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Accountant salary in California

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$97,050median pay per year in California, or $46.66 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $61,770lowest 10% earn less
  2. $75,81025th percentile
  3. $97,050median
  4. $125,85075th percentile
  5. $160,520top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $83,680[3]

The median pay for accountants in California was $97,050 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $13,370 higher than the US median[6].

Jobs in CA
175,360[4]
Rank by median pay
6 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
+16.0%[6]

How much do accountants make in California?

Half of accountants in California earned more than $97,050 a year, and half earned less[1]. That works out to $46.66 an hour[1]. The average was a bit higher, at $103,760 a year[7]. Across the US, the median for accountants was $83,680[3]. California came in 6th among the states and DC with a published median[5].

Compared with all jobs in California, where the median was $58,240[8], accountants earned $38,810 more[9]. The lowest-paid 10% of accountants earned less than $61,770[2]. The highest-paid 10% earned more than $160,520[2].

Pay differs across the state. Among metro areas with a published median, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara had the highest at $121,700[10]. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont had a median of $110,730, and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim had a median of $94,360[11]. These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, and they do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits like health insurance[12].

California vs US pay

Pay for accountants in California next to the national figures[1][3].

CAUS
Median per year$97,050[1]$83,680[3]
Median per hour$46.66[1]$40.23[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$61,770[2]$56,020[13]
Top 10% earn more than$160,520[2]$144,090[13]
Jobs175,360[4]1,449,500[3]

Pay by metro area in California

Metro areas in California with the most jobs for accountants, and the median pay in each[11].

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA[11]$94,36070,640
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$110,73025,170
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$96,34013,450
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$121,70013,180
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$92,11013,170
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$83,9209,240
Fresno, CA$78,6902,810
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$90,3402,530

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for accountants in the states that border California, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Oregon[14]$85,80014,920
Nevada$81,6006,930
Arizona$79,97027,410

Median pay for accountants in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for accountants are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: bachelor's degree[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does an accountant make in California?
The median pay for accountants in California was $97,050 a year in May 2025[1]. The average was $103,760[7].
How much does an accountant make an hour in California?
The median hourly wage for accountants in California was $46.66[1]. The average was $49.89 an hour[7].
Which city in California pays accountants the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara had the highest median annual wage for accountants among California metro areas with a published median, at $121,700[10].
Is California a good state for accountants?
California had the 6th highest median annual wage for accountants among the 50 states and DC with a published median[5]. Its median was $13,370 higher than the US median[6].
What do you need to become an accountant in California?
Across the US, the typical entry education for accountants and auditors is a Bachelor's degree, with no related work experience or on-the-job training listed[16]. This is a US figure, not one for California.

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Accountants and Auditors in California was $97,050 per year and $46.66 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Accountants and Auditors in California: 10th percentile $61,770, 25th percentile $75,810, 75th percentile $125,850, 90th percentile $160,520. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Accountants and Auditors in the US as a whole was $83,680 per year and $40.23 per hour, with about 1,449,500 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 175,360 people worked as Accountants and Auditors in California (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: California had the 6th highest median annual wage for Accountants and Auditors out of the 50 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Accountants and Auditors in California ($97,050) was $13,370 (16.0%) higher than the US median ($83,680). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Accountants and Auditors in California was $103,760 per year and $49.89 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in California was $58,240. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Accountants and Auditors in California was $38,810 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($58,240). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 25 metro areas in or partly in California with a published median for Accountants and Auditors, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA had the highest median annual wage, $121,700. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Accountants and Auditors in the US: 10th percentile $56,020, 25th percentile $67,020, 75th percentile $109,810, 90th percentile $144,090. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Accountants and Auditors in states that border California (highest first): Oregon $85,800; Nevada $81,600; Arizona $79,970. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Accountants and Auditors is projected to grow 5% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 115,300 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Accountants and Auditors: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections

State figures cover only California. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.