CPA Salary in 2027: What Certified Public Accountants Earn

If you want to know what a CPA makes, you won’t find a separate line for it in federal data. BLS counts CPAs inside accountants and auditors, the closest match, where the May 2025 median was $83,680. The top tenth earned more than $144,090, and that upper range is where licensed accountants tend to look.

Where Is a CPA Salary in the Federal Data?

A CPA is a license, not a job title, so BLS doesn’t count CPAs on their own. They sit in the accountants and auditors group along with people who never took the exam. Read every number on this page as pay for the whole group.

That’s less precise than a CPA-only figure would be, but it still gives you a solid picture of what you can expect.

Keep that in mind when you see a CPA salary on a job board. Ask where a single CPA number comes from before you trust it. The BLS group is the only federal source with a full spread.

What Does the Accountant Pay Range Say About Licensed Work?

The group’s pay runs from under $56,020 at the low end to over $144,090 at the top. The middle half falls between $67,020 and $109,810.

This part is our own reading, not a BLS finding. We think the top quarter is where senior roles gather. Senior jobs in public accounting and corporate finance ask for years of experience, and many ask for a license. If those are your targets, aim your expectations at the $109,810 line and above, not the $83,680 median.

For a second check, the group’s median is $40.23 an hour and its mean is $45.56. Over a full-time year, those match the annual numbers above.

What you’ll earn depends far more on the job than on the letters after your name. A licensed accountant doing routine bookkeeping review won’t out-earn an unlicensed one in a senior finance role.

How Should You Use These Numbers in a Job Offer?

Treat $83,680 as the middle of the market, not a CPA rate. If you hold the license and have several years of experience, an offer below that median deserves a question. If you’re a recent graduate still sitting for the exam, an offer near $67,020 is common for the group.

Ask what the employer pays for passing the exam and whether it covers fees and study time. Those details can be worth more than a few thousand dollars on the base. And ask which track the role is on, because the track decides how fast you reach the $109,810 line.

How Much Does a CPA Salary Change by State?

It changes a lot, and the biggest markets matter most. The District of Columbia has the highest median at $111,530. Colorado has $97,030, and Illinois has $80,230 across 54,930 jobs.

Texas has 116,470 jobs at a median of $80,920. Pennsylvania has 54,290 jobs at $79,000. Both states hire heavily, but pay sits near or below the national median.

At the bottom, Mississippi has a median of $68,100 and Arkansas has $66,330. The state table on this page covers every state, so check the one where you plan to work.

What Does the CPA License Add?

It adds access, and access turns into pay over time. BLS says certain roles, such as those in public accounting, can require a license. It also says other accountants can pursue credentials like the CPA to move up.

The license costs you time and money. You’ll take extra coursework, pay exam fees, study for months while you work, and put in supervised hours before the license is issued. Some people decide that effort isn’t worth it for the roles they want, and that’s a fair call.

We don’t cover the rules here because they differ by state and change over time. Our CPA requirements guide has them, and our CPA exam page covers the test itself.

Which Degree Gets You Closer to a CPA Salary?

Your degree has to satisfy your state board, so start with the board’s rules and pick a program second. Our list of accounting degrees for CPA candidates groups the programs that say they prepare you for the exam.

Ball State’s accounting degree is one example from that list. A master’s can meet the credit requirements too, and our master’s in accounting list shows those options.

Is the CPA Salary Growing?

Demand is steady. BLS expects accountant and auditor employment to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, which adds 79,400 jobs. BLS counted 1,449,500 of them in May 2025.

In your first role, look for a licensed colleague who can be your mentor, since they can show you what the exam and the work involve. If you want the day-to-day side, read how to become a CPA. If you want the general pay picture without the license angle, see our accountant salary page.