How much does a Research Accountant make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Research Accountant in the United States is $61,428 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.
However, a Research Accountant's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $70,761
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $56,272 to $66,313
Key Factors That Influence Research Accountant Salaries
A Research Accountant'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 Research Accountant Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Research Accountant'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:
How Do Research Accountant 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 Research Accountants. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $68,013.
California: $67,755.
Massachusetts: $66,852.
District of Columbia$68,013
California$67,755
Massachusetts$66,852
Washington$66,606
New Jersey$66,582
Alaska$66,496
Connecticut$65,648
New York$65,304
Hawaii$64,205
Rhode Island$63,689
Maryland$63,339
Minnesota$62,859
Colorado$62,675
Illinois$62,614
Oregon$62,380
Delaware$62,208
New Hampshire$62,100
Virginia$61,858
Pennsylvania$61,152
Nevada$60,795
North Dakota$60,679
Michigan$60,494
Wisconsin$60,427
Vermont$60,292
Texas$59,917
Maine$59,892
Arizona$59,856
Ohio$59,813
Georgia$59,247
Indiana$58,965
Wyoming$58,910
Utah$58,824
Iowa$58,787
Kansas$58,492
Louisiana$58,406
North Carolina$58,375
Missouri$58,363
Florida$58,123
Montana$57,994
Nebraska$57,871
Kentucky$57,804
South Carolina$57,558
Tennessee$57,405
Idaho$57,343
New Mexico$56,895
Oklahoma$56,796
Alabama$56,434
South Dakota$55,826
Arkansas$55,494
West Virginia$55,316
Mississippi$54,782
Top Paying Cities for Research Accountants
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: $77,479
San Francisco: $76,631
Oakland: $75,016
San Jose, CA$77,479
San Francisco, CA$76,631
Oakland, CA$75,016
New York, NY$70,728
Paramus, NJ$69,868
Queens Village, NY$69,865
Passaic, NJ$69,806
Bergenfield, NJ$69,801
Stamford, CT$69,666
Huntington, NY$69,640
Newark, NJ$69,186
Bridgeport, CT$69,057
Vallejo, CA$68,935
New Brunswick, NJ$68,910
Petaluma, CA$68,873
Middlesex, NJ$68,756
Somerset, NJ$68,713
Santa Cruz, CA$68,634
Boston, MA$68,259
Monterey, CA$68,043
Seattle, WA$67,903
Santa Rosa, CA$67,890
Los Angeles, CA$67,872
Juneau, AK$67,712
Washington, DC$67,645
Orange, CA$67,426
Santa Ana, CA$67,264
Long Beach, CA$67,202
Anaheim, CA$67,190
Anchorage, AK$67,159
Santa Maria, CA$66,975
Everett, WA$66,963
Danbury, CT$66,747
Bremerton, WA$66,662
Tacoma, WA$66,441
New Suffolk, NY$66,439
Sacramento, CA$66,422
Santa Barbara, CA$66,355
Trenton, NJ$66,287
San Diego, CA$66,287
Brockton, MA$66,219
Fairbanks, AK$66,069
Lompoc, CA$65,912
Lowell, MA$65,863
Ventura, CA$65,851
Nashua, NH$65,839
Stockton, CA$65,832
Modesto, CA$65,384
Poughkeepsie, NY$65,249
Olympia, WA$65,132
Kennewick, WA$65,132
New Haven, CT$65,108
Lawrence, MA$64,887
Hartford, CT$64,825
Riverside, CA$64,813
New Bedford, MA$64,751
Richland, WA$64,751
Bakersfield, CA$64,665
San Bernardino, CA$64,641
New Britain, CT$64,635
Atlantic City, NJ$64,635
New London, CT$64,610
Norwich, CT$64,592
Portsmouth, NH$64,579
Boulder, CO$64,449
Portland, OR$64,364
Worcester, MA$64,358
Minneapolis, MN$64,168
Philadelphia, PA$64,082
Honolulu, HI$63,879
Saint Paul, MN$63,850
Vineland, NJ$63,836
Providence, RI$63,658
Chicago, IL$63,480
Bellingham, WA$63,406
Springfield, MA$63,357
Baltimore, MD$63,339
Chico, CA$63,185
Pittsfield, MA$63,019
Manchester, NH$62,902
Spokane, WA$62,632
Denver, CO$62,626
Albany, NY$62,337
Troy, NY$62,313
Nassau, NY$62,247
Schenectady, NY$62,184
Wilmington, DE$62,135
Burlington, VT$62,049
Salem, OR$62,024
Portland, ME$61,834
Yakima, WA$61,772
Rochester, MN$61,582
Reno, NV$61,551
Fresno, CA$61,551
Milwaukee, WI$61,496
Detroit, MI$61,434
Ann Arbor, MI$61,424
Allentown, PA$61,416
Colorado Springs, CO$61,311
Syracuse, NY$61,281
Carson City, NV$61,281
Houston, TX$61,195
Eugene, OR$61,164
Gary, IN$61,090
Springfield, OR$61,041
Bismarck, ND$61,029
Galveston, TX$60,986
Medford, OR$60,894
Fort Collins, CO$60,869
Concord, NH$60,838
Austin, TX$60,820
Mesa, AZ$60,691
Reading, PA$60,685
Phoenix, AZ$60,679
Dallas, TX$60,660
Saint Cloud, MN$60,601
Madison, WI$60,519
Utica, NY$60,353
Rochester, NY$60,255
Des Moines, IA$60,249
Raleigh, NC$60,243
Atlanta, GA$60,150
Battle Creek, MI$60,132
Salt Lake City, UT$60,114
Lancaster, PA$60,021
Harrisburg, PA$59,935
Kansas City, MO$59,874
Champaign, IL$59,862
Kansas City, KS$59,862
Fort Worth, TX$59,856
Columbus, OH$59,845
Boca Raton, FL$59,831
Pittsburgh, PA$59,806
Richmond, VA$59,782
Indianapolis, IN$59,770
Cleveland, OH$59,763
Las Vegas, NV$59,690
Cincinnati, OH$59,690
Petersburg, VA$59,598
Huntsville, AL$59,505
Lansing, MI$59,464
Lebanon, PA$59,456
Pueblo, CO$59,450
Appleton, WI$59,432
Buffalo, NY$59,407
Dayton, OH$59,389
Racine, WI$59,376
Charlotte, NC$59,370
Saint Louis, MO$59,352
York, PA$59,315
Elkhart, IN$59,315
Gastonia, NC$59,303
Billings, MT$59,289
Beaumont, TX$59,272
Lorain, OH$59,260
Benton Harbor, MI$59,247
Toledo, OH$59,235
Binghamton, NY$59,204
Rock Hill, SC$59,198
Rockford, IL$59,168
Springfield, IL$59,143
Elyria, OH$59,137
Fargo, ND$59,137
Flagstaff, AZ$59,094
Fort Lauderdale, FL$59,057
Duluth, MN$59,020
Miami, FL$59,020
Cheyenne, WY$58,977
Grand Forks, ND$58,977
Bangor, ME$58,842
Cedar Rapids, IA$58,774
Durham, NC$58,749
Louisville, KY$58,744
Grand Rapids, MI$58,731
Hialeah, FL$58,725
Casper, WY$58,639
Scranton, PA$58,566
New Orleans, LA$58,547
Virginia Beach, VA$58,541
Akron, OH$58,510
Peoria, IL$58,430
Sarasota, FL$58,418
Nashville, TN$58,375
Omaha, NE$58,375
Green Bay, WI$58,375
Baton Rouge, LA$58,344
Charleston, SC$58,332
Jamestown, NY$58,301
Davenport, IA$58,301
Tucson, AZ$58,271
Saint Petersburg, FL$58,234
Tampa, FL$58,222
Evansville, IN$58,185
Port Arthur, TX$58,185
Bradenton, FL$58,160
Santa Fe, NM$58,050
Orlando, FL$57,939
Clearwater, FL$57,921
Canton, OH$57,792
La Crosse, WI$57,792
Albuquerque, NM$57,755
Newport News, VA$57,749
High Point, NC$57,730
Ogden, UT$57,706
Corpus Christi, TX$57,656
Norfolk, VA$57,620
Laramie, WY$57,620
Rock Island, IL$57,583
Saginaw, MI$57,570
Jacksonville, FL$57,564
Salisbury, NC$57,552
Boise, ID$57,540
Moline, IL$57,509
Fort Myers, FL$57,491
Memphis, TN$57,478
Tulsa, OK$57,448
Waterloo, IA$57,411
Spartanburg, SC$57,349
Lincoln, NE$57,319
Fort Wayne, IN$57,306
Provo, UT$57,300
Cedar Falls, IA$57,226
San Antonio, TX$57,202
Greensboro, NC$57,177
South Bend, IN$57,171
Savannah, GA$57,104
Muskegon, MI$57,079
Birmingham, AL$57,073
Winston Salem, NC$57,043
Lake Charles, LA$56,895
Anderson, IN$56,882
Lexington, KY$56,864
Augusta, GA$56,846
Greenville, SC$56,846
Lima, OH$56,796
Wichita, KS$56,790
Tuscaloosa, AL$56,790
Columbia, SC$56,735
Springfield, OH$56,723
Asheville, NC$56,624
Bloomington, IN$56,581
Knoxville, TN$56,360
Shreveport, LA$56,354
Wilmington, NC$56,274
Roanoke, VA$56,274
Topeka, KS$56,164
Frankfort, KY$56,157
Oklahoma City, OK$56,115
Chillicothe, OH$56,090
Longview, TX$56,084
Melbourne, FL$56,078
Sioux Falls, SD$55,979
Mobile, AL$55,973
Terre Haute, IN$55,949
Altoona, PA$55,912
Amarillo, TX$55,869
Killeen, TX$55,850
Fayetteville, AR$55,801
Chattanooga, TN$55,783
Sioux City, IA$55,728
Idaho Falls, ID$55,715
Lynchburg, VA$55,666
Gainesville, FL$55,586
Portsmouth, OH$55,556
Little Rock, AR$55,543
Lafayette, LA$55,519
Youngstown, OH$55,519
Daytona Beach, FL$55,482
Clarksville, TN$55,476
Pensacola, FL$55,470
Temple, TX$55,465
Hopkinsville, KY$55,285
Erie, PA$55,273
Florence, SC$55,248
Charleston, WV$55,150
Great Falls, MT$55,119
Macon, GA$55,033
Tallahassee, FL$55,027
Fayetteville, NC$55,015
Waco, TX$55,003
Helena, MT$54,960
Pine Bluff, AR$54,936
Vincennes, IN$54,861
Lubbock, TX$54,837
Alamogordo, NM$54,800
Twin Falls, ID$54,745
Rapid City, SD$54,726
Jackson, MS$54,616
Huntington, WV$54,611
Greenville, MS$54,610
Parkersburg, WV$54,547
Montgomery, AL$54,536
Wichita Falls, TX$54,474
Springfield, MO$54,474
Biloxi, MS$54,444
Monroe, LA$54,382
Johnstown, PA$54,339
Sumter, SC$54,315
Columbus, GA$54,309
Pascagoula, MS$54,192
Abilene, TX$54,192
Kingsport, TN$54,032
Albany, GA$54,032
Gulfport, MS$54,014
Alexandria, LA$53,811
Fort Smith, AR$53,657
El Paso, TX$53,492
Las Cruces, NM$53,215
Harlingen, TX$53,059
Pocatello, ID$53,049
Florence, AL$52,969
Brownsville, TX$52,957
Mcallen, TX$52,828
Dothan, AL$52,742
Columbus, MS$52,377
Altus, OK$52,091
Lawton, OK$51,974
Pierre, SD$51,753
What Skills Can Increase a Research Accountant's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 5.06% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
CPA (Mentioned in 2.85% Job Postings): A CPA, or Certified Public Accountant, is a trusted financial advisor who helps individuals, businesses, and other organizations plan and reach their financial goals.
Bookkeeping (Mentioned in 1.48% Job Postings): Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions, and is part of the process of accounting in business. Transactions include purchases, sales, receipts, and payments by an individual person or an organization/corporation. There are several standard methods of bookkeeping, including the single-entry and double-entry bookkeeping systems. While these may be viewed as "real" bookkeeping, any process for recording financial transactions is a bookkeeping process. Bookkeeping is the work of a bookkeeper (or book-keeper), who records the day-to-day financial transactions of a business. They usually write the daybooks (which contain records of sales, purchases, receipts, and payments), and document each financial transaction, whether cash or credit, into the correct daybook—that is, petty cash book, suppliers ledger, customer ledger, etc.—and the general ledger. Thereafter, an accountant can create financial reports from the information recorded by the bookkeeper.
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 a Research Accountant's salary.
Coordination: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Research Accountant Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Research Accountant roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 110% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Software & Networking and Financial Services
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 35% above the average.
In contrast, Research Accountant positions in Transportation or Telecom typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Research Accountant as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Research Accountant
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking
$82,928
$40.0
35%
Financial Services
$79,857
$38.0
30%
Biotechnology
$76,785
$37.0
25%
Pharmaceuticals
$76,785
$37.0
25%
Energy & Utilities
$73,714
$35.0
20%
How Education impacts a Research Accountant's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Research Accountants enter the field with a Associate'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 a Research Accountant with a Associate's Degree is between
$59,751
and $63,023).
Research Accountant Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Research Accountant'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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$56,272
Average$61,428/year
$66,313
$4,689
Average$5,119/month
$5,526
$1,082
Average$1,181/week
$1,275
$27
Average$30/hour
$32
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$66,313
$5,526
$1,275
$32
Average
$61,428
$5,119
$1,181
$30
25th Percentile
$56,272
$4,689
$1,082
$27
Salaries of Jobs related to Research Accountant
Accountant V$140,907
Senior Accountant$83,890
Plant Accountant$82,136
Intermediate Accountant$72,390
Accountant II$72,361
Accountant/Project Accountant$68,880
Jr Accountant$62,302
Entry Accountant$62,300
Junior Accountant$62,273
Accountant/Accountant Executive$42,873
Salary Trends for Research Accountant
Salaries for a Research Accountant can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $54,393 in 2023
to around $54,099 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Research Accountant salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Research Accountant Over Time
$???
$54,393
$54,307
$54,099
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$54,393
2024
$54,307
2025
$54,099
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Research Accountant
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Research Accountant
Here are companies hiring for Research Accountant and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Research Accountant
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Research Accountant?
The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Research Accountant roles,
with salaries approximately 35% 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.
