Accounting Salary Scale

Like most careers, the salary ranges in accounting are dependent on several variables, the largest of which is experience. No matter what field you're in, experience will always improve your chances of attaining a higher salary. Unfortunately, experience doesn't appear over night. It takes years to develop expertise in a field, which is why the Salary Ranges in Accounting mostly favor those with over 20 years of experience. But that doesn't mean you have to twiddle your thumbs in quiet anticipation for the accounting salary scale to slide your way. If you're truly seeking to reach the highest salary ranges in accounting, there are several variables you can work with to tip the accounting salary scale in your favor.

Salary Ranges in Accounting by Location

Looking at Salary Ranges in Accounting by State, California and New York are neck and neck. California leads with the highest median salary by only a small margin of about $1,000. However, if you take a closer look at the Salary Ranges in Accounting by City, you'll notice that New York City offers the highest salary ranges in accounting, while Los Angeles weighs in second on the accounting salary scale. Looking at the Average U.S. Salary by City, you'll notice that New York and Los Angeles actually offer the highest salaries in the U.S. The bad news is that Los Angeles and New York also have two of the highest costs of living in the United States. Any salary boost you obtain from relocating could end up paying for your increased living expenses. To get an idea of what city will offer you the best balance of living expenses and salary ranges in accounting, check out PayScale's Cost of Living Calculator.

Salary Ranges in Accounting by Certification

If you're considering accounting and finance careers, it's highly recommended that you obtain an accounting certification. There are several certification options available, all of which are crucial assets for advancing in accounting and finance careers. An accounting certification will not only demonstrate your qualifications, thereby increasing your likeliness of landing a job, but will also increase your value to a company, thus pushing you toward higher salary ranges in accounting. The most popular and widely recommended certification in the U.S. is the CPA (Certified Public Accountant). A CPA permit allows an accountant to supply auditing, accounting, and tax services to the public. If you take a look at the Accounting Salary Scale for CPAs by Experience, you'll notice that median CPA salaries are well over the median Salary Ranges in Accounting for those who are not certified as a CPA. Part of the CPA salary boost has to do with the fact that a CPA certificate opens the door to a broader range of accounting and finance careers. The CPA Salaries by Job report shows that the median salary for a Chief Financial Officer is over $122,000.

More Accounting and Finance Careers

The abundance of current openings in accounting and finance, combined with great salary prospects, have many people flocking toward accounting and finance careers. For those who are attracted to the internal workings of business, accounting and finance careers offer the opportunity to contribute to the overall balance of a company with special attention to financial figures and details. By keeping close tabs on business finances, expenditures, and budgets, those in accounting and finance careers enable companies to steadily grow and prosper.

Those who are interested in pursuing accounting and finance careers have a number of options. Be sure to view PayScale's salary data for various accounting and finance careers, including Accounting Supervisor Jobs, Auditing Careers, and Cost Accounting Managers.