California · Staff Accountant Salary
Staff Accountant Salary in California
What staff accountants earn in California — an estimated median and range built on the verified BLS OEWS May 2025 wage for accountants and auditors in the state.
Estimate · verified BLS California wage ($97,050) → staff accountant role multiplier · updated June 2026
How much does a Staff Accountant make in California?
Verified: the BLS OEWS May 2025 California wage for Accountants & Auditors (SOC 13-2011). The staff accountant figure is a modeled Estimate layered on it — BLS publishes no role-specific wage.
Staff Accountant · estimated median
$75,700
Modeled median for a staff accountant in California, scaled from the verified BLS state wage.
Model your payCalifornia · verified BLS median
$97,050
The measured OEWS May 2025 median for accountants & auditors in California — the base every estimate here is built on.
All California payState rank (verified)
#6 of 51
Where California 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 California — not for staff accountants, and not for CPAs. These percentiles are direct measurements.
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $61,770 | $29.70/hr | Entry-level / lower pay |
| 25th percentile | $75,810 | $36.45/hr | Below median |
| Median (50th) | $97,050 | $46.66/hr | Typical pay |
| 75th percentile | $125,850 | $60.50/hr | Experienced / senior |
| 90th percentile | $160,520 | $77.17/hr | Top earners |
The California figures above, straight from the OEWS May 2025 release: a $97,050 median across 175,360 accountants and auditors employed in California.
Every staff accountant figure on this page — $75,700 median included. It is the verified state median scaled by this role’s multiplier (0.78×), because BLS publishes no staff accountant-specific wage.
Comparison
Staff Accountant pay in California vs. national
California's measured accountant median runs +16.0% versus the U.S. figure. The role rows are estimates built on those two verified benchmarks.
Staff Accountant — California
estimated median
$75,700
-22.0%Staff Accountant — national
estimated median
$65,300
-32.7%All accountants — California
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$97,050
baseAll accountants — national
BLS OEWS May 2025 · verified
$83,680
-13.8%
The staff accountant estimate sits -22.0% above the verified California accountant median and +15.9% versus the national staff accountant estimate. Verified rows are BLS measurements; role rows are modeled.
California market
What shapes staff accountant pay in California
California is the largest state economy in the country and a major center for technology, entertainment, and finance employers. Pay is pulled up sharply in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, where the cost of labor — and living — runs well above the statewide figure, while inland metros sit closer to the national level.
Staff accountants handle reconciliations, journal entries, accruals, and close support — the foundation of every accounting function. It is the standard entry point to the profession and is largely a training seat.
Because the role is entry-level, local pay tracks the regional cost of hiring graduates fairly closely, and the spread between employers is narrower than at senior levels. Pay moves quickly in the first few years, especially for those who pass the CPA exam.
Role ladder
Staff Accountant vs. other roles in California
Each level's multiplier applied to California's verified BLS median. Estimates — the comparison is consistent because every row shares one measured base.
Estimated pay by role · California
On California's verified pay base, estimated pay spans $75,700 (Staff Accountant) to $189,200 (Controller). Staff Accountant sits at $75,700.
| Role / level | Low | Est. median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controller | $189,200 | ||
| Accounting Manager | $137,800 | ||
| Senior Accountant | $99,000 | ||
| Staff Accountant | $75,700 |
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
Staff Accountant pay by experience in California
California's verified pay base scaled across experience bands at the staff accountant level. Estimate.
| Experience | Est. median | CPA-licensed (est.) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 years | $65,100 | $72,900 |
| 2–4 years | $72,700 | $81,400 |
| 5–7 years | $81,800 | $91,600 |
| 8–12 years | $90,800 | $101,700 |
| 13–20 years | $99,900 | $111,900 |
| 20+ years | $107,500 | $120,400 |
Experience multipliers on the area median; CPA column adds a modeled +12% credential premium.
By employer
Staff Accountant pay by employer type in California
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 | $84,800 | +7.8% |
| National firm | $79,500 | +1.0% |
| Regional firm | $74,200 | -5.7% |
| Local firm | $69,600 | -11.6% |
| Industry / corporate | $78,700 | — |
Employer-type multipliers applied at a manager-level base on the BLS national median.
By metro
Staff Accountant pay across California metros
BLS measures 25 metro areas for accountants and auditors in California. The measured median is verified; the staff accountant column applies this role's multiplier to it.
| Metro area | Accountants medianBLS verified | Staff Accountant medianEstimate |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $121,700 | $94,900 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $110,730 | $86,400 |
| Napa | $99,640 | $77,700 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $96,340 | $75,100 |
| Vallejo | $95,800 | $74,700 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $94,690 | $73,900 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $94,360 | $73,600 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $92,110 | $71,800 |
Metro medians are direct BLS OEWS May 2025 measurements. The staff accountant column is modeled from them.
Peer markets
States that pay like California
Ranked immediately around California (#6 of 51) on the verified BLS accountant median — the closest comparables for a staff accountant weighing a move.
Compare states
Staff Accountant pay in other states
Where staff accountants are estimated to earn the most, built on each state's verified BLS median — California ranks #6 of 51.
Staff Accountant salary in California — FAQ
- How much does a Staff Accountant make in California?
- A staff accountant in California earns an estimated $75,700 per year, typically ranging from $59,100 to $98,200+. That is +15.9% versus the national staff accountant estimate of $65,300. The figure is a modeled estimate: BLS publishes no staff accountant-specific wage, so we scale the BLS OEWS May 2025 verified California median for accountants and auditors ($97,050) by this role's multiplier.
- What do BLS figures actually say about California?
- BLS measures the broad occupation "Accountants and Auditors" (SOC 13-2011), not CPAs or staff accountants specifically. For California, the verified OEWS May 2025 median is $97,050, with a 25th–75th percentile band of $75,810–$125,850 and 175,360 accountants and auditors employed in California. Everything role-specific on this page is layered on top of that measurement and labeled Estimate.
- Is California a good state to work as a Staff Accountant?
- California ranks #6 of 51 on the verified BLS median for accountants and auditors, running +16.0% versus the national median. Staff 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 Staff Accountant in California earn more than the average accountant?
- Yes — the staff accountant estimate of $75,700 runs -22.0% versus the verified California median for all accountants and auditors ($97,050). 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 California metro pays staff accountants the most?
- On the verified BLS metro medians for accountants and auditors, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara leads California at $121,700 — about +32.1% versus Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom ($92,110). Staff 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 California staff accountant salary
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