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Best states for an Accountant
Quoted Expert
John Thornton Ph.D.
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Accountant opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for accountants, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for accountants.As accountants are popular in the U.S., we wanted to bring you a list of the best states for accountants. In case you are trying to decide where to start your career as an accountant, or if you are considering moving to a different city or state, we got you covered.
In order to get you the best states for accountants, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as an accountant, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for accountants in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total Accountant Jobs: 317 Average Annual Salary: $71,993 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $53,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $96,000 Location Quotient: 1.922. New York
Total Accountant Jobs: 1,468 Average Annual Salary: $68,366 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $51,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 1.163. Connecticut
Total Accountant Jobs: 392 Average Annual Salary: $62,386 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $47,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 1.24. Delaware
Total Accountant Jobs: 158 Average Annual Salary: $59,242 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $44,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.285. Massachusetts
Total Accountant Jobs: 941 Average Annual Salary: $62,743 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $47,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $82,000 Location Quotient: 1.046. Rhode Island
Total Accountant Jobs: 114 Average Annual Salary: $60,990 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $46,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 0.957. New Jersey
Total Accountant Jobs: 686 Average Annual Salary: $67,833 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $50,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $90,000 Location Quotient: 0.888. Virginia
Total Accountant Jobs: 924 Average Annual Salary: $60,099 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $44,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 0.999. Pennsylvania
Total Accountant Jobs: 1,074 Average Annual Salary: $54,607 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $40,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $72,000 Location Quotient: 0.9410. Maryland
Total Accountant Jobs: 700 Average Annual Salary: $58,489 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $43,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
How Zippia determines the best states to be an accountant
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an accountant
| Rank | State | Average Salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $71,993 | $53,000 | 693,972 | 317 |
| 2 | New York | $68,366 | $51,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,468 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $62,386 | $47,000 | 3,588,184 | 392 |
| 4 | Delaware | $59,242 | $44,000 | 961,939 | 158 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $62,743 | $47,000 | 6,859,819 | 941 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $60,990 | $46,000 | 1,059,639 | 114 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $67,833 | $50,000 | 9,005,644 | 686 |
| 8 | Virginia | $60,099 | $44,000 | 8,470,020 | 924 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $54,607 | $40,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,074 |
| 10 | Maryland | $58,489 | $43,000 | 6,052,177 | 700 |
| 11 | Washington | $56,929 | $42,000 | 7,405,743 | 657 |
| 12 | Colorado | $52,649 | $39,000 | 5,607,154 | 742 |
| 13 | Oregon | $52,823 | $38,000 | 4,142,776 | 458 |
| 14 | California | $55,339 | $40,000 | 39,536,653 | 3,532 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $54,960 | $41,000 | 1,342,795 | 138 |
| 16 | Michigan | $51,209 | $38,000 | 9,962,311 | 675 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $50,767 | $38,000 | 5,576,606 | 725 |
| 18 | Texas | $49,856 | $36,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,234 |
| 19 | Illinois | $50,229 | $37,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,472 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $51,783 | $38,000 | 10,273,419 | 758 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $49,883 | $37,000 | 5,795,483 | 494 |
| 22 | Ohio | $49,196 | $36,000 | 11,658,609 | 927 |
| 23 | Vermont | $52,073 | $39,000 | 623,657 | 61 |
| 24 | Alaska | $55,612 | $45,000 | 739,795 | 0 |
| 25 | Georgia | $49,935 | $37,000 | 10,429,379 | 919 |
| 26 | Iowa | $46,149 | $34,000 | 3,145,711 | 419 |
| 27 | Nevada | $46,895 | $34,000 | 2,998,039 | 232 |
| 28 | Maine | $50,399 | $38,000 | 1,335,907 | 90 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $44,616 | $33,000 | 6,715,984 | 624 |
| 30 | Indiana | $47,841 | $35,000 | 6,666,818 | 476 |
| 31 | Utah | $45,148 | $33,000 | 3,101,833 | 345 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $46,027 | $34,000 | 869,666 | 73 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $44,642 | $33,000 | 1,920,076 | 215 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $45,426 | $34,000 | 4,454,189 | 284 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $45,280 | $33,000 | 3,930,864 | 255 |
| 36 | Missouri | $44,893 | $33,000 | 6,113,532 | 630 |
| 37 | Arizona | $47,972 | $35,000 | 7,016,270 | 0 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $45,154 | $33,000 | 2,088,070 | 162 |
| 39 | Florida | $45,139 | $32,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,640 |
| 40 | Montana | $43,390 | $32,000 | 1,050,493 | 182 |
| 41 | Idaho | $45,231 | $33,000 | 1,716,943 | 138 |
| 42 | Alabama | $44,027 | $32,000 | 4,874,747 | 377 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $45,123 | $33,000 | 5,024,369 | 335 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $38,954 | $32,000 | 1,427,538 | 94 |
| 45 | Kansas | $44,835 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 204 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $43,817 | $32,000 | 1,815,857 | 81 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $42,614 | $32,000 | 579,315 | 49 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $42,844 | $31,000 | 3,004,279 | 202 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $42,765 | $31,000 | 4,684,333 | 253 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $40,889 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 170 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $39,626 | $29,000 | 755,393 | 52 |
Highest paying states for accountants
| Rank | State | Avg. Accountant Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $71,993 |
| 2 | New York | $68,366 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $62,386 |
| 4 | Delaware | $59,242 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $62,743 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $60,990 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $67,833 |
| 8 | Virginia | $60,099 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $54,607 |
| 10 | Maryland | $58,489 |
| 11 | Washington | $56,929 |
| 12 | Colorado | $52,649 |
| 13 | Oregon | $52,823 |
| 14 | California | $55,339 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $54,960 |
| 16 | Michigan | $51,209 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $50,767 |
| 18 | Texas | $49,856 |
| 19 | Illinois | $50,229 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $51,783 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $49,883 |
| 22 | Ohio | $49,196 |
| 23 | Vermont | $52,073 |
| 24 | Alaska | $55,612 |
| 25 | Georgia | $49,935 |
| 26 | Iowa | $46,149 |
| 27 | Nevada | $46,895 |
| 28 | Maine | $50,399 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $44,616 |
| 30 | Indiana | $47,841 |
| 31 | Utah | $45,148 |
| 32 | South Dakota | $46,027 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $44,642 |
| 34 | Kentucky | $45,426 |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $45,280 |
| 36 | Missouri | $44,893 |
| 37 | Arizona | $47,972 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $45,154 |
| 39 | Florida | $45,139 |
| 40 | Montana | $43,390 |
| 41 | Idaho | $45,231 |
| 42 | Alabama | $44,027 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $45,123 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $38,954 |
| 45 | Kansas | $44,835 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $43,817 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $42,614 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $42,844 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $42,765 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $40,889 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $39,626 |
Expert opinions on the best states for accountants
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Accountants to find work opportunities?
John Thornton Ph.D.
Professor of Accounting, School of Business and Management | Azusa Pacific University
CPA firms and corporations are still hiring accounting professionals. The disruption will be temporary, and much of the work will bounce back. But the long-term trend of global outsourcing of professional services, including accounting, has been dramatically accelerated. More than ever, graduates need to focus on setting themselves above the competition through professional certifications, such as the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and the like. Graduates need to think beyond simple data collection and move to data analytics. Critical thinking skills, coupled with strong technical competencies, will win the day. One colossal growth area in accounting will be forensic and investigative accounting. With the increase in online everything, the protection of financial information will face ever-increasing pressures. Cybercrime is on the rise. So to demand innovative ways to stop fraud and white-collar crime. One impressive credential in this area is the Certified Forensic Accountant (CFE).
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Updated January 8, 2025