What is the entry-level CPA salary?

Entry-level accountants (0–1 years) earn an estimated $72,000 median, scaled from the national benchmark of $83,680 for accountants and auditors. Newly-licensed CPAs typically start above non-licensed peers and rise quickly through the first few years.

How much do senior CPAs make?

CPAs with 13–20+ years earn an estimated $118,800+ median in our model, before the additional premium for controller, partner, or CFO roles. Senior-level pay depends heavily on path, industry, and equity.

How fast does CPA pay grow with experience?

Fastest in the first ~12 years, as accountants move from staff to senior to manager and earn the CPA license. After that, pay growth depends more on the path chosen — partner track in public accounting or controller/CFO in industry.

Are these experience figures verified?

No. The national median is a verified benchmark (May 2025); the per-experience figures are modeled estimates derived from it using documented multipliers, and are labeled Estimate. No official source publishes wages by years of experience for this occupation.

By experience

CPA Salary by Years of Experience

How CPA and accountant pay climbs from entry-level to senior — band by band, anchored to the national pay benchmark and adjusted for the CPA credential.

Entry (0–1 yrs)

$72,000

Staff accountant

Senior (20+ yrs)

$118.8K+

Before partner / CFO

National median

$83,680

Verified benchmark

Coverage

experience bands, modeled

How does CPA salary change with experience?

CPA pay rises steeply with experience: from about $72,000 at entry level (0–1 years) to $118.8K+ for senior CPAs (20+ years), before the extra premium for controller, partner, and CFO roles — all scaled from the $83,680 national median for accountants and auditors.

Anchored to OEWS May 2025 — Accountants and Auditors (13-2011). Experience and CPA adjustments are modeled estimates.

Best ways to use this page

1
See the curve
The table shows estimated median pay at each experience band, fastest-rising in the first ~12 years.
View the bands
2
Place your stage
Match your years to a typical title and responsibility level to read the right band.
See the ladder
3
Model your own pay
Set your experience, role, and location in the calculator for a tailored estimate.
Open the calculator

How to read the dataVerified— Direct federal wage measurementEstimate— Modeled from the verified benchmarkUser-submitted— Moderated, anonymized salaries

Experience benchmark

CPA salary by experience band

Estimated median pay at each career stage, scaled from the national benchmark and adjusted for the CPA credential.

Experience	Est. median	CPA-licensed (est.)
0–1 years	$72,000	$80,600
2–4 years	$80,300	$89,900
5–7 years	$90,400	$101,200
8–12 years	$100,400	$112,400
13–20 years	$110,500	$123,800
20+ years	$118,800	$133,100

Est.

Experience multipliers on the area median; CPA column adds a modeled +12% credential premium.

The ladder

What changes at each stage

Typical title and responsibility at each experience band. Pay tracks scope and the CPA license as much as tenure.

Staff accountant

0–1 years

Learning the fundamentals and often sitting for the CPA exam. Pay starts below the occupation median and rises fast once the license lands.

Senior accountant

2–4 years

Owning workpapers, returns, or close cycles. Pay approaches the median; this is where most candidates finish the CPA.

Manager

5–7 years

Managing engagements, clients, or a small team. Pay moves above the median and the CPA becomes a near-requirement to advance.

Senior manager / Controller

8–12 years

Leading a function or large engagements. Strong six figures, with a widening gap between licensed and non-licensed pay.

Director / Controller

13–20 years

Senior leadership over accounting or finance. Compensation is driven by scope, industry, and equity as much as title.

Partner / CFO

20+ years

The top of the ladder. The widest range in the profession — partner equity and CFO packages vary enormously by firm and company.

Estimate your pay by experience

Frequently asked questions

What is the entry-level CPA salary?: Entry-level accountants (0–1 years) earn an estimated $72,000 median, scaled from the national benchmark of $83,680 for accountants and auditors. Newly-licensed CPAs typically start above non-licensed peers and rise quickly through the first few years.
How much do senior CPAs make?: CPAs with 13–20+ years earn an estimated $118,800+ median in our model, before the additional premium for controller, partner, or CFO roles. Senior-level pay depends heavily on path, industry, and equity.
How fast does CPA pay grow with experience?: Fastest in the first ~12 years, as accountants move from staff to senior to manager and earn the CPA license. After that, pay growth depends more on the path chosen — partner track in public accounting or controller/CFO in industry.
Are these experience figures verified?: No. The national median is a verified benchmark (May 2025); the per-experience figures are modeled estimates derived from it using documented multipliers, and are labeled Estimate. No official source publishes wages by years of experience for this occupation.

How to read these numbers

Verified

National, state, and metro pay comes straight from the federal wage measurement for accountants & auditors — direct and source-backed, not scaled from anything.

Market estimate

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.

Full methodology View the source

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