Washington · Senior Accountant Salary
Senior Accountant Salary in Washington
What senior accountants earn in Washington — an estimated median and range built on the verified BLS OEWS May 2025 wage for accountants and auditors in the state.
Estimate · verified BLS Washington wage ($96,550) → senior accountant role multiplier · updated June 2026
How much does a Senior Accountant make in Washington?
Verified: the BLS OEWS May 2025 Washington 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
$98,500
Modeled median for a senior accountant in Washington, scaled from the verified BLS state wage.
Model your payWashington · verified BLS median
$96,550
The measured OEWS May 2025 median for accountants & auditors in Washington — the base every estimate here is built on.
All Washington payState rank (verified)
#8 of 51
Where Washington 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 Washington — not for senior accountants, and not for CPAs. These percentiles are direct measurements.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $66,330 | $31.89/hr | Entry-level / lower pay |
| 25th percentile | $79,180 | $38.07/hr | Below median |
| Median (50th) | $96,550 | $46.42/hr | Typical pay |
| 75th percentile | $122,480 | $58.88/hr | Experienced / senior |
| 90th percentile | $152,310 | $73.23/hr | Top earners |
The Washington figures above, straight from the OEWS May 2025 release: a $96,550 median across 34,740 accountants and auditors employed in Washington.
Every senior accountant figure on this page — $98,500 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 Washington vs. national
Washington's measured accountant median runs +15.4% versus the U.S. figure. The role rows are estimates built on those two verified benchmarks.
Senior Accountant — Washington
estimated median
$98,500
+2.0%Senior Accountant — national
estimated median
$85,400
-11.5%All accountants — Washington
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$96,550
baseAll accountants — national
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$83,680
-13.3%
The senior accountant estimate sits +2.0% above the verified Washington accountant median and +15.3% versus the national senior accountant estimate. Verified rows are BLS measurements; role rows are modeled.
Washington market
What shapes senior accountant pay in Washington
Washington has no state income tax and a Seattle metro dominated by large technology employers, which raises pay for accountants supporting tech and corporate finance functions. Pay drops toward the national median outside the Puget Sound region.
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 Washington
Each level's multiplier applied to Washington's verified BLS median. Estimates — the comparison is consistent because every row shares one measured base.
Estimated pay by role · Washington
On Washington's verified pay base, estimated pay spans $75,300 (Staff Accountant) to $188,300 (Controller). Senior Accountant sits at $98,500.
| Role / level | Low | Est. median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controller | $188,300 | ||
| Accounting Manager | $137,100 | ||
| Senior Accountant | $98,500 | ||
| Staff Accountant | $75,300 |
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 Washington
Washington's verified pay base scaled across experience bands at the senior accountant level. Estimate.
| Experience | Est. median | CPA-licensed (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 years | $84,700 | $94,900 |
| 2–4 years | $94,500 | $105,800 |
| 5–7 years | $106,400 | $119,200 |
| 8–12 years | $118,200 | $132,400 |
| 13–20 years | $130,000 | $145,600 |
| 20+ years | $139,800 | $156,600 |
Experience multipliers on the area median; CPA column adds a modeled +12% credential premium.
By employer
Senior Accountant pay by employer type in Washington
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 | $110,300 | +7.7% |
| National firm | $103,400 | +1.0% |
| Regional firm | $96,500 | -5.8% |
| Local firm | $90,600 | -11.5% |
| Industry / corporate | $102,400 | — |
Employer-type multipliers applied at a manager-level base on the BLS national median.
By metro
Senior Accountant pay across Washington metros
BLS measures 11 metro areas for accountants and auditors in Washington. The measured median is verified; the senior accountant column applies this role's multiplier to it.
| Metro area | Accountants medianBLS verified | Senior Accountant medianEstimate |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $99,370 | $101,400 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $94,470 | $96,400 |
| Kennewick-Richland | $93,280 | $95,100 |
| Longview-Kelso | $93,130 | $95,000 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes | $92,920 | $94,800 |
| Walla Walla | $89,630 | $91,400 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard | $88,250 | $90,000 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee | $87,770 | $89,500 |
Metro medians are direct BLS OEWS May 2025 measurements. The senior accountant column is modeled from them.
Peer markets
States that pay like Washington
Ranked immediately around Washington (#8 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 — Washington ranks #8 of 51.
Senior Accountant salary in Washington — FAQ
- How much does a Senior Accountant make in Washington?
- A senior accountant in Washington earns an estimated $98,500 per year, typically ranging from $80,800 to $125,000+. That is +15.3% 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 Washington median for accountants and auditors ($96,550) by this role's multiplier.
- What do BLS figures actually say about Washington?
- BLS measures the broad occupation "Accountants and Auditors" (SOC 13-2011), not CPAs or senior accountants specifically. For Washington, the verified OEWS May 2025 median is $96,550, with a 25th–75th percentile band of $79,180–$122,480 and 34,740 accountants and auditors employed in Washington. Everything role-specific on this page is layered on top of that measurement and labeled Estimate.
- Is Washington a good state to work as a Senior Accountant?
- Washington ranks #8 of 51 on the verified BLS median for accountants and auditors, running +15.4% 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 Washington earn more than the average accountant?
- Yes — the senior accountant estimate of $98,500 runs +2.0% versus the verified Washington median for all accountants and auditors ($96,550). 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.
- Which Washington metro pays senior accountants the most?
- On the verified BLS metro medians for accountants and auditors, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue leads Washington at $99,370 — about +13.2% versus Wenatchee-East Wenatchee ($87,770). Senior Accountant pay is estimated to follow the same metro ordering, since the role multiplier applies on top of each metro's measured base.
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 Washington senior accountant salary
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