By city / metro
CPA Salary by City / Metro
CPA and accountant pay tracks the local cost of labor. Search or sort major U.S. metro areas, then drill into any city for its full salary distribution.
Top-paying metro
$121,700
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
National median
$83,680
Verified benchmark
Above national
66
of 387 metros
Coverage
387
major metros, all BLS-measured
Which cities pay CPAs the most?
Among major metros, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara leads at $121,700 median, versus a national median of $83,680 for accountants and auditors.
Every metro figure is a direct BLS OEWS wage measurement for accountants and auditors in that metro.
Best ways to use this page
- 1View the ranking
See the top of the market
The leaderboard ranks the highest-paying metros against the national benchmark.
- 2Browse all metros
Find your city
Filter the full table, then open any metro for its distribution, roles, and what drives pay locally.
- 3Open a metro guide
Compare metro vs state vs national
Each metro page shows how local pay stacks up against its state and the U.S. median.
- 4Open the calculator
Model your own pay
Set your city, role, and experience in the calculator for a tailored estimate.
How to read the dataVerified— Direct federal wage measurementEstimate— Modeled from the verified benchmarkUser-submitted— Moderated, anonymized salaries
Top of the market
Highest-paying metros
The leading U.S. metros for accountants and CPAs, ranked by BLS-measured median. Each bar is relative to the top metro; the chip shows the gap to the national accountant benchmark.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$121,700+45.4%
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$110,730+32.3%
- 3New York-Newark-Jersey City$105,650+26.3%
- 4Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$102,140+22.1%
- 5Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury$102,020+21.9%
- 6Midland$100,890+20.6%
- 7Parkersburg-Vienna$100,420+20.0%
- 8Boston-Cambridge-Newton$100,150+19.7%
All metros
| # | vs national | Data | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $121,700 | +45.4% | Verified |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $110,730 | +32.3% | Verified |
| 3 | New York-Newark-Jersey City | $105,650 | +26.3% | Verified |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $102,140 | +22.1% | Verified |
| 5 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury | $102,020 | +21.9% | Verified |
| 6 | Midland | $100,890 | +20.6% | Verified |
| 7 | Parkersburg-Vienna | $100,420 | +20.0% | Verified |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $100,150 | +19.7% | Verified |
| 9 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $100,020 | +19.5% | Verified |
| 10 | Boulder | $99,990 | +19.5% | Verified |
| 11 | Napa | $99,640 | +19.1% | Verified |
| 12 | Trenton-Princeton | $99,550 | +19.0% | Verified |
| 13 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $99,370 | +18.8% | Verified |
| 14 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $96,340 | +15.1% | Verified |
| 15 | Barnstable Town | $96,110 | +14.9% | Verified |
| 16 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | $95,940 | +14.7% | Verified |
| 17 | Vallejo | $95,800 | +14.5% | Verified |
| 18 | Providence-Warwick | $95,020 | +13.6% | Verified |
| 19 | New Haven | $94,960 | +13.5% | Verified |
| 20 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $94,690 | +13.2% | Verified |
| 21 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $94,470 | +12.9% | Verified |
| 22 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $94,360 | +12.8% | Verified |
| 23 | Worcester | $94,070 | +12.4% | Verified |
| 24 | Carson City | $93,560 | +11.8% | Verified |
| 25 | Kennewick-Richland | $93,280 | +11.5% | Verified |
| 26 | Longview-Kelso | $93,130 | +11.3% | Verified |
| 27 | Waterbury-Shelton | $93,010 | +11.1% | Verified |
| 28 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes | $92,920 | +11.0% | Verified |
| 29 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $92,910 | +11.0% | Verified |
| 30 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $92,200 | +10.2% | Verified |
| 31 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $92,110 | +10.1% | Verified |
| 32 | Springfield | $92,010 | +10.0% | Verified |
| 33 | Midland | $91,790 | +9.7% | Verified |
| 34 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $91,610 | +9.5% | Verified |
| 35 | Lexington Park | $91,240 | +9.0% | Verified |
| 36 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $90,340 | +8.0% | Verified |
| 37 | Walla Walla | $89,630 | +7.1% | Verified |
| 38 | Fort Collins-Loveland | $89,340 | +6.8% | Verified |
| 39 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $88,900 | +6.2% | Verified |
| 40 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard | $88,250 | +5.5% | Verified |
| 41 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $88,160 | +5.4% | Verified |
| 42 | Wenatchee-East Wenatchee | $87,770 | +4.9% | Verified |
| 43 | Salem | $87,480 | +4.5% | Verified |
| 44 | Greeley | $87,240 | +4.3% | Verified |
| 45 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $86,500 | +3.4% | Verified |
| 46 | Springfield | $86,440 | +3.3% | Verified |
| 47 | Spokane-Spokane Valley | $86,350 | +3.2% | Verified |
| 48 | Bend | $86,030 | +2.8% | Verified |
| 49 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $85,990 | +2.8% | Verified |
| 50 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $85,820 | +2.6% | Verified |
| 51 | Bellingham | $85,450 | +2.1% | Verified |
| 52 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $85,160 | +1.8% | Verified |
| 53 | Durham-Chapel Hill | $85,090 | +1.7% | Verified |
| 54 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $85,090 | +1.7% | Verified |
| 55 | Colorado Springs | $85,000 | +1.6% | Verified |
| 56 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $84,920 | +1.5% | Verified |
| 57 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $84,660 | +1.2% | Verified |
| 58 | Pittsfield | $84,640 | +1.1% | Verified |
| 59 | Naples-Marco Island | $84,570 | +1.1% | Verified |
| 60 | Amherst Town-Northampton | $84,390 | +0.8% | Verified |
| 61 | Richmond | $84,220 | +0.6% | Verified |
| 62 | Rochester | $83,960 | +0.3% | Verified |
| 63 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $83,920 | +0.3% | Verified |
| 64 | Casper | $83,890 | +0.3% | Verified |
| 65 | Salinas | $83,810 | +0.2% | Verified |
| 66 | Ithaca | $83,800 | +0.1% | Verified |
| 67 | Manchester-Nashua | $83,660 | -0.0% | Verified |
| 68 | Stockton-Lodi | $83,570 | -0.1% | Verified |
| 69 | Modesto | $83,560 | -0.1% | Verified |
| 70 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $83,120 | -0.7% | Verified |
| 71 | Atlantic City-Hammonton | $83,040 | -0.8% | Verified |
| 72 | Vineland | $82,960 | -0.9% | Verified |
| 73 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $82,620 | -1.3% | Verified |
| 74 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic | $82,530 | -1.4% | Verified |
| 75 | Burlington-South Burlington | $82,510 | -1.4% | Verified |
| 76 | Binghamton | $82,500 | -1.4% | Verified |
| 77 | Fairbanks-College | $82,500 | -1.4% | Verified |
| 78 | Yakima | $82,380 | -1.6% | Verified |
| 79 | Reno | $82,370 | -1.6% | Verified |
| 80 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $82,360 | -1.6% | Verified |
| 81 | Syracuse | $82,230 | -1.7% | Verified |
| 82 | Anchorage | $82,150 | -1.8% | Verified |
| 83 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $82,120 | -1.9% | Verified |
| 84 | Salt Lake City-Murray | $82,100 | -1.9% | Verified |
| 85 | Ogden | $82,010 | -2.0% | Verified |
| 86 | Albany | $81,970 | -2.0% | Verified |
| 87 | Raleigh-Cary | $81,950 | -2.1% | Verified |
| 88 | Columbus | $81,700 | -2.4% | Verified |
| 89 | Charlottesville | $81,530 | -2.6% | Verified |
| 90 | Jackson | $81,470 | -2.6% | Verified |
| 91 | Tulsa | $81,320 | -2.8% | Verified |
| 92 | Medford | $81,210 | -3.0% | Verified |
| 93 | Madison | $81,130 | -3.0% | Verified |
| 94 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $81,090 | -3.1% | Verified |
| 95 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $80,920 | -3.3% | Verified |
| 96 | Sioux Falls | $80,920 | -3.3% | Verified |
| 97 | Rochester | $80,890 | -3.3% | Verified |
| 98 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $80,820 | -3.4% | Verified |
| 99 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $80,650 | -3.6% | Verified |
| 100 | Cincinnati | $80,640 | -3.6% | Verified |
| 101 | Kingston | $80,560 | -3.7% | Verified |
| 102 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas | $80,530 | -3.8% | Verified |
| 103 | Merced | $80,420 | -3.9% | Verified |
| 104 | Asheville | $80,400 | -3.9% | Verified |
| 105 | Appleton | $80,360 | -4.0% | Verified |
| 106 | Glens Falls | $80,340 | -4.0% | Verified |
| 107 | Sheboygan | $80,330 | -4.0% | Verified |
| 108 | Burlington | $80,320 | -4.0% | Verified |
| 109 | Milwaukee-Waukesha | $80,290 | -4.1% | Verified |
| 110 | Odessa | $80,260 | -4.1% | Verified |
| 111 | Greensboro-High Point | $80,170 | -4.2% | Verified |
| 112 | Ann Arbor | $80,040 | -4.3% | Verified |
| 113 | Kansas City | $80,040 | -4.3% | Verified |
| 114 | Cleveland | $80,000 | -4.4% | Verified |
| 115 | Jacksonville | $79,960 | -4.4% | Verified |
| 116 | Eugene-Springfield | $79,930 | -4.5% | Verified |
| 117 | Albuquerque | $79,880 | -4.5% | Verified |
| 118 | Utica-Rome | $79,830 | -4.6% | Verified |
| 119 | Portland-South Portland | $79,790 | -4.6% | Verified |
| 120 | Savannah | $79,790 | -4.6% | Verified |
| 121 | Bakersfield-Delano | $79,620 | -4.9% | Verified |
| 122 | Elmira | $79,540 | -4.9% | Verified |
| 123 | Peoria | $79,540 | -4.9% | Verified |
| 124 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $79,510 | -5.0% | Verified |
| 125 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $79,450 | -5.1% | Verified |
| 126 | Port St. Lucie | $79,430 | -5.1% | Verified |
| 127 | Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $79,420 | -5.1% | Verified |
| 128 | Visalia | $79,400 | -5.1% | Verified |
| 129 | Charleston-North Charleston | $79,350 | -5.2% | Verified |
| 130 | Ames | $79,320 | -5.2% | Verified |
| 131 | Des Moines-West Des Moines | $79,290 | -5.2% | Verified |
| 132 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $79,290 | -5.2% | Verified |
| 133 | Rapid City | $79,270 | -5.3% | Verified |
| 134 | Wichita | $79,270 | -5.3% | Verified |
| 135 | Huntsville | $79,220 | -5.3% | Verified |
| 136 | Lansing-East Lansing | $79,210 | -5.3% | Verified |
| 137 | Lawrence | $79,050 | -5.5% | Verified |
| 138 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $79,030 | -5.6% | Verified |
| 139 | Lynchburg | $78,990 | -5.6% | Verified |
| 140 | Redding | $78,990 | -5.6% | Verified |
| 141 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $78,990 | -5.6% | Verified |
| 142 | Winston-Salem | $78,950 | -5.7% | Verified |
| 143 | St. Louis | $78,880 | -5.7% | Verified |
| 144 | Kenosha | $78,840 | -5.8% | Verified |
| 145 | Columbus | $78,740 | -5.9% | Verified |
| 146 | Fresno | $78,690 | -6.0% | Verified |
| 147 | Birmingham | $78,660 | -6.0% | Verified |
| 148 | San Antonio-New Braunfels | $78,650 | -6.0% | Verified |
| 149 | Sioux City | $78,650 | -6.0% | Verified |
| 150 | Kahului-Wailuku | $78,630 | -6.0% | Verified |
| 151 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $78,630 | -6.0% | Verified |
| 152 | Fayetteville | $78,560 | -6.1% | Verified |
| 153 | Warner Robins | $78,560 | -6.1% | Verified |
| 154 | Akron | $78,540 | -6.1% | Verified |
| 155 | Yuba City | $78,530 | -6.2% | Verified |
| 156 | Sumter | $78,460 | -6.2% | Verified |
| 157 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $78,430 | -6.3% | Verified |
| 158 | Pueblo | $78,340 | -6.4% | Verified |
| 159 | Hanford-Corcoran | $78,300 | -6.4% | Verified |
| 160 | Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $78,130 | -6.6% | Verified |
| 161 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $78,080 | -6.7% | Verified |
| 162 | Grants Pass | $78,070 | -6.7% | Verified |
| 163 | Flagstaff | $77,980 | -6.8% | Verified |
| 164 | New Orleans-Metairie | $77,940 | -6.9% | Verified |
| 165 | South Bend-Mishawaka | $77,940 | -6.9% | Verified |
| 166 | Wilmington | $77,920 | -6.9% | Verified |
| 167 | Owensboro | $77,800 | -7.0% | Verified |
| 168 | Lewiston | $77,790 | -7.0% | Verified |
| 169 | Lexington-Fayette | $77,780 | -7.1% | Verified |
| 170 | Prescott Valley-Prescott | $77,770 | -7.1% | Verified |
| 171 | Lafayette-West Lafayette | $77,740 | -7.1% | Verified |
| 172 | Green Bay | $77,720 | -7.1% | Verified |
| 173 | St. Cloud | $77,720 | -7.1% | Verified |
| 174 | Chico | $77,680 | -7.2% | Verified |
| 175 | Wausau | $77,680 | -7.2% | Verified |
| 176 | Winchester | $77,660 | -7.2% | Verified |
| 177 | Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $77,610 | -7.3% | Verified |
| 178 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $77,600 | -7.3% | Verified |
| 179 | Oshkosh-Neenah | $77,580 | -7.3% | Verified |
| 180 | Kokomo | $77,520 | -7.4% | Verified |
| 181 | Racine-Mount Pleasant | $77,520 | -7.4% | Verified |
| 182 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton | $77,490 | -7.4% | Verified |
| 183 | Watertown-Fort Drum | $77,470 | -7.4% | Verified |
| 184 | Evansville | $77,440 | -7.5% | Verified |
| 185 | Elkhart-Goshen | $77,420 | -7.5% | Verified |
| 186 | Dalton | $77,410 | -7.5% | Verified |
| 187 | Bozeman | $77,400 | -7.5% | Verified |
| 188 | Duluth | $77,400 | -7.5% | Verified |
| 189 | Toledo | $77,400 | -7.5% | Verified |
| 190 | Staunton-Stuarts Draft | $77,300 | -7.6% | Verified |
| 191 | Wildwood-The Villages | $77,300 | -7.6% | Verified |
| 192 | Oklahoma City | $77,280 | -7.6% | Verified |
| 193 | Roanoke | $77,240 | -7.7% | Verified |
| 194 | Corvallis | $77,200 | -7.7% | Verified |
| 195 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | $77,190 | -7.8% | Verified |
| 196 | Cedar Rapids | $77,180 | -7.8% | Verified |
| 197 | Kalamazoo-Portage | $77,140 | -7.8% | Verified |
| 198 | Janesville-Beloit | $77,100 | -7.9% | Verified |
| 199 | Spartanburg | $77,080 | -7.9% | Verified |
| 200 | Omaha | $77,030 | -7.9% | Verified |
| 201 | Memphis | $76,960 | -8.0% | Verified |
| 202 | Rocky Mount | $76,960 | -8.0% | Verified |
| 203 | Pittsburgh | $76,940 | -8.1% | Verified |
| 204 | Bismarck | $76,910 | -8.1% | Verified |
| 205 | Grand Junction | $76,870 | -8.1% | Verified |
| 206 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $76,870 | -8.1% | Verified |
| 207 | Fond du Lac | $76,860 | -8.2% | Verified |
| 208 | Lakeland-Winter Haven | $76,820 | -8.2% | Verified |
| 209 | Decatur | $76,720 | -8.3% | Verified |
| 210 | Augusta-Richmond County | $76,710 | -8.3% | Verified |
| 211 | Boise City | $76,700 | -8.3% | Verified |
| 212 | Helena | $76,700 | -8.3% | Verified |
| 213 | Beaumont-Port Arthur | $76,680 | -8.4% | Verified |
| 214 | Chattanooga | $76,680 | -8.4% | Verified |
| 215 | La Crosse-Onalaska | $76,680 | -8.4% | Verified |
| 216 | Mankato | $76,660 | -8.4% | Verified |
| 217 | Bloomington | $76,640 | -8.4% | Verified |
| 218 | Harrisonburg | $76,530 | -8.5% | Verified |
| 219 | Bloomington | $76,510 | -8.6% | Verified |
| 220 | Harrisburg-Carlisle | $76,510 | -8.6% | Verified |
| 221 | Fargo | $76,420 | -8.7% | Verified |
| 222 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $76,410 | -8.7% | Verified |
| 223 | Eau Claire | $76,380 | -8.7% | Verified |
| 224 | Gulfport-Biloxi | $76,380 | -8.7% | Verified |
| 225 | Louisville/Jefferson County | $76,320 | -8.8% | Verified |
| 226 | Tucson | $76,320 | -8.8% | Verified |
| 227 | Saginaw | $76,310 | -8.8% | Verified |
| 228 | Salisbury | $76,300 | -8.8% | Verified |
| 229 | Yuma | $76,300 | -8.8% | Verified |
| 230 | El Centro | $76,280 | -8.8% | Verified |
| 231 | Topeka | $76,280 | -8.8% | Verified |
| 232 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $76,270 | -8.9% | Verified |
| 233 | Amarillo | $76,200 | -8.9% | Verified |
| 234 | Waco | $76,140 | -9.0% | Verified |
| 235 | Lancaster | $76,110 | -9.0% | Verified |
| 236 | Farmington | $76,100 | -9.1% | Verified |
| 237 | Monroe | $76,080 | -9.1% | Verified |
| 238 | Wichita Falls | $76,050 | -9.1% | Verified |
| 239 | Battle Creek | $76,030 | -9.1% | Verified |
| 240 | Lewiston-Auburn | $75,980 | -9.2% | Verified |
| 241 | Kingsport-Bristol | $75,940 | -9.2% | Verified |
| 242 | Athens-Clarke County | $75,900 | -9.3% | Verified |
| 243 | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $75,860 | -9.3% | Verified |
| 244 | Gainesville | $75,820 | -9.4% | Verified |
| 245 | Billings | $75,780 | -9.4% | Verified |
| 246 | Sierra Vista-Douglas | $75,780 | -9.4% | Verified |
| 247 | Pinehurst-Southern Pines | $75,750 | -9.5% | Verified |
| 248 | Provo-Orem-Lehi | $75,700 | -9.5% | Verified |
| 249 | Sherman-Denison | $75,650 | -9.6% | Verified |
| 250 | Bangor | $75,640 | -9.6% | Verified |
| 251 | Corpus Christi | $75,580 | -9.7% | Verified |
| 252 | Reading | $75,550 | -9.7% | Verified |
| 253 | Muskegon-Norton Shores | $75,480 | -9.8% | Verified |
| 254 | Abilene | $75,410 | -9.9% | Verified |
| 255 | Knoxville | $75,380 | -9.9% | Verified |
| 256 | Rockford | $75,260 | -10.1% | Verified |
| 257 | Fort Wayne | $75,250 | -10.1% | Verified |
| 258 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg | $75,250 | -10.1% | Verified |
| 259 | Gainesville | $75,200 | -10.1% | Verified |
| 260 | York-Hanover | $75,160 | -10.2% | Verified |
| 261 | Greenville | $75,140 | -10.2% | Verified |
| 262 | Niles | $75,140 | -10.2% | Verified |
| 263 | Iowa City | $75,100 | -10.3% | Verified |
| 264 | Brunswick-St. Simons | $75,060 | -10.3% | Verified |
| 265 | Longview | $75,060 | -10.3% | Verified |
| 266 | Montgomery | $75,040 | -10.3% | Verified |
| 267 | Goldsboro | $75,000 | -10.4% | Verified |
| 268 | Urban Honolulu | $74,990 | -10.4% | Verified |
| 269 | Macon-Bibb County | $74,870 | -10.5% | Verified |
| 270 | Traverse City | $74,820 | -10.6% | Verified |
| 271 | Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $74,800 | -10.6% | Verified |
| 272 | Punta Gorda | $74,800 | -10.6% | Verified |
| 273 | Grand Forks | $74,740 | -10.7% | Verified |
| 274 | Rome | $74,640 | -10.8% | Verified |
| 275 | Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $74,620 | -10.8% | Verified |
| 276 | Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $74,520 | -10.9% | Verified |
| 277 | Flint | $74,500 | -11.0% | Verified |
| 278 | Idaho Falls | $74,410 | -11.1% | Verified |
| 279 | Lubbock | $74,390 | -11.1% | Verified |
| 280 | Ocala | $74,370 | -11.1% | Verified |
| 281 | Sandusky | $74,360 | -11.1% | Verified |
| 282 | Victoria | $74,270 | -11.2% | Verified |
| 283 | Lebanon | $74,190 | -11.3% | Verified |
| 284 | Dubuque | $74,140 | -11.4% | Verified |
| 285 | Cheyenne | $74,050 | -11.5% | Verified |
| 286 | Elizabethtown | $74,020 | -11.5% | Verified |
| 287 | Albany | $73,980 | -11.6% | Verified |
| 288 | Monroe | $73,840 | -11.8% | Verified |
| 289 | Jacksonville | $73,740 | -11.9% | Verified |
| 290 | Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $73,730 | -11.9% | Verified |
| 291 | Paducah | $73,650 | -12.0% | Verified |
| 292 | Columbus | $73,640 | -12.0% | Verified |
| 293 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $73,530 | -12.1% | Verified |
| 294 | Minot | $73,510 | -12.2% | Verified |
| 295 | Valdosta | $73,420 | -12.3% | Verified |
| 296 | Bay City | $73,320 | -12.4% | Verified |
| 297 | Killeen-Temple | $73,270 | -12.4% | Verified |
| 298 | Youngstown-Warren | $73,080 | -12.7% | Verified |
| 299 | Baton Rouge | $73,070 | -12.7% | Verified |
| 300 | Columbia | $73,070 | -12.7% | Verified |
| 301 | State College | $73,040 | -12.7% | Verified |
| 302 | Springfield | $73,020 | -12.7% | Verified |
| 303 | Lima | $72,980 | -12.8% | Verified |
| 304 | Missoula | $72,920 | -12.9% | Verified |
| 305 | Tyler | $72,900 | -12.9% | Verified |
| 306 | Morristown | $72,810 | -13.0% | Verified |
| 307 | Santa Fe | $72,780 | -13.0% | Verified |
| 308 | Clarksville | $72,760 | -13.0% | Verified |
| 309 | Dover | $72,730 | -13.1% | Verified |
| 310 | Homosassa Springs | $72,600 | -13.2% | Verified |
| 311 | Auburn-Opelika | $72,570 | -13.3% | Verified |
| 312 | Joplin | $72,560 | -13.3% | Verified |
| 313 | Michigan City-La Porte | $72,550 | -13.3% | Verified |
| 314 | Great Falls | $72,510 | -13.3% | Verified |
| 315 | Slidell-Mandeville-Covington | $72,490 | -13.4% | Verified |
| 316 | Canton-Massillon | $72,170 | -13.8% | Verified |
| 317 | Mobile | $72,130 | -13.8% | Verified |
| 318 | Beckley | $72,120 | -13.8% | Verified |
| 319 | Wheeling | $72,110 | -13.8% | Verified |
| 320 | Gettysburg | $72,080 | -13.9% | Verified |
| 321 | Florence | $72,040 | -13.9% | Verified |
| 322 | Decatur | $72,030 | -13.9% | Verified |
| 323 | Logan | $71,990 | -14.0% | Verified |
| 324 | Jackson | $71,980 | -14.0% | Verified |
| 325 | San Angelo | $71,950 | -14.0% | Verified |
| 326 | Cleveland | $71,840 | -14.1% | Verified |
| 327 | Muncie | $71,820 | -14.2% | Verified |
| 328 | Panama City-Panama City Beach | $71,820 | -14.2% | Verified |
| 329 | College Station-Bryan | $71,810 | -14.2% | Verified |
| 330 | Morgantown | $71,740 | -14.3% | Verified |
| 331 | Tuscaloosa | $71,690 | -14.3% | Verified |
| 332 | Kankakee | $71,610 | -14.4% | Verified |
| 333 | Bowling Green | $71,540 | -14.5% | Verified |
| 334 | Lawton | $71,520 | -14.5% | Verified |
| 335 | Sebring | $71,490 | -14.6% | Verified |
| 336 | Weirton-Steubenville | $71,490 | -14.6% | Verified |
| 337 | Springfield | $71,420 | -14.7% | Verified |
| 338 | Coeur d'Alene | $71,230 | -14.9% | Verified |
| 339 | Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $71,230 | -14.9% | Verified |
| 340 | Huntington-Ashland | $70,840 | -15.3% | Verified |
| 341 | Jackson | $70,720 | -15.5% | Verified |
| 342 | St. George | $70,530 | -15.7% | Verified |
| 343 | Chambersburg | $70,490 | -15.8% | Verified |
| 344 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $70,480 | -15.8% | Verified |
| 345 | Shreveport-Bossier City | $70,420 | -15.8% | Verified |
| 346 | Lake Charles | $70,050 | -16.3% | Verified |
| 347 | Erie | $70,000 | -16.3% | Verified |
| 348 | Williamsport | $69,880 | -16.5% | Verified |
| 349 | Johnstown | $69,870 | -16.5% | Verified |
| 350 | Champaign-Urbana | $69,670 | -16.7% | Verified |
| 351 | Texarkana | $69,440 | -17.0% | Verified |
| 352 | Columbia | $69,210 | -17.3% | Verified |
| 353 | Enid | $68,710 | -17.9% | Verified |
| 354 | Grand Island | $68,090 | -18.6% | Verified |
| 355 | Hinesville | $67,800 | -19.0% | Verified |
| 356 | Lake Havasu City-Kingman | $67,780 | -19.0% | Verified |
| 357 | Lafayette | $67,630 | -19.2% | Verified |
| 358 | Florence-Muscle Shoals | $67,600 | -19.2% | Verified |
| 359 | St. Joseph | $67,480 | -19.4% | Verified |
| 360 | Las Cruces | $67,470 | -19.4% | Verified |
| 361 | Dothan | $67,330 | -19.5% | Verified |
| 362 | Mansfield | $67,280 | -19.6% | Verified |
| 363 | Charleston | $66,560 | -20.5% | Verified |
| 364 | Brownsville-Harlingen | $66,440 | -20.6% | Verified |
| 365 | Anniston-Oxford | $66,260 | -20.8% | Verified |
| 366 | Hammond | $66,090 | -21.0% | Verified |
| 367 | Jonesboro | $66,000 | -21.1% | Verified |
| 368 | El Paso | $65,990 | -21.1% | Verified |
| 369 | Eagle Pass | $65,900 | -21.2% | Verified |
| 370 | Manhattan | $65,900 | -21.2% | Verified |
| 371 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $65,810 | -21.4% | Verified |
| 372 | Altoona | $65,690 | -21.5% | Verified |
| 373 | Pocatello | $65,330 | -21.9% | Verified |
| 374 | Hattiesburg | $65,320 | -21.9% | Verified |
| 375 | Lincoln | $65,170 | -22.1% | Verified |
| 376 | Johnson City | $64,710 | -22.7% | Verified |
| 377 | Alexandria | $64,530 | -22.9% | Verified |
| 378 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $64,470 | -23.0% | Verified |
| 379 | Jefferson City | $64,040 | -23.5% | Verified |
| 380 | Cape Girardeau | $64,010 | -23.5% | Verified |
| 381 | Twin Falls | $63,460 | -24.2% | Verified |
| 382 | Laredo | $63,410 | -24.2% | Verified |
| 383 | Gadsden | $63,250 | -24.4% | Verified |
| 384 | Terre Haute | $63,170 | -24.5% | Verified |
| 385 | Fort Smith | $62,990 | -24.7% | Verified |
| 386 | Tallahassee | $61,840 | -26.1% | Verified |
| 387 | Hot Springs | $59,770 | -28.6% | Verified |
CPA salary by city / metro — BLS-measured median, 90th percentile, and vs national.
How to use these figures
Metro figures here are a direct BLS wage measurement — but they cover accountants and auditors as a single occupation, so they are not specific to the CPA license, your role, or your employer. Use them as a local baseline, then model your own situation and submit a salary to sharpen the employer-level detail BLS does not publish.
Cost of living
Real pay: where a CPA salary goes furthest
The table above ranks metros by headline pay. Divide each verified median by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity (2024) — how local prices compare to the U.S. average — and the order changes sharply. 387 of 387 metros have a published parity.
How real pay is calculated
The formula
real pay = nominal ÷ (RPP ÷ 100)RPP is the BEA Regional Price Parity — the local price level versus the U.S. average (100). Where prices run above 100, a salary buys less; below 100, it buys more. Real pay restates every wage in the same national-average dollars, so markets compare like for like.
What it is not
Real pay adjusts salary for local price levels. It helps compare buying power across markets, but it does not estimate taxes, savings, commute costs, benefits, or personal lifestyle choices. A higher nominal salary does not always mean higher buying power — and higher buying power is not the only thing that makes a market a good place to build a career.
Highest real pay
Real pay · BEA-adjusted- 1Parkersburg-Vienna$115,290nom $100.4K+6 places
- 2San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$110,240nom $121.7K-1 places
- 3Midland$105,310nom $100.9K+3 places
- 4Midland$99,880nom $91.8K+29 places
- 5Barnstable Town$97,670nom $96.1K+10 places
- 6Trenton-Princeton$96,460nom $99.6K+6 places
- 7San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$95,790nom $110.7K-5 places
- 8Springfield$95,740nom $92K+24 places
Parkersburg-Vienna tops the buying-power ranking at $115,290 — a $100,420 nominal median stretched by prices 13% below the U.S. average.
High pay that fades after cost of living
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beachnom $80.9K → real $70.9K-288 places
- Santa Cruz-Watsonvillenom $84.9K → real $77.3K-270 places
- Salinasnom $83.8K → real $76.9K-269 places
- Anchoragenom $82.2K → real $77.9K-232 places
- Kahului-Wailukunom $78.6K → real $71.9K-231 places
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontarionom $83.9K → real $78.9K-229 places
These metros pay well on paper, but high local prices absorb much of it. Real pay is a buying-power comparison, not take-home pay — it excludes taxes, benefits, and housing choices.
Reading metro pay
What moves CPA pay between metros
A metro's median reflects local conditions more than the job itself. Three forces explain most of the gap.
Cost of labor
Employers pay to the local market. High-cost coastal metros sit well above their statewide median; lower-cost metros below it.
Employer density
More large corporations, banks, and public-accounting offices means more competition for CPAs — and higher pay to win them.
Remote banding
Remote roles increasingly pay to a national band rather than a local one, which can lift pay in otherwise lower-cost metros.
Frequently asked questions
- Which city pays CPAs the most?
- Among major metros, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara leads at $121,700 median for accountants and auditors (+45.4% vs the national median). High-cost coastal metros generally pay the most. Each metro figure is a direct BLS wage measurement.
- Why do metro CPA salaries vary so much?
- CPA pay tracks the local cost of labor and the density of large employers and public-accounting firms. Denser, higher-cost metros pay above their statewide median; smaller markets pay below it. Remote roles can pay to a national band regardless of metro.
- Are these metro salary figures verified?
- The wage figures are: each metro median comes straight from the BLS OEWS release for that metro, not scaled from the national number. What is not verified is the CPA cut of it — BLS measures accountants and auditors as one occupation, so the CPA-license premium shown elsewhere stays a labeled estimate.
- How do I see CPA pay for a specific city?
- Use the filter on the table above or open any metro for its full salary distribution, role-by-role estimates, and what drives pay locally. For a tailored figure, run the calculator with your city, role, and experience.
Related searches
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.
Get a salary estimate for your city
Pick your metro and role in the calculator to see a tailored CPA salary range and how it compares to the state and national benchmarks.