District of Columbia · Senior Accountant Salary
Senior Accountant Salary in District of Columbia
What senior accountants earn in District of Columbia — an estimated median and range built on the verified BLS OEWS May 2025 wage for accountants and auditors in the state.
Estimate · verified BLS District of Columbia wage ($111,530) → senior accountant role multiplier · updated June 2026
How much does a Senior Accountant make in District of Columbia?
Verified: the BLS OEWS May 2025 District of Columbia wage for Accountants & Auditors (SOC 13-2011). The senior accountant figure is a modeled Estimate layered on it — BLS publishes no role-specific wage.
Senior Accountant · estimated median
$113,800
Modeled median for a senior accountant in District of Columbia, scaled from the verified BLS state wage.
Model your payDistrict of Columbia · verified BLS median
$111,530
The measured OEWS May 2025 median for accountants & auditors in District of Columbia — the base every estimate here is built on.
All District of Columbia payState rank (verified)
#1 of 51
Where District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia — not for senior accountants, and not for CPAs. These percentiles are direct measurements.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $71,470 | $34.36/hr | Entry-level / lower pay |
| 25th percentile | $83,050 | $39.93/hr | Below median |
| Median (50th) | $111,530 | $53.62/hr | Typical pay |
| 75th percentile | $156,730 | $75.35/hr | Experienced / senior |
| 90th percentile | $185,220 | $89.05/hr | Top earners |
The District of Columbia figures above, straight from the OEWS May 2025 release: a $111,530 median across 9,810 accountants and auditors employed in District of Columbia.
Every senior accountant figure on this page — $113,800 median included. It is the verified state median scaled by this role’s multiplier (1.02×), because BLS publishes no senior accountant-specific wage.
Comparison
Senior Accountant pay in District of Columbia vs. national
District of Columbia's measured accountant median runs +33.3% versus the U.S. figure. The role rows are estimates built on those two verified benchmarks.
Senior Accountant — District of Columbia
estimated median
$113,800
+2.0%Senior Accountant — national
estimated median
$85,400
-23.4%All accountants — District of Columbia
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$111,530
baseAll accountants — national
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$83,680
-25.0%
The senior accountant estimate sits +2.0% above the verified District of Columbia accountant median and +33.3% versus the national senior accountant estimate. Verified rows are BLS measurements; role rows are modeled.
District of Columbia market
What shapes senior accountant pay in District of Columbia
The District of Columbia is a single dense urban labor market dominated by the federal government, contractors, associations, and law and consulting firms. Pay sits well above the national median, paired with a high cost of living.
The senior accountant owns the close rather than supporting it — preparing financial statements, handling technical entries, and reviewing staff work. It is the first level where review responsibility genuinely matters.
Senior accountant is the pivot point of an accounting career: the track splits from here toward people leadership or toward specialization. Because the level exists at employers of every size, the local range is shaped heavily by the mix of large corporate employers versus small business in the market.
Role ladder
Senior Accountant vs. other roles in District of Columbia
Each level's multiplier applied to District of Columbia's verified BLS median. Estimates — the comparison is consistent because every row shares one measured base.
Estimated pay by role · District of Columbia
On District of Columbia's verified pay base, estimated pay spans $87,000 (Staff Accountant) to $217,500 (Controller). Senior Accountant sits at $113,800.
| Role / level | Low | Est. median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controller | $217,500 | ||
| Accounting Manager | $158,400 | ||
| Senior Accountant | $113,800 | ||
| Staff Accountant | $87,000 |
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
Senior Accountant pay by experience in District of Columbia
District of Columbia's verified pay base scaled across experience bands at the senior accountant level. Estimate.
| Experience | Est. median | CPA-licensed (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 years | $97,800 | $109,500 |
| 2–4 years | $109,200 | $122,300 |
| 5–7 years | $122,900 | $137,600 |
| 8–12 years | $136,500 | $152,900 |
| 13–20 years | $150,200 | $168,200 |
| 20+ years | $161,500 | $180,900 |
Experience multipliers on the area median; CPA column adds a modeled +12% credential premium.
By employer
Senior Accountant pay by employer type in District of Columbia
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 | $127,400 | +7.7% |
| National firm | $119,400 | +0.9% |
| Regional firm | $111,500 | -5.7% |
| Local firm | $104,700 | -11.5% |
| Industry / corporate | $118,300 | — |
Employer-type multipliers applied at a manager-level base on the BLS national median.
By metro
Senior Accountant pay across District of Columbia metros
BLS measures 1 metro area for accountants and auditors in District of Columbia. The measured median is verified; the senior accountant column applies this role's multiplier to it.
| Metro area | Accountants medianBLS verified | Senior Accountant medianEstimate |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $102,140 | $104,200 |
Metro medians are direct BLS OEWS May 2025 measurements. The senior accountant column is modeled from them.
Peer markets
States that pay like District of Columbia
Ranked immediately around District of Columbia (#1 of 51) on the verified BLS accountant median — the closest comparables for a senior accountant weighing a move.
Compare states
Senior Accountant pay in other states
Where senior accountants are estimated to earn the most, built on each state's verified BLS median — District of Columbia ranks #1 of 51.
Senior Accountant salary in District of Columbia — FAQ
- How much does a Senior Accountant make in District of Columbia?
- A senior accountant in District of Columbia earns an estimated $113,800 per year, typically ranging from $84,700 to $159,900+. That is +33.3% versus the national senior accountant estimate of $85,400. The figure is a modeled estimate: BLS publishes no senior accountant-specific wage, so we scale the BLS OEWS May 2025 verified District of Columbia median for accountants and auditors ($111,530) by this role's multiplier.
- What do BLS figures actually say about District of Columbia?
- BLS measures the broad occupation "Accountants and Auditors" (SOC 13-2011), not CPAs or senior accountants specifically. For District of Columbia, the verified OEWS May 2025 median is $111,530, with a 25th–75th percentile band of $83,050–$156,730 and 9,810 accountants and auditors employed in District of Columbia. Everything role-specific on this page is layered on top of that measurement and labeled Estimate.
- Is District of Columbia a good state to work as a Senior Accountant?
- District of Columbia ranks #1 of 51 on the verified BLS median for accountants and auditors, running +33.3% versus the national median. Senior accountants 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 Senior Accountant in District of Columbia earn more than the average accountant?
- Yes — the senior accountant estimate of $113,800 runs +2.0% versus the verified District of Columbia median for all accountants and auditors ($111,530). 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.
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.
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