How much do cpas make in 2026?
Certified public accountants are counted in the BLS accountants and auditors series, where OEWS May 2025 reports a national median of $83,680 a year ($40.23 an hour), with a 10th percentile near $56,020 and a 90th percentile of $144,090. That median is not a CPA salary, and the reason is structural: SOC 13-2011 pools 1,449,500 accountants and auditors regardless of licence status, and the majority of people in it are not CPAs. Licensed accountants sit above the pooled midpoint, with the gap widening through a career because the licence unlocks work that unlicensed accountants cannot sign. The licence itself is issued by state boards and typically requires 150 semester hours of education, passing all sections of the Uniform CPA Examination, and a period of qualifying experience under a licensed CPA, with continuing education thereafter. What the licence buys varies by path: in public accounting it is effectively mandatory for progression past senior, since attest work requires it; in industry it is a strong credential rather than a legal requirement, valued most for controllership, technical accounting and audit-facing roles. Employment is projected to grow 4.6% through 2034 with roughly 124,200 openings a year. → Full cpa career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $83,680 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- CPAs earn a national median $83,680/yr ($40.23/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 13-2011); the P10 to P90 range is $56,020 to $144,090.
- The $83,680 median counts 1,449,500 accountants and auditors regardless of licence status, most of whom are not CPAs — licensed accountants sit above that pooled midpoint and the gap widens with career stage.
- The licence is issued by state boards and typically requires 150 semester hours, passing the Uniform CPA Examination and qualifying experience under a licensed CPA, with continuing education thereafter.
- In public accounting the licence is effectively mandatory for progression past senior because attest work requires it; in industry it is a strong credential rather than a legal requirement.
US CPA Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do cpas earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 13-2011; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 13-2011, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a cpa earn at each career stage?
CPA pay follows career path and specialisation more than tenure, and the licence changes what is available at each step. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 13-2011, which pools licensed and unlicensed accountants together.
By State
Which states pay cpas the most in 2026?
State figures are modeled estimates — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers salary-calculator state wage index — not BLS state observations, and they carry the licensed-and-unlicensed pooling caveat. Licensure itself is genuinely state-specific: each state board sets its own education, experience and ethics requirements, and mobility between states depends on the reciprocity provisions in place where you want to practise.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($96,230), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
cpa pay by state — all 15 state guides
By Metro
Which cities pay cpas the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. Metro premiums are real in public accounting because firm office scales differ by market, and because large corporate finance functions concentrate in major metros.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a cpa’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does cpa pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. CPAs sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify cpa wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a cpa actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
CPA Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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