Public Accounting Salary Range
Public accountants or CPAs, certified public accountants, work for corporations, small business and government offices. Some are self-employed and assist families and individuals on tax and investment issues. Public accountants are primary responsible for tracking a company's revenue and expenses and then developing various financial reports, including balance sheets and income and and loss statements. Public accountants also recommend various investments to reduce their companies' taxes. Public accountants usually earn annual salaries. Some receive incentive payments like bonuses and commissions.
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Average Annual Salary
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Public accounts earn salaries between $47,572 and $69,661, according to 2011 data from PayScale.com. Including incentives like bonuses, commissions and profit sharing, these professionals can earn up to $51,101 to $84,673. However, PayScale.com data reflects the 25th and 75th percentiles in its ranges. Therefore, the listed salary ranges are not true ranges. Additionally, a 2008 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that accountants and auditors, not necessarily CPAs, earn median annual salaries of $59,430. Median salaries are those that appear in the exact middle of lists.
Salary by Employer Type
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Public accountants' salaries can vary considerably by industry. For example, those working for the federal government earn some of the highest salaries at $49,634 to $98,827 per year, according to PayScale.com. Those who are self-employed also earn relatively high annual salaries at $45,504 to $91,149. Public accountants working as contractors also earn high salaries at $48,492 to $78,000, though these employees do not typically receive benefits. Additionally, accountants working for local school districts earn salaries of $39,381 to $77,511 per year; and those for local and state government offices earn annual salaries of $47,550 to $75,200.
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Salary by Company Sales
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Public accountants usually earn significantly higher salaries in larger companies versus smaller ones. For example, those working for companies with less than $500,000 in annual sales earn salaries between $41,183 and $65,636 per year, according to PayScale.com. Those working in companies with sales of $501,000 to $1.999 million earn salaries of $48,405 to $92,178. Additionally, public accountants working for companies with annual sales between $10 and $99 million earn salaries of $55,955 to $117,916 per year. And those working for companies with sales from $100 to $499 million earn $55,794 to $120,023 in annual salaries.
Salary by City
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Public accountants earn some of their highest annual salaries in New York City at $54,284 to $84,259, per PayScale.com. Those in Houston also earn relatively high salaries at $49,864 to $76,257 per year. Additionally, these professionals earn annual salaries of $51,133 to $75,949 in Chicago, $48,949 to $74,702 in Los Angeles, $49,795 to $73,407 in Boston, $49,023 to $69,858 in Dallas and $47,213 to $69,100 in Atlanta.
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References
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