SHOW ME THE MONEY! The normal accountant salary is $60,000 or more, although it can start a bit lower and go much higher! As accountants are always in demand, accounting salaries are historically very stable. Your accountant salary will be based on the field you enter and what sort of organization you want to join.
Salaries in startups will be different from Big 4 positions and there are a number of great sites like Salary.com, Payscale, and Glassdoor who can provide detail on specific companies and accountant salaries. However, if you are looking for some general guidelines as to what accountants earn we are here to help!
On a yearly basis The National Association of Colleges and Employers comes out with a report on salaries by different majors and estimates the median salary across new accounting graduates at $51,475. Georgetown University completed a similar study in 2015 and estimated the average accountant salary for new graduates at $69,000, ranking it #38 out of 137 majors they compared.
The following is a general breakdown of roles and the range of accountant salaries you can expect to earn. Anyone entering one of these roles will need to have completed a degree in accounting and possibly a CPA as well. You can learn more about accounting degrees over at our Degree Paths section.
Accounting Career | Median Accounting Salary |
Accountant I | $45-$55K |
Accountant II | $55-$65K |
Accountant III | $65-$75K |
Tax Accountant | $60-$75K |
Revenue Accountant | $85-$100K |
These salaries can also be augmented with different specialties or a certificate in management accounting. A key example is how much you could earn in a career in forensic accounting. A forensic salary ranges from the average of ~$60K to as much as $150K. The key is finding something that has a good trajectory and that you enjoy. Being passionate about the path you choose is as important as the salary it commands.