Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

13-2011 Accountants and Auditors

Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others. Install or advise on systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data. Excludes "Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents" (13-2081).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
1,085,150 0.5 % $33.72 $70,130 0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $19.06 $23.52 $30.22 $40.01 $52.82
Annual Wage (2) $39,640 $48,920 $62,850 $83,210 $109,870


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 284,070 34.22 $36.09 $75,060
Management of Companies and Enterprises 78,040 4.10 $33.72 $70,150
Local Government (OES Designation) 40,240 0.73 $29.03 $60,380
State Government (OES Designation) 38,430 1.69 $26.93 $56,020
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 26,030 2.47 $37.08 $77,130

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 284,070 34.22 $36.09 $75,060
Other Investment Pools and Funds 2,770 7.06 $37.72 $78,460
Other Financial Investment Activities 17,290 5.04 $40.06 $83,320
Office Administrative Services 18,880 4.67 $33.06 $68,760
Land Subdivision 2,100 4.39 $33.48 $69,630

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Drycleaning and Laundry Services 310 0.10 $43.88 $91,260
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 23,700 1.15 $43.24 $89,930
Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers 480 1.01 $42.45 $88,290
Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage 7,730 1.67 $41.07 $85,420
Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills (8) (8) $40.82 $84,900


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 121,590 8.66 1.02 $36.02 $74,910
New York 92,630 10.99 1.30 $40.90 $85,070
Texas 83,560 8.11 0.96 $33.71 $70,120
Florida 71,420 9.99 1.18 $31.46 $65,440
Pennsylvania 51,730 9.32 1.10 $33.97 $70,650




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 9,820 15.23 1.80 $41.36 $86,030
Colorado 29,760 13.66 1.61 $34.76 $72,300
Delaware 4,520 11.19 1.32 $31.78 $66,100
New York 92,630 10.99 1.30 $40.90 $85,070
Massachusetts 33,370 10.57 1.25 $36.75 $76,430




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 9,820 15.23 1.80 $41.36 $86,030
New York 92,630 10.99 1.30 $40.90 $85,070
New Jersey 34,380 9.12 1.08 $39.06 $81,250
Massachusetts 33,370 10.57 1.25 $36.75 $76,430
Maryland 23,220 9.36 1.11 $36.36 $75,630





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 64,450 12.73 1.51 $43.13 $89,720
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 35,840 9.37 1.11 $35.72 $74,290
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 30,190 13.07 1.54 $40.35 $83,930
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 29,190 8.15 0.96 $35.94 $74,760
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 24,550 9.62 1.14 $35.72 $74,300
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 22,800 13.61 1.61 $38.02 $79,090
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 22,780 10.23 1.21 $34.96 $72,710
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 21,220 11.69 1.38 $37.84 $78,700
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 20,370 9.96 1.18 $35.62 $74,080
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 20,260 16.87 1.99 $36.14 $75,160




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Tallahassee, FL 2,750 17.38 2.05 $24.94 $51,880
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 20,260 16.87 1.99 $36.14 $75,160
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 5,910 14.41 1.70 $37.10 $77,170
Olympia, WA 1,360 14.33 1.69 $27.02 $56,200
Montgomery, AL 2,170 13.79 1.63 $30.02 $62,440
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 22,800 13.61 1.61 $38.02 $79,090
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 13,010 13.55 1.60 $41.46 $86,230
Boulder, CO 2,050 13.19 1.56 $35.82 $74,510
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 30,190 13.07 1.54 $40.35 $83,930
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 7,080 12.75 1.51 $39.00 $81,130




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 64,450 12.73 1.51 $43.13 $89,720
Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division 10,100 10.64 1.26 $41.88 $87,120
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division 11,790 9.75 1.15 $41.67 $86,670
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 13,010 13.55 1.60 $41.46 $86,230
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 8,800 10.04 1.19 $41.15 $85,600
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL 410 9.18 1.09 $40.65 $84,550
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 30,190 13.07 1.54 $40.35 $83,930
Salinas, CA 620 4.09 0.48 $39.61 $82,390
Ocean City, NJ 130 3.54 0.42 $39.44 $82,040
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 7,080 12.75 1.51 $39.00 $81,130

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 1,910 5.03 0.59 $26.12 $54,330
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area 1,520 5.49 0.65 $30.55 $63,540
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area 1,440 6.54 0.77 $29.63 $61,620
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 1,420 4.85 0.57 $30.40 $63,230
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 1,270 4.62 0.55 $30.16 $62,730

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 450 12.72 1.50 $32.48 $67,560
Central South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 380 11.83 1.40 $24.94 $51,860
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 810 11.30 1.34 $29.36 $61,070
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 790 10.92 1.29 $35.75 $74,360
Southwestern Montana nonmetropolitan area 1,190 10.20 1.21 $25.77 $53,590

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Western Central Nevada nonmetropolitan area 160 4.50 0.53 $39.61 $82,390
Southwest Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 80 6.27 0.74 $37.09 $77,150
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 790 10.92 1.29 $35.75 $74,360
Los Alamos County, New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 100 6.33 0.75 $34.98 $72,770
St. Mary's County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 200 4.71 0.56 $34.89 $72,570


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012