 51
Where California ranks on the BLS-measured median for accountants & auditors.
Compare statesVerified baseline
The BLS measurement behind this page
BLS OEWS May 2025 reports wages for the broad occupation "Accountants and Auditors" (SOC 13-2011) in California — not for accounting managers, and not for CPAs. These percentiles are direct measurements.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $61,770 | $29.70/hr | Entry-level / lower pay |
| 25th percentile | $75,810 | $36.45/hr | Below median |
| Median (50th) | $97,050 | $46.66/hr | Typical pay |
| 75th percentile | $125,850 | $60.50/hr | Experienced / senior |
| 90th percentile | $160,520 | $77.17/hr | Top earners |
The California figures above, straight from the OEWS May 2025 release: a $97,050 median across 175,360 accountants and auditors employed in California.
Every accounting manager figure on this page — $137,800 median included. It is the verified state median scaled by this role’s multiplier (1.42×), because BLS publishes no accounting manager-specific wage.
Comparison
Accounting Manager pay in California vs. national
California's measured accountant median runs +16.0% versus the U.S. figure. The role rows are estimates built on those two verified benchmarks.
Accounting Manager — California
estimated median
$137,800
+42.0%Accounting Manager — national
estimated median
$118,800
+22.4%All accountants — California
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$97,050
baseAll accountants — national
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$83,680
-13.8%
The accounting manager estimate sits +42.0% above the verified California accountant median and +16.0% versus the national accounting manager estimate. Verified rows are BLS measurements; role rows are modeled.
California market
What shapes accounting manager pay in California
California is the largest state economy in the country and a major center for technology, entertainment, and finance employers. Pay is pulled up sharply in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, where the cost of labor — and living — runs well above the statewide figure, while inland metros sit closer to the national level.
An accounting manager runs the day-to-day accounting team — owning the close, reconciliations, and reporting, and supervising staff and senior accountants. It is the bridge between senior accountant and controller.
Pay reflects team size, company scale, and industry. The CPA license and public-accounting experience accelerate the move into and beyond this role.
Role ladder
Accounting Manager vs. other roles in California
Each level's multiplier applied to California's verified BLS median. Estimates — the comparison is consistent because every row shares one measured base.
Estimated pay by role · California
On California's verified pay base, estimated pay spans $75,700 (Staff Accountant) to $378,500 (Chief Financial Officer). Accounting Manager sits at $137,800.
| Role / level | Low | Est. median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Financial Officer | $378,500 | ||
| Partner | $349,400 | ||
| Director of Finance | $237,800 | ||
| Senior Manager | $199,000 | ||
| Controller | $189,200 | ||
| Tax Manager | $150,400 | ||
| Audit Manager | $150,400 | ||
| Accounting Manager | $137,800 | ||
| Audit Senior | $106,800 | ||
| Tax Senior | $104,800 | ||
| Senior Accountant | $99,000 | ||
| Audit Associate | $80,600 | ||
| Tax Associate | $79,600 | ||
| Staff Accountant | $75,700 |
Role multipliers applied to the BLS national median for Accountants & Auditors. The low–high band is a modeled typical range, not a guaranteed offer.
By experience
Accounting Manager pay by experience in California
California's verified pay base scaled across experience bands at the accounting manager level. Estimate.
| Experience | Est. median | CPA-licensed (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 years | $118,500 | $132,700 |
| 2–4 years | $132,300 | $148,200 |
| 5–7 years | $148,800 | $166,700 |
| 8–12 years | $165,400 | $185,200 |
| 13–20 years | $181,900 | $203,700 |
| 20+ years | $195,700 | $219,200 |
Experience multipliers on the area median; CPA column adds a modeled +12% credential premium.
By employer
Accounting Manager pay by employer type in California
Big 4, national, regional, and local firms vs. industry — at this role's level on the verified state pay base. Estimate.
| Employer type | Est. manager-level pay | vs. industry |
|---|---|---|
| Big 4 firm | $154,300 | +7.7% |
| National firm | $144,700 | +1.0% |
| Regional firm | $135,100 | -5.7% |
| Local firm | $126,800 | -11.5% |
| Industry / corporate | $143,300 | — |
Employer-type multipliers applied at a manager-level base on the BLS national median.
By metro
Accounting Manager pay across California metros
BLS measures 25 metro areas for accountants and auditors in California. The measured median is verified; the accounting manager column applies this role's multiplier to it.
| Metro area | Accountants medianBLS verified | Accounting Manager medianEstimate |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $121,700 | $172,800 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $110,730 | $157,200 |
| Napa | $99,640 | $141,500 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $96,340 | $136,800 |
| Vallejo | $95,800 | $136,000 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $94,690 | $134,500 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $94,360 | $134,000 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $92,110 | $130,800 |
Metro medians are direct BLS OEWS May 2025 measurements. The accounting manager column is modeled from them.
Peer markets
States that pay like California
Ranked immediately around California (#6 of 51) on the verified BLS accountant median — the closest comparables for a accounting manager weighing a move.
Compare states
Accounting Manager pay in other states
Where accounting managers are estimated to earn the most, built on each state's verified BLS median — California ranks #6 of 51.
Accounting Manager salary in California — FAQ
- How much does a Accounting Manager make in California?
- A accounting manager in California earns an estimated $137,800 per year, typically ranging from $107,600 to $178,700+. That is +16.0% versus the national accounting manager estimate of $118,800. The figure is a modeled estimate: BLS publishes no accounting manager-specific wage, so we scale the BLS OEWS May 2025 verified California median for accountants and auditors ($97,050) by this role's multiplier.
- What do BLS figures actually say about California?
- BLS measures the broad occupation "Accountants and Auditors" (SOC 13-2011), not CPAs or accounting managers specifically. For California, the verified OEWS May 2025 median is $97,050, with a 25th–75th percentile band of $75,810–$125,850 and 175,360 accountants and auditors employed in California. Everything role-specific on this page is layered on top of that measurement and labeled Estimate.
- Is California a good state to work as a Accounting Manager?
- California ranks #6 of 51 on the verified BLS median for accountants and auditors, running +16.0% versus the national median. Accounting managers are estimated to track that same gap. Weigh it against cost of living, the local mix of firms and industry employers, and remote roles that may pay to a national band.
- Does a Accounting Manager in California earn more than the average accountant?
- Yes — the accounting manager estimate of $137,800 runs +42.0% versus the verified California median for all accountants and auditors ($97,050). That gap is the modeled role premium, not a measured one: BLS reports one wage for the whole occupation, and senior and specialized roles sit above that broad-occupation midpoint.
- Which California metro pays accounting managers the most?
- On the verified BLS metro medians for accountants and auditors, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara leads California at $121,700 — about +32.1% versus Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom ($92,110). Accounting Manager pay is estimated to follow the same metro ordering, since the role multiplier applies on top of each metro's measured base.
How to read these numbers
National, state, and metro pay comes straight from the federal wage measurement for accountants & auditors — direct and source-backed, not scaled from anything.
Role, experience, CPA-license, and employer figures are modeled on top of that measurement and labeled Estimate — the federal data does not break those out, so we never present them as measurements.
Add your California accounting manager salary
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