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Accounting Officer Salary in the United States

How much does an Accounting Officer make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for an Accounting Officer in the United States is $231,163 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $111.

However, an Accounting Officer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $269,271
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $205,473 to $251,110
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $182,084
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Accounting Officer Salaries

An Accounting Officer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Accounting Officer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Accounting Officer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $116,911
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $159,083
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $193,580
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $232,947
  • Expert (over 8 years): $290,995
Levels Salary
Accountin... Level Accounting Officer$116,911
Accountin... Level Accounting Officer$159,083
Accountin... Level Accounting Officer$193,580
Accountin... Level Accounting Officer$232,947
SVP of Ac... Level Accounting Officer$290,995
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How Do Accounting Officer Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Accounting Officers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $255,944.
  • California: $254,973.
  • Massachusetts: $251,575.

Top Paying Cities for Accounting Officers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $291,566
  • San Francisco: $288,374
  • Oakland: $282,296

What Skills Can Increase an Accounting Officer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 4.23% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Prospecting (Mentioned in 2.13% Job Postings): Prospecting is the first stage of the geological analysis (second – exploration) of a territory. It is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking. Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by commercial mineral companies to find commercially viable ore deposits. Prospecting is physical labour, involving traversing (traditionally on foot or on horseback), panning, sifting and outcrop investigation, looking for signs of mineralisation. In some areas a prospector must also make claims, meaning they must erect posts with the appropriate placards on all four corners of a desired land they wish to prospect and register this claim before they may take samples. In other areas publicly held lands are open to prospecting without staking a mining claim.
  • Insurance Industry (Mentioned in 1.67% Job Postings): The insurance industry comprises companies and people who develop insurance policies, and sell, administrate, and regulate them.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 4.23%
Prospecting 2.13%
Insurance Industry 1.67%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an Accounting Officer's salary.

  • Underwriting: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.
  • Wholesale: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
  • B2B: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Underwriting $277,396
20%
Wholesale $265,837
15%
B2B $256,591
11%
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Accounting Officer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Accounting Officer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 57% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Financial Services and Telecom sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Accounting Officer positions in Software & Networking or Pharmaceuticals typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Accounting Officer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Accounting Officer

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Financial Services$300,512$144.030%
Telecom$282,019$136.022%
Aerospace & Defense$277,396$133.020%
Insurance$272,772$131.018%
Biotechnology$265,837$128.015%

How Education impacts an Accounting Officer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Accounting Officers enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Accounting Officer with a Bachelor's Degree is between $232,017 and $251,961).

Accounting Officer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Accounting Officer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 3.9%
High School 3.9%
Associates 3.9%
Bachelors 53.2%
Masters 37.7%
Doctorate 1.3%
View as Graph

Accounting Officer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Accounting Officer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$205,473
Average $231,163/year
$251,110
$17,123
Average $19,264/month
$20,926
$3,951
Average $4,445/week
$4,829
$99
Average $111/hour
$121
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $251,110 $20,926 $4,829 $121
Average $231,163 $19,264 $4,445 $111
25th Percentile $205,473 $17,123 $3,951 $99

Most common benefits for Accounting Officer

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Accounting Officer

Here are companies hiring for Accounting Officer and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Accounting Officer

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Accounting Officer?

The Financial Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Accounting Officer roles, with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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