According to national compensation data collected by the salary survey database,PayScale, the average salary for accountants with an Associate’s in Accounting is approximately $51,000. Annual salaries for employees who hold an Associate’s in Accounting vary widely by location, years of experience, and job title, but most annual salaries fall somewhere in the range of $35,000 to $65,000.
Average Accounting Salaries by Location
Cost of living is one of the largest factors to determine the salary of accountants who hold an Associate’s in Accounting. Accountants who hold an Associate’s in Accounting and work in large cities tend to be compensated at higher rates than accountants who work in small towns, simply because higher salaries are necessary to meet the higher cost of living that comes with residing in an urban area. Similarly, average accounting salaries vary by state, as states that support larger populations, and usually more urban areas, tend to have higher average salaries for accountants with an Associate’s in Accounting than states that support smaller populations. The catch is that, due to competition that comes with working in urban areas and states that support higher population densities, it can be slightly more difficult for accountants with an Associate’s in Accounting to find jobs in these locations, especially if accountants who hold Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees are more plentiful.
Salaries Ranked by Location (per State)
- Massachusetts: $70,000
- California: $53,500
- Michigan: $52,080
- Pennsylvania: $49,855
- Texas: $49,000
- Ohio: $47,150
- New York: $45,500
Salaries Ranked by Location (per City)
Average Accounting Salaries by Years of Experience
Years of experience is another one of the biggest factors to determine the salary of accountants who hold an Associate’s in Accounting. Accountants who hold an Associate’s in Accounting and have worked consistently for longer periods of times tend to be compensated at higher rates than accountants who haven’t worked as consistently, simply because employers tend to award more skills and experience with higher salaries. Similarly, average accounting salaries vary widely by educational attainment, as employers tend to hire accountants with both education and experience, which is why it’s important to also consider the average salary for accountants with a bachelor’s and master’s degree when deciding on a degree. The catch is that, due to employers’ tendency to initially value years of experience before formal education, accountants with an Associate’s in Accounting and who have 4 years or more years of experience have the potential to land a job before someone who is fresh out of college and has little-to-no experience.
Salaries Ranked by Years of Experience
- 20 or more years: $52,729
- 10-19 years: $51,706
- 5-9 years: $41,093
- 1-4 years: $41,506
Average Accounting Salaries by Job Title
Job title is another one of the biggest factors to determine the salary of accountants who hold an Associate’s in Accounting. Accountants who hold an Associate’s in Accounting and work in a supervisory or managerial capacity tend to be compensated at higher rates than accountants hold an Associate’s in Accounting and work in a staff capacity, simply because employers tend to award those who take on job titles with leadership responsibilities and come with higher salaries. Similarly, average accounting salaries vary by level of fiduciary responsibility, as employees that are entrusted with a greater proportion of their organization’s finances tend to be awarded by their employers with higher salaries. The catch is that, due to employers’ tendency to entrust accountants with higher degrees of educational attainment with leadership roles, it can be slightly more difficult for accountants with an Associate’s in Accounting to earn jobs titles that are synonymous with supervisory or managerial responsibilities, unless of course they have more years of experience meeting those responsibilities.
Salaries Ranked by Job Title
- Assistant Controller: $65,823
- Financial Controller: $61,700
- Accounting Supervisor: $53,885
- Payroll Administrator: $51,784
- Staff Accountant: $49,400
- Accountant: $38,298
- Office Manager: $35,500
Resources
What Jobs Can I Get With an Associates in Accounting?
The 10 Best Accounting Associate’s Degrees Online
The Average Salary for Accountants with a Bachelor’s in Accounting
The Average Salary for Accountants with a Master’s in Accounting