How much do Accountants Make?

Working with money is great – crunching numbers and overseeing finances can be a thrilling and engrossing career choice. The question is though – just how much dough will you be bringing home yourself as an accountant? Research has shown that 50% of American accountants made anywhere from $38,940 and $106,880 annually. Though furthering your career through steps such as CPA Certification can increase your income expectations exponentially. 

In terms of pay, the federal government is certainly an enticing place to gain employment as an accountant. In a list of the top five highest paying industries for the profession both the Executive Branch (OES Designation) and the postal service make appearances in the first and fifth spots respectively. Rounding out the rest of the list for top paying industries are the Tobacco Manufacturing, Commodity Contracts Intermediation/Brokerage and Dry Cleaning/Laundry Services industries.

Overall however, those looking to relocate to a specific region of the United States with the best paying accounting jobs might want to set their sights on the East Coast. New York, Washington DC, New Jersey, Maryland and Massachusetts all topped the list of highest annual wages for accountants in the latest survey by the American Bureau of Labor Statistics. Within those regions the White Plains and Nassau metropolitan areas featured the highest paying gigs across the nation.

The full list of the top ten highest paying states for accountants are as follows:

Figures courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Employment & Wages database.