Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
13-2011 Accountants and Auditors
Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others. Install or advise on systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data. Excludes “Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents” (13-2081).
National estimates for Accountants and Auditors
Industry profile for Accountants and Auditors
Geographic profile for Accountants and Auditors
National estimates for Accountants and Auditors:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Accountants and Auditors:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 1,318,550 |
0.6 % |
$ 40.37 |
$ 83,980 |
0.4 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Accountants and Auditors:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 23.06 |
$ 29.21 |
$ 37.14 |
$ 47.98 |
$ 62.01 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 47,970 |
$ 60,760 |
$ 77,250 |
$ 99,800 |
$ 128,970 |
Industry profile for Accountants and Auditors:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Accountants and Auditors are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Accountants and Auditors, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Accountants and Auditors:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services |
326,570 |
32.55 |
$ 41.66 |
$ 86,650 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises |
104,760 |
4.12 |
$ 40.78 |
$ 84,820 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
45,290 |
0.84 |
$ 35.51 |
$ 73,860 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
42,240 |
1.92 |
$ 34.05 |
$ 70,830 |
| Real Estate |
38,290 |
2.29 |
$ 39.47 |
$ 82,090 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Accountants and Auditors:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services |
326,570 |
32.55 |
$ 41.66 |
$ 86,650 |
| Other Investment Pools and Funds |
780 |
6.15 |
$ 40.27 |
$ 83,760 |
| Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) |
1,040 |
5.37 |
$ 40.12 |
$ 83,450 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction |
5,490 |
5.15 |
$ 48.55 |
$ 100,980 |
| Office Administrative Services |
22,550 |
4.64 |
$ 39.96 |
$ 83,110 |
Top paying industries for Accountants and Auditors:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil |
40 |
0.39 |
$ 59.25 |
$ 123,230 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing |
2,770 |
1.78 |
$ 59.24 |
$ 123,210 |
| Other Information Services |
4,770 |
1.32 |
$ 54.28 |
$ 112,900 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities |
30,990 |
3.23 |
$ 51.74 |
$ 107,610 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) |
22,260 |
1.06 |
$ 51.53 |
$ 107,170 |
Geographic profile for Accountants and Auditors:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Accountants and Auditors are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Accountants and Auditors, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Accountants and Auditors:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
151,320 |
9.15 |
0.98 |
$ 44.63 |
$ 92,840 |
| New York |
111,660 |
12.88 |
1.38 |
$ 50.86 |
$ 105,790 |
| Texas |
104,490 |
8.55 |
0.91 |
$ 41.28 |
$ 85,860 |
| Florida |
79,380 |
9.22 |
0.99 |
$ 36.69 |
$ 76,320 |
| Pennsylvania |
54,530 |
9.77 |
1.04 |
$ 38.08 |
$ 79,200 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Accountants and Auditors:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
9,200 |
13.90 |
1.49 |
$ 53.00 |
$ 110,240 |
| Colorado |
36,060 |
13.76 |
1.47 |
$ 41.29 |
$ 85,880 |
| South Dakota |
5,530 |
13.12 |
1.40 |
$ 33.75 |
$ 70,190 |
| Rhode Island |
5,910 |
12.92 |
1.38 |
$ 42.48 |
$ 88,350 |
| New York |
111,660 |
12.88 |
1.38 |
$ 50.86 |
$ 105,790 |
Top paying states for Accountants and Auditors:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
9,200 |
13.90 |
1.49 |
$ 53.00 |
$ 110,240 |
| New York |
111,660 |
12.88 |
1.38 |
$ 50.86 |
$ 105,790 |
| New Jersey |
42,230 |
10.97 |
1.17 |
$ 47.09 |
$ 97,950 |
| California |
151,320 |
9.15 |
0.98 |
$ 44.63 |
$ 92,840 |
| Massachusetts |
38,140 |
11.23 |
1.20 |
$ 44.38 |
$ 92,310 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Accountants and Auditors:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
117,800 |
13.57 |
1.45 |
$ 52.56 |
$ 109,330 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
59,470 |
10.40 |
1.11 |
$ 43.13 |
$ 89,700 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
41,850 |
14.27 |
1.52 |
$ 47.91 |
$ 99,640 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
38,800 |
9.17 |
0.98 |
$ 39.06 |
$ 81,250 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
34,070 |
9.49 |
1.01 |
$ 42.17 |
$ 87,720 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
32,300 |
12.50 |
1.34 |
$ 45.15 |
$ 93,910 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
29,440 |
11.09 |
1.19 |
$ 42.24 |
$ 87,870 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA |
29,260 |
11.30 |
1.21 |
$ 39.93 |
$ 83,050 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
28,800 |
9.94 |
1.06 |
$ 44.33 |
$ 92,200 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
26,060 |
10.63 |
1.14 |
$ 38.05 |
$ 79,140 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Accountants and Auditors:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV |
640 |
18.38 |
1.96 |
$ 39.34 |
$ 81,830 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO |
24,080 |
16.44 |
1.76 |
$ 42.42 |
$ 88,240 |
| Birmingham-Hoover, AL |
7,260 |
15.05 |
1.61 |
$ 36.62 |
$ 76,160 |
| Jefferson City, MO |
1,050 |
14.49 |
1.55 |
$ 37.99 |
$ 79,010 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
41,850 |
14.27 |
1.52 |
$ 47.91 |
$ 99,640 |
| Bismarck, ND |
980 |
14.03 |
1.50 |
$ 34.44 |
$ 71,640 |
| Sioux Falls, SD |
2,140 |
13.75 |
1.47 |
$ 35.30 |
$ 73,430 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
117,800 |
13.57 |
1.45 |
$ 52.56 |
$ 109,330 |
| Montgomery, AL |
2,080 |
13.49 |
1.44 |
$ 32.94 |
$ 68,510 |
| Richmond, VA |
8,250 |
13.37 |
1.43 |
$ 38.86 |
$ 80,830 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Accountants and Auditors:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
13,850 |
12.96 |
1.38 |
$ 54.25 |
$ 112,830 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
117,800 |
13.57 |
1.45 |
$ 52.56 |
$ 109,330 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
23,970 |
10.69 |
1.14 |
$ 51.70 |
$ 107,540 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
41,850 |
14.27 |
1.52 |
$ 47.91 |
$ 99,640 |
| Midland, TX |
1,090 |
11.47 |
1.23 |
$ 45.85 |
$ 95,380 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA |
620 |
6.66 |
0.71 |
$ 45.25 |
$ 94,110 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
32,300 |
12.50 |
1.34 |
$ 45.15 |
$ 93,910 |
| Trenton, NJ |
2,930 |
12.88 |
1.38 |
$ 44.89 |
$ 93,370 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC |
14,940 |
12.35 |
1.32 |
$ 44.69 |
$ 92,960 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
1,430 |
7.46 |
0.80 |
$ 44.54 |
$ 92,640 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Accountants and Auditors:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Kansas nonmetropolitan area |
2,760 |
7.34 |
0.78 |
$ 31.87 |
$ 66,290 |
| North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) |
1,840 |
5.86 |
0.63 |
$ 33.81 |
$ 70,330 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area |
1,630 |
6.44 |
0.69 |
$ 33.62 |
$ 69,930 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area |
1,600 |
6.69 |
0.71 |
$ 33.12 |
$ 68,900 |
| East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area |
1,540 |
12.10 |
1.29 |
$ 32.67 |
$ 67,960 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Accountants and Auditors:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Accountants and Auditors:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
