North Carolina · Salary guide
Raleigh-Cary, NC CPA Salary
CPA and accountant pay across the Raleigh-Cary metro — percentiles and role-by-role estimates vs the national benchmark.
Median CPA pay · Raleigh-Cary metro
$81,950
Midpoint for accountants & auditors
Typical range
$67.1K–$105.2K
Middle 50% (25th–75th percentile)
Top earners
$134.2K+
90th percentile and above
vs. national
-2.1%
North Carolina · vs U.S. median
Verified BLS wage benchmark for the Raleigh-Cary metro · updated June 2026
How much does a CPA make in Raleigh-Cary?
The verified BLS wage measurement for accountants and auditors in the Raleigh-Cary metro. The CPA-license premium layered on top is a labeled estimate.
vs. the U.S. benchmark
-2.1%
The Raleigh-Cary metro vs the national median and -0.1% vs North Carolina statewide.
North Carolina guideLicensed CPA · modeled
$91,800
A modeled ~12% credential premium on the local median — the license consistently pays more.
What the license is worthTop earners · 90th pct
$134.2K+
The BLS-measured 90th percentile for accountants in this metro — model your own with your role and experience.
Model your payRaleigh-Cary metro
verified local median
$81,950
-2.1%North Carolina statewide
verified state median
$82,050
-1.9%National benchmark
verified
$83,680
base
Raleigh-Cary runs -2.1% vs the national median and -0.1% vs North Carolina statewide. All three are direct BLS wage measurements for accountants and auditors at their own area level.
Cost of living
Real pay in Raleigh-Cary
What the Raleigh-Cary median actually buys once local prices are accounted for. Nominal pay is the verified BLS figure; the buying-power view divides it by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity (2024) for the metro.
Nominal
$82K
Price level
98.2/100
Real pay
$83.5K
Local prices run 2% below the national average, so some of that pay is absorbed by higher local costs — Raleigh-Cary slips 72 places once adjusted for buying power.
Real pay · BEA-adjustedA high nominal salary in an expensive metro can buy less than a smaller salary in a low-cost one. Real pay reorders the map by buying power — but it is not take-home pay: it excludes taxes, benefits, and housing choices.
See real pay across all metros →Best ways to use this page
- 1View percentiles
Find your percentile
See where your pay sits across the Raleigh-Cary range, from entry level to top earners.
- 2See pay by role
Check your role
Pay climbs steeply from staff to controller. See the estimate for your title in this metro.
- 3Open the calculator
Model your own number
Set role, experience, license, and employer for a tailored estimate — equity and bonus broken out.
- 4Submit your pay
Add your salary
Anonymous, two minutes. Submissions are how role- and employer-level pay becomes real data.
Raleigh-Cary metro · Accountants & auditors
Verified$39.40/hr median hourly · $93,340 average
Percentiles · Raleigh-Cary
Verified| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $57,120 | $27.46/hr | Entry-level / lower pay |
| 25th percentile | $67,050 | $32.24/hr | Below median |
| Median (50th) | $81,950 | $39.40/hr | Typical pay |
| 75th percentile | $105,160 | $50.56/hr | Experienced / senior |
| 90th percentile | $134,220 | $64.53/hr | Top earners |
By role
CPA roles in Raleigh-Cary
Median estimates by role, scaled to the metro wage level.
Median pay by role
In the Raleigh-Cary metro, estimated pay runs from $116,400 (Accounting Manager) to $319,600 (Chief Financial Officer) — about 2.7× across the ladder.
| Role / level | Low | Est. median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Financial Officer | $319,600 | ||
| Partner | $295,000 | ||
| Director of Finance | $200,800 | ||
| Senior Manager | $168,000 | ||
| Controller | $159,800 | ||
| Tax Manager | $127,000 | ||
| Audit Manager | $127,000 | ||
| Accounting Manager | $116,400 | ||
| Audit Senior | $90,100 | ||
| Tax Senior | $88,500 | ||
| Senior Accountant | $83,600 | ||
| Audit Associate | $68,000 | ||
| Tax Associate | $67,200 | ||
| Staff Accountant | $63,900 |
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
CPA pay by experience in Raleigh-Cary
The metro median scaled across experience bands, with the modeled CPA-license premium. Estimate.
| Experience | Est. median | CPA-licensed (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 years | $70,500 | $79,000 |
| 2–4 years | $78,700 | $88,100 |
| 5–7 years | $88,500 | $99,100 |
| 8–12 years | $98,300 | $110,100 |
| 13–20 years | $108,200 | $121,200 |
| 20+ years | $116,400 | $130,400 |
Experience multipliers on the area median; CPA column adds a modeled +12% credential premium.
By employer
CPA pay by employer type in Raleigh-Cary
Big 4, national, regional, and local firms vs. industry — at a manager-level base on the metro median. Estimate.
| Employer type | Est. manager-level pay | vs. industry |
|---|---|---|
| Big 4 firm | $142,300 | +7.7% |
| National firm | $133,400 | +1.0% |
| Regional firm | $124,500 | -5.8% |
| Local firm | $116,900 | -11.5% |
| Industry / corporate | $132,100 | — |
Employer-type multipliers applied at a manager-level base on the BLS national median.
What affects pay
What drives CPA pay in Raleigh-Cary
The same factors move pay within a metro. Use the calculator to model your own.
Raleigh-Cary market
Raleigh anchors the Research Triangle, a national center for technology, pharmaceuticals, and university research. A relatively low cost of living keeps take-home pay competitive as the metro grows quickly.
Cost of labor
Raleigh-Cary wages track the local cost of living and employer competition — denser, higher-cost metros pay above the statewide median.
Employer mix
Big 4 and national firms pay a brand premium; regional/local firms and government pay below industry roles at the same level.
Role & experience
Pay roughly doubles from staff to controller. The CPA license adds a modeled premium and unlocks senior roles.
Remote & hybrid
Remote roles can pay to a national band rather than the local one, widening access to higher-paying employers.
How to use these figures
Raleigh-Cary 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.
Other metros
Compare nearby metro pay
CPA pay across other major metros — large, high-cost areas pay the strongest.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a CPA make in Raleigh-Cary?
- The median accountant/auditor wage in the Raleigh-Cary metro is about $81,950 (-2.1% vs national). Licensed CPAs generally earn above this baseline.
- Does Raleigh-Cary pay more than the rest of North Carolina?
- Large metros like Raleigh-Cary typically pay above their statewide median due to higher cost of living and a denser concentration of large employers and public-accounting firms.
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 Raleigh-Cary salary
BLS measures the occupation, not your role, firm, or license. Submissions are what add that layer. Anonymous and quick.