What are the main factors that influence an Accountant/Cost Analyst's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change An Accountant/Cost Analyst's salary?

An Accountant/Cost Analyst's salary grows with experience: starting around $80,717 for beginners, reaching about $83,344 at mid-level, and approach $86,517 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for an Accountant/Cost Analyst?

Accountant/Cost Analyst salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Accountant/Cost Analyst roles are District of Columbia $93,449, California $93,095, Massachusetts $91,854. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

Accountant/Cost Analyst Salary in the United States

How much does an Accountant/Cost Analyst make in the United States? As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for an Accountant/Cost Analyst in the United States is $84,401 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $41.

However, an Accountant/Cost Analyst's salary can vary significantly. Here's a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $98,951
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $78,142 to $92,017
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $72,442

10% $72,442

50% (Median) $84,401

90% $98,951

Accountant/Cost Analyst Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$92,017	$7,668	$1,770	$44
Average	$84,401	$7,033	$1,623	$41
25th Percentile	$78,142	$6,512	$1,503	$38

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Key Factors That Influence Accountant/Cost Analyst Salaries

An Accountant/Cost Analyst'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 Accountant/Cost Analyst Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Accountant/Cost Analyst'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): $80,717
Early Career (1-2 years): $80,907
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $83,344
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $86,305
Expert (over 8 years): $86,517

Job Role	Years of Experience	Average Salary
Entry Level Accountant/Cost Analyst	less than 1 year	$80,717
Early Career Level Accountant/Cost Analyst	1-2 years	$80,907
Mid-Level Level Accountant/Cost Analyst	2-4 years	$83,344
Senior-Level Level Accountant/Cost Analyst	5-8 years	$86,305
Expert Level Accountant/Cost Analyst	over 8 years	$86,517

How Do Accountant/Cost Analyst 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 Accountant/Cost Analysts. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $93,449.
California: $93,095.
Massachusetts: $91,854.

District of Columbia $93,449 California $93,095 Massachusetts $91,854 Washington $91,516 New Jersey $91,483 Alaska $91,365 Connecticut $90,200 New York $89,727

Hawaii $88,216 Rhode Island $87,507 Maryland $87,026 Minnesota $86,368 Colorado $86,115 Illinois $86,030 Oregon $85,710 Delaware $85,473

New Hampshire $85,325 Virginia $84,992 Pennsylvania $84,022 Nevada $83,532 North Dakota $83,372 Michigan $83,118 Wisconsin $83,026 Vermont $82,840

Texas $82,325 Maine $82,291 Arizona $82,241 Ohio $82,182 Georgia $81,405 Indiana $81,017 Wyoming $80,941 Utah $80,823

Iowa $80,772 Kansas $80,367 Louisiana $80,249 North Carolina $80,207 Missouri $80,190 Florida $79,861 Montana $79,683 Nebraska $79,515

Kentucky $79,422 South Carolina $79,084 Tennessee $78,873 Idaho $78,789 New Mexico $78,173 Oklahoma $78,038 Alabama $77,540 South Dakota $76,704

Arkansas $76,248 West Virginia $76,003 Mississippi $75,269

Top Paying Cities for Accountant/Cost Analyst

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: $106,455
San Francisco: $105,290
Oakland: $103,071

San Jose, CA $106,455

San Francisco, CA $105,290

Oakland, CA $103,071

New York, NY $97,179

Paramus, NJ $95,997

Queens Village, NY $95,993

Passaic, NJ $95,913

Bergenfield, NJ $95,905

Stamford, CT $95,720

Huntington, NY $95,685

Newark, NJ $95,061

Bridgeport, CT $94,883

Vallejo, CA $94,715

New Brunswick, NJ $94,681

Petaluma, CA $94,631

Middlesex, NJ $94,470

Somerset, NJ $94,411

Santa Cruz, CA $94,302

Boston, MA $93,787

Monterey, CA $93,491

Seattle, WA $93,297

Santa Rosa, CA $93,280

Los Angeles, CA $93,255

Juneau, AK $93,036

Washington, DC $92,943

Orange, CA $92,642

Santa Ana, CA $92,420

Long Beach, CA $92,335

Anaheim, CA $92,318

Anchorage, AK $92,276

Santa Maria, CA $92,023

Everett, WA $92,006

Danbury, CT $91,709

Bremerton, WA $91,592

Tacoma, WA $91,289

New Suffolk, NY $91,287

Sacramento, CA $91,263

Santa Barbara, CA $91,170

San Diego, CA $91,078

Trenton, NJ $91,078

Brockton, MA $90,985

Fairbanks, AK $90,778

Lompoc, CA $90,563

Lowell, MA $90,494

Ventura, CA $90,478

Nashua, NH $90,461

Stockton, CA $90,453

Modesto, CA $89,837

Poughkeepsie, NY $89,651

Olympia, WA $89,491

Kennewick, WA $89,491

New Haven, CT $89,457

Lawrence, MA $89,153

Hartford, CT $89,069

Riverside, CA $89,052

New Bedford, MA $88,968

Richland, WA $88,968

Bakersfield, CA $88,849

San Bernardino, CA $88,816

New Britain, CT $88,807

Atlantic City, NJ $88,807

New London, CT $88,773

Norwich, CT $88,748

Portsmouth, NH $88,731

Boulder, CO $88,552

Portland, OR $88,436

Worcester, MA $88,427

Minneapolis, MN $88,166

Philadelphia, PA $88,048

Honolulu, HI $87,769

Saint Paul, MN $87,729

Vineland, NJ $87,710

Providence, RI $87,465

Chicago, IL $87,220

Bellingham, WA $87,119

Springfield, MA $87,052

Baltimore, MD $87,026

Chico, CA $86,815

Pittsfield, MA $86,587

Manchester, NH $86,427

Spokane, WA $86,056

Denver, CO $86,047

Albany, NY $85,651

Troy, NY $85,617

Nassau, NY $85,526

Schenectady, NY $85,440

Wilmington, DE $85,372

Burlington, VT $85,254

Salem, OR $85,220

Portland, ME $84,958

Yakima, WA $84,874

Rochester, MN $84,612

Reno, NV $84,570

Fresno, CA $84,570

Milwaukee, WI $84,494

Detroit, MI $84,410

Ann Arbor, MI $84,395

Allentown, PA $84,385

Colorado Springs, CO $84,241

Syracuse, NY $84,199

Carson City, NV $84,199

Houston, TX $84,081

Eugene, OR $84,038

Gary, IN $83,937

Springfield, OR $83,870

Bismarck, ND $83,853

Galveston, TX $83,794

Medford, OR $83,667

Fort Collins, CO $83,633

Concord, NH $83,591

Austin, TX $83,566

Mesa, AZ $83,389

Reading, PA $83,380

Phoenix, AZ $83,372

Dallas, TX $83,346

Saint Cloud, MN $83,265

Madison, WI $83,152

Utica, NY $82,924

Rochester, NY $82,789

Des Moines, IA $82,781

Raleigh, NC $82,772

Atlanta, GA $82,646

Battle Creek, MI $82,621

Salt Lake City, UT $82,595

Lancaster, PA $82,469

Harrisburg, PA $82,350

Kansas City, MO $82,266

Kansas City, KS $82,249

Champaign, IL $82,249

Fort Worth, TX $82,241

Columbus, OH $82,226

Boca Raton, FL $82,207

Pittsburgh, PA $82,173

Richmond, VA $82,139

Indianapolis, IN $82,123

Cleveland, OH $82,114

Las Vegas, NV $82,013

Cincinnati, OH $82,013

Petersburg, VA $81,886

Huntsville, AL $81,760

Lansing, MI $81,703

Lebanon, PA $81,692

Pueblo, CO $81,684

Appleton, WI $81,658

Buffalo, NY $81,625

Dayton, OH $81,599

Racine, WI $81,582

Charlotte, NC $81,574

Saint Louis, MO $81,549

York, PA $81,498

Elkhart, IN $81,498

Gastonia, NC $81,482

Billings, MT $81,462

Beaumont, TX $81,439

Lorain, OH $81,422

Benton Harbor, MI $81,405

Toledo, OH $81,388

Binghamton, NY $81,346

Rock Hill, SC $81,338

Rockford, IL $81,295

Springfield, IL $81,262

Elyria, OH $81,253

Fargo, ND $81,253

Flagstaff, AZ $81,194

Fort Lauderdale, FL $81,144

Duluth, MN $81,093

Miami, FL $81,093

Grand Forks, ND $81,034

Cheyenne, WY $81,034

Bangor, ME $80,848

Cedar Rapids, IA $80,755

Durham, NC $80,720

Louisville, KY $80,713

Grand Rapids, MI $80,696

Hialeah, FL $80,688

Casper, WY $80,570

Scranton, PA $80,468

New Orleans, LA $80,443

Virginia Beach, VA $80,435

Akron, OH $80,392

Peoria, IL $80,283

Sarasota, FL $80,266

Nashville, TN $80,207

Omaha, NE $80,207

Green Bay, WI $80,207

Baton Rouge, LA $80,164

Charleston, SC $80,148

Davenport, IA $80,105

Jamestown, NY $80,105

Tucson, AZ $80,063

Saint Petersburg, FL $80,013

Tampa, FL $79,996

Evansville, IN $79,945

Port Arthur, TX $79,945

Bradenton, FL $79,911

Santa Fe, NM $79,759

Orlando, FL $79,607

Clearwater, FL $79,582

La Crosse, WI $79,405

Canton, OH $79,405

Albuquerque, NM $79,354

Newport News, VA $79,346

High Point, NC $79,320

Ogden, UT $79,287

Corpus Christi, TX $79,219

Norfolk, VA $79,169

Laramie, WY $79,169

Rock Island, IL $79,118

Saginaw, MI $79,101

Jacksonville, FL $79,093

Salisbury, NC $79,076

Boise, ID $79,059

Moline, IL $79,017

Fort Myers, FL $78,991

Memphis, TN $78,974

Tulsa, OK $78,932

Waterloo, IA $78,882

Spartanburg, SC $78,797

Lincoln, NE $78,755

Fort Wayne, IN $78,738

Provo, UT $78,730

Cedar Falls, IA $78,628

San Antonio, TX $78,595

Greensboro, NC $78,561

South Bend, IN $78,552

Savannah, GA $78,460

Muskegon, MI $78,426

Birmingham, AL $78,417

Winston Salem, NC $78,376

Lake Charles, LA $78,173

Anderson, IN $78,156

Lexington, KY $78,130

Augusta, GA $78,105

Greenville, SC $78,105

Lima, OH $78,038

Wichita, KS $78,029

Tuscaloosa, AL $78,029

Columbia, SC $77,953

Springfield, OH $77,936

Asheville, NC $77,801

Bloomington, IN $77,742

Knoxville, TN $77,438

Shreveport, LA $77,430

Wilmington, NC $77,320

Roanoke, VA $77,320

Topeka, KS $77,168

Frankfort, KY $77,159

Oklahoma City, OK $77,101

Chillicothe, OH $77,067

Longview, TX $77,058

Melbourne, FL $77,050

Sioux Falls, SD $76,915

Mobile, AL $76,907

Terre Haute, IN $76,873

Altoona, PA $76,822

Amarillo, TX $76,763

Killeen, TX $76,738

Fayetteville, AR $76,670

Chattanooga, TN $76,645

Sioux City, IA $76,569

Idaho Falls, ID $76,552

Lynchburg, VA $76,485

Gainesville, FL $76,375

Portsmouth, OH $76,333

Little Rock, AR $76,316

Lafayette, LA $76,282

Youngstown, OH $76,282

Daytona Beach, FL $76,231

Clarksville, TN $76,223

Pensacola, FL $76,214

Temple, TX $76,209

Hopkinsville, KY $75,961

Erie, PA $75,944

Florence, SC $75,911

Charleston, WV $75,776

Great Falls, MT $75,733

Macon, GA $75,615

Tallahassee, FL $75,607

Fayetteville, NC $75,590

Waco, TX $75,573

Helena, MT $75,514

Pine Bluff, AR $75,482

Vincennes, IN $75,379

Lubbock, TX $75,345

Alamogordo, NM $75,294

Twin Falls, ID $75,219

Rapid City, SD $75,193

Jackson, MS $75,041

Huntington, WV $75,035

Greenville, MS $75,033

Parkersburg, WV $74,947

Montgomery, AL $74,932

Wichita Falls, TX $74,847

Springfield, MO $74,847

Biloxi, MS $74,805

Monroe, LA $74,721

Johnstown, PA $74,661

Sumter, SC $74,628

Columbus, GA $74,619

Pascagoula, MS $74,459

Abilene, TX $74,459

Kingsport, TN $74,239

Albany, GA $74,239

Gulfport, MS $74,214

Alexandria, LA $73,936

Fort Smith, AR $73,725

El Paso, TX $73,497

Las Cruces, NM $73,117

Harlingen, TX $72,903

Pocatello, ID $72,889

Florence, AL $72,779

Brownsville, TX $72,762

Mcallen, TX $72,585

Dothan, AL $72,467

Columbus, MS $71,966

Altus, OK $71,572

Lawton, OK $71,412

Pierre, SD $71,108

Accountant/Cost Analyst Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Accountant/Cost Analyst roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Financial Services and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average. In contrast, Accountant/Cost Analyst positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Transportation typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Accountant/Cost Analyst as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Accountant/Cost Analyst

Industry Sector	Average Annual Salary	Average Hourly Rate	Pay vs.Avg
Financial Services	$118,162	$57.0	40%
Biotechnology	$113,942	$55.0	35%
Energy & Utilities	$109,722	$53.0	30%
Insurance	$105,502	$51.0	25%
Internet	$102,970	$50.0	22%

How Education impacts an Accountant/Cost Analyst's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Accountant/Cost Analyst professionals enter the field with a Bachelor's 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 Accountant/Cost Analyst with a Bachelor's is between $77,761 and $83,170.

Accountant/Cost Analyst Salaries by Degree Level

$84,400
$83,500
$82,500
$81,600
$80,600
$79,700
$78,800
$77,800

Typical Education for Accountant/Cost Analyst
Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Degree	4%
High School	4%
Associate's Degree	4%
Bachelor's Degree	66.7%
Master's Degree or MBA	25.3%
JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent	0%

View as Graph

Accountant/Cost Analyst Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Accountant/Cost Analyst'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.

$78,142

Average $84,401/year

$92,017

$6,512

Average $7,033/month

$7,668

$1,503

Average $1,623/week

$1,770

$38

Average $41/hour

$44

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$92,017	$7,668	$1,770	$44
Average	$84,401	$7,033	$1,623	$41
25th Percentile	$78,142	$6,512	$1,503	$38

Salary Trends for Accountant/Cost Analyst

Salaries for an Accountant/Cost Analyst can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $75,722 in 2023 to around $75,030 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Accountant/Cost Analyst salary trends, click here.

Average Annual Salary of Accountant/Cost Analyst Over Time

$???
$75,722
$75,427
$75,030
$???
$???

2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$75,722
2024	$75,427
2025	$75,030

Most common benefits for Accountant/Cost Analyst

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

Common company salaries for Accountant/Cost Analyst

Here are companies hiring for Accountant/Cost Analyst and their salaries, click below for more details.

C $128,509/per year

C R Bard Inc Biotechnology United States

H $124,697/per year

Henry Schein Canada Biotechnology United States

N $123,899/per year

Nordex Inc Biotechnology United States

N $120,416/per year

Nipro Corp Biotechnology United States

E $115,870/per year

Enovis Biotechnology United States

A $114,553/per year

Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy Biotechnology United States

M $112,110/per year

MiniMed Inc Biotechnology United States

L $111,500/per year

Labcorp Drug Development Biotechnology United States

L $110,229/per year

Life Technologies Corp Biotechnology United States

Z $106,224/per year

Zimmer Biomet Biotechnology United States

P $103,077/per year

Promontory Therapeutics Biotechnology United States

S $102,181/per year

Steris PLC Biotechnology United States

G $97,274/per year

Gavin Conferences Pty Ltd Biotechnology United States

E $94,764/per year

Endeavor BioMedicines Biotechnology United States

R $94,402/per year

Replay Holdings LLC Biotechnology United States

P $94,235/per year

Pleno Inc Biotechnology United States

S $93,666/per year

Simulaids Inc Biotechnology United States

N $88,880/per year

NOIRLab/CAS Biotechnology United States

O $86,468/per year

Onward Technology Biotechnology United States

L $84,895/per year

LED Medical Diagnostics Inc Biotechnology United States

E $84,682/per year

Eyeco Ltd Biotechnology United States

P $84,523/per year

Paerosol Biotechnology United States

I $83,525/per year

IONIQ Sciences Inc Biotechnology United States

S $82,815/per year

Stateside PPE Biotechnology United States

D $82,041/per year

Digi Bio Biotechnology United States

Find Your Next Accountant/Cost Analyst Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Accountant/Cost Analyst job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

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FAQ about Accountant/Cost Analyst

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Accountant/Cost Analyst?

The Financial Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Accountant/Cost Analyst roles, with salaries approximately 40% 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.

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