SalaryCPA Research · State comparisons
Compare CPA salaries, state vs state
Weighing two states? Every comparison puts the verified BLS medians for accountants side by side, then adjusts each for local prices — so you see not just who pays more, but where a paycheck actually goes further.
Comparisons
218
neighboring + major markets
Cost-of-living flips
40
higher pay, less buying power
States covered
51
50 states + D.C.
Price data
RPP 2024
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Nominal: verified BLS OEWS May 2025 (Accountants & Auditors, SOC 13-2011) · Real pay = nominal ÷ (RPP ÷ 100), BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 · Real pay is BEA-adjusted, not take-home.
Which state comparison should I look at?
Nominal medians are verified BLS OEWS May 2025. Real pay is BEA-adjusted (RPP 2024), not take-home.
Surprising comparisons
Where a higher salary buys less
In these 40 pairs the state with the higher headline median loses once local prices are accounted for. This is the angle almost no salary site answers — and the reason to compare on real pay, not just the offer letter.
Alabama vs Florida
Florida pays more nominally, but Alabama wins on buying power.
Florida $79.3K nominal · Alabama $84.3K real
Alabama vs Tennessee
Tennessee pays more nominally, but Alabama wins on buying power.
Tennessee $76.8K nominal · Alabama $84.3K real
Arizona vs New Mexico
Arizona pays more nominally, but New Mexico wins on buying power.
Arizona $80K nominal · New Mexico $85.2K real
Arizona vs Ohio
Arizona pays more nominally, but Ohio wins on buying power.
Arizona $80K nominal · Ohio $85.5K real
Arizona vs Pennsylvania
Arizona pays more nominally, but Pennsylvania wins on buying power.
Arizona $80K nominal · Pennsylvania $80.9K real
California vs Colorado
California pays more nominally, but Colorado wins on buying power.
California $97.1K nominal · Colorado $94.1K real
California vs Virginia
California pays more nominally, but Virginia wins on buying power.
California $97.1K nominal · Virginia $92.3K real
California vs Washington
California pays more nominally, but Washington wins on buying power.
California $97.1K nominal · Washington $90.2K real
Colorado vs Massachusetts
Massachusetts pays more nominally, but Colorado wins on buying power.
Massachusetts $99.5K nominal · Colorado $94.1K real
Colorado vs New Jersey
New Jersey pays more nominally, but Colorado wins on buying power.
New Jersey $100.8K nominal · Colorado $94.1K real
Connecticut vs Massachusetts
Massachusetts pays more nominally, but Connecticut wins on buying power.
Massachusetts $99.5K nominal · Connecticut $94.2K real
Delaware vs New Jersey
New Jersey pays more nominally, but Delaware wins on buying power.
New Jersey $100.8K nominal · Delaware $95.2K real
Florida vs Pennsylvania
Florida pays more nominally, but Pennsylvania wins on buying power.
Florida $79.3K nominal · Pennsylvania $80.9K real
Georgia vs Ohio
Georgia pays more nominally, but Ohio wins on buying power.
Georgia $81.9K nominal · Ohio $85.5K real
Illinois vs Indiana
Illinois pays more nominally, but Indiana wins on buying power.
Illinois $80.2K nominal · Indiana $83.3K real
Illinois vs Iowa
Illinois pays more nominally, but Iowa wins on buying power.
Illinois $80.2K nominal · Iowa $88.2K real
Illinois vs Kentucky
Illinois pays more nominally, but Kentucky wins on buying power.
Illinois $80.2K nominal · Kentucky $83.5K real
Illinois vs Missouri
Illinois pays more nominally, but Missouri wins on buying power.
Illinois $80.2K nominal · Missouri $84.4K real
Illinois vs Ohio
Illinois pays more nominally, but Ohio wins on buying power.
Illinois $80.2K nominal · Ohio $85.5K real
Illinois vs Pennsylvania
Illinois pays more nominally, but Pennsylvania wins on buying power.
Illinois $80.2K nominal · Pennsylvania $80.9K real
Illinois vs Wisconsin
Illinois pays more nominally, but Wisconsin wins on buying power.
Illinois $80.2K nominal · Wisconsin $84.4K real
Indiana vs Kentucky
Indiana pays more nominally, but Kentucky wins on buying power.
Indiana $77.7K nominal · Kentucky $83.5K real
Indiana vs Michigan
Michigan pays more nominally, but Indiana wins on buying power.
Michigan $78.8K nominal · Indiana $83.3K real
Iowa vs Minnesota
Minnesota pays more nominally, but Iowa wins on buying power.
Minnesota $81.6K nominal · Iowa $88.2K real
Iowa vs Wisconsin
Wisconsin pays more nominally, but Iowa wins on buying power.
Wisconsin $79.4K nominal · Iowa $88.2K real
Louisiana vs Texas
Texas pays more nominally, but Louisiana wins on buying power.
Texas $80.9K nominal · Louisiana $83.7K real
Massachusetts vs New Jersey
New Jersey pays more nominally, but Massachusetts wins on buying power.
New Jersey $100.8K nominal · Massachusetts $94K real
Minnesota vs North Dakota
Minnesota pays more nominally, but North Dakota wins on buying power.
Minnesota $81.6K nominal · North Dakota $85.1K real
Minnesota vs South Dakota
Minnesota pays more nominally, but South Dakota wins on buying power.
Minnesota $81.6K nominal · South Dakota $89K real
Minnesota vs Wisconsin
Minnesota pays more nominally, but Wisconsin wins on buying power.
Minnesota $81.6K nominal · Wisconsin $84.4K real
Missouri vs Tennessee
Tennessee pays more nominally, but Missouri wins on buying power.
Tennessee $76.8K nominal · Missouri $84.4K real
Montana vs North Dakota
Montana pays more nominally, but North Dakota wins on buying power.
Montana $75.8K nominal · North Dakota $85.1K real
New Hampshire vs Vermont
New Hampshire pays more nominally, but Vermont wins on buying power.
New Hampshire $83.5K nominal · Vermont $80.5K real
New Mexico vs Texas
Texas pays more nominally, but New Mexico wins on buying power.
Texas $80.9K nominal · New Mexico $85.2K real
New Mexico vs Utah
Utah pays more nominally, but New Mexico wins on buying power.
Utah $80K nominal · New Mexico $85.2K real
Ohio vs Texas
Texas pays more nominally, but Ohio wins on buying power.
Texas $80.9K nominal · Ohio $85.5K real
Oklahoma vs Texas
Texas pays more nominally, but Oklahoma wins on buying power.
Texas $80.9K nominal · Oklahoma $90.4K real
Pennsylvania vs West Virginia
Pennsylvania pays more nominally, but West Virginia wins on buying power.
Pennsylvania $79K nominal · West Virginia $81.9K real
Utah vs Wyoming
Utah pays more nominally, but Wyoming wins on buying power.
Utah $80K nominal · Wyoming $83.7K real
Virginia vs Washington
Washington pays more nominally, but Virginia wins on buying power.
Washington $96.6K nominal · Virginia $92.3K real
All comparisons
Every state comparison
Find a state to see every pairing we publish for it. Pairs are neighboring states (the ones people genuinely weigh) plus the largest markets against each other.
Arizona
Arizona guide →California
California guide →Colorado
Colorado guide →District of Columbia
District of Columbia guide →Florida
Florida guide →Georgia
Georgia guide →Illinois
Illinois guide →Kentucky
Kentucky guide →Maryland
Maryland guide →Massachusetts
Massachusetts guide →Missouri
Missouri guide →New Jersey
New Jersey guide →New York
New York guide →North Carolina
North Carolina guide →Ohio
Ohio guide →Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania guide →South Carolina
South Carolina guide →Tennessee
Tennessee guide →Texas
Texas guide →Virginia
Virginia guide →Washington
Washington guide →marks a pair where cost of living flips which state pays more.
Keep exploring the data
Last updated June 2026 · Nominal medians are verified BLS OEWS May 2025(Accountants & Auditors, SOC 13-2011) · Real pay is BEA-adjusted (derived), not a BLS measurement and not take-home pay · Prices: BEA RPP 2024.
Model your own number
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