How Much Do Certified Public Accountants Make?
Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary certified public accountants make, you've come to the right place.
Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for certified public accountants and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of certified public accountants are offering as compensation.
Keep reading to learn more about how much certified public accountants can expect to make in the United States.
At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Certified Public Accountants
According to data from 2022, there were about 1,483,888 positions for certified public accountants in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for certified public accountants was reported to be $78,000. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 381,719 job postings related to positions for certified public accountants.
How Much Money Do Certified Public Accountants Make?
Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money certified public accountants and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.
Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for certified public accountants.
Annual Salary for Certified Public Accountants
According to the BLS, the lowest earners for certified public accountants and related professions earned about $48,568 per year in 2022. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $132,683 annually.
As mentioned previously, the median salary for certified public accountants in the United States in 2022 was $78,000.
Annual Salary Range For Certified Public Accountants In 2022
Hourly Salary for Certified Public Accountants
The BLS also breaks down compensation for certified public accountants by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for certified public accountants in 2022 was $38. Lowest hourly earners took home $23 while the highest reported hourly salaries for certified public accountants was $64.
Hourly Salary Range For Certified Public Accountants In 2022
Top Online College For Working Adults
Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.
Degree Options for Certified Public Accountants
Develop the foundational financial skills needed to keep business running successfully, including financial reporting and analysis, managerial accounting, and federal taxes, so you can start your career as an accounting technician, tax preparer, payroll assistant and more.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
Enter into or advance within the rapidly growing accounting industry and prepare for professional certifications like the CPA.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
- Accreditation: IACBE
Learn to identify, resolve, and prevent white-collar crime in a variety of business settings while preparing for the CFE exam.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
- Accreditation: IACBE
Stay Sarbanes-Oxley compliant and promote a fraud-prevention culture while preparing for professional certifications like the CFE.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Cost Per Credit: $398
- Accreditation: IACBE
Distinguish yourself as a knowledgeable accounting professional with advanced technical, research, and communication skills.
- Class Type: 100% online
- Months To Complete: 17
- Accreditation: IACBE
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Grab a chair at the leadership table with Franklin’s 17-month M.S. in Accounting with a focus in Financial Operations. In this 100% online program, you’ll learn to think critically, communicate effectively and leverage technology in innovative ways.
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Learn to decipher the numbers and communicate your findings with confidence and clarity in Franklin’s M.S. in Accounting with a focus in Taxation. The 17-month, online program is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) and features interactive courses led by in-field practitioners.
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Master financial analysis tools and tactics that provide the knowledge you need to contribute at a strategic level with Franklin’s 12-month online accredited MBA with a Specialization in Finance.
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Develop into a well-rounded, adaptive and strategic business leader with a comprehensive mindset.
- Placement Tests: GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Certificates & Microcredentials for Certified Public Accountants
Boost your career prospects and productivity with MS Excel certificate courses that show you how to maximize the power of Microsoft's popular data analysis tool.
- Class Type: 100% Online
- Time To Complete: 4-5 months
- Cost: $35/month
Take control of your professional life with Intuit bookkeeping certificate courses that train you help businesses record, track and analyze essential financial records.
- Class Type: 100% Online
- Time To Complete: 3-4 months
- Cost: $35/month
Advertised Compensation for Certified Public Accountants
Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for certified public accountants, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for certified public accountants.
Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™
Annual Salary from Job Postings for Certified Public Accountants
Advertised Annual Salary
During a review of 450,893 job postings related to certified public accountants, advertised salary was included in 136,386 of them, which was 30%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for certified public accountants was $72,576 per year.
Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Certified Public Accountants
Advertised Hourly Salary
A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for certified public accountants. Based on 36% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for certified public accountants in the United States is about $35.
Salary Trend for Certified Public Accountants
If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for certified public accountants. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.
Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for certified public accountants dating back to September 2019, advertised salaries for certified public accountants have increased 12%.
Advertised Wage Trend For Certified Public Accountants
What's the Job Growth for Certified Public Accountants?
Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for certified public accountants over the next 10 years.
According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 1,479,713 jobs for certified public accountants in the United States in 2022. By 2032, it is expected that about 177,905 jobs will be added. That's a 12% increase over the next 10-year period.
Employment Projections For Certified Public Accountants
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about certified public accountants? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for certified public accountants.
What do certified public accountants do?
Certified Public Accountants: How do you become one?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.