Accounting is one of the desirable professions that brings a relatively stable and high income to those who choose it. In this article, we will take a look at accountant and auditors’ salaries by state and how the cost of living impacts them, which can be important when deciding where to find a better paying job.

1. Salaries of accountants and auditors by state

We have pulled data for salaries of accountants and auditors for all states from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website.  The most recent information available is from May 2019.  It is obvious from the map below that the East and West coasts have the highest salaries for accounting professionals.

The map shows the median salaries for accountants and auditors by state (darker colors mean higher salaries).  The salaries range from $58,700 to $97,420.  The top 10 states with the highest (unadjusted) salaries are:

1. District of Columbia: $97,420
2. New York: $86,640
3. New Jersey: $83,430
4. Rhode Island: $77,870
5. Connecticut: $77,580
6. Virginia: $77,320
7. Massachusetts: $76,670
8. California: $75,880
9. Maryland: $74,850
10. Delaware: $74,560

Aside from having higher salaries, these states are also known for a high cost of living.  One dollar in these states doesn’t go as far as one dollar in other states.

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