Median annual wage
$97,050
Official BLS data · Salary Explorer
Accountant and Auditor Salary in California
See the latest Accountant and Auditor salary data for California from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including median and mean pay, wage percentiles, employment, U.S. comparison, and local-area estimates.
Mean annual wage
$103,760
Median hourly wage
$46.66
Employment
175,360
State vs. U.S.
California Salary Compared With the U.S.
The median annual wage for Accountants and Auditors in California is 16.0% higher than the national median in the same OEWS release.
California median$97,050
U.S. median$83,680
This comparison describes the reported wage difference. It does not by itself establish why the difference exists.
Wage distribution
Accountants and Auditors Salary Range in California
Percentiles show positions in the reported wage distribution. They are not direct measures of years of experience.
10th$61,770
25th$75,810
Median$97,050
75th$125,850
90th$160,520
Visual comparison
Wage Distribution at a Glance
This chart uses the same BLS annual wage percentiles shown above. Longer bars represent higher annual wage estimates.
Local comparison
Highest-Paying Areas for Accountants and Auditors in California
These are the highest median annual wages among the 20 matching metropolitan or nonmetropolitan areas available to this page from the same BLS release.
| Area | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $121,700 | $128,520 | 13,180 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $110,730 | $120,780 | 25,170 |
| Napa, CA | $99,640 | $103,790 | 520 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $96,340 | $103,810 | 13,450 |
| Vallejo, CA | $95,800 | $99,420 | 690 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $94,690 | $101,960 | 1,740 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $94,360 | $99,740 | 70,640 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $92,110 | $94,950 | 13,170 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $91,610 | $98,350 | 1,510 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $90,340 | $97,190 | 2,530 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $88,160 | $94,600 | 860 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $84,920 | $94,640 | 740 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $83,920 | $91,800 | 9,240 |
| Salinas, CA | $83,810 | $95,570 | 1,050 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $83,570 | $93,820 | 1,420 |
| Modesto, CA | $83,560 | $93,000 | 1,200 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $82,140 | $90,150 | 720 |
| Merced, CA | $80,420 | $88,230 | 360 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $79,620 | $89,590 | 1,870 |
| Visalia, CA | $79,400 | $86,120 | 870 |
#1
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Median annual$121,700
Mean annual$128,520
Employment13,180
#2
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
Median annual$110,730
Mean annual$120,780
Employment25,170
#3
Napa, CA
Median annual$99,640
Mean annual$103,790
Employment520
#4
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Median annual$96,340
Mean annual$103,810
Employment13,450
#5
Vallejo, CA
Median annual$95,800
Mean annual$99,420
Employment690
#6
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
Median annual$94,690
Mean annual$101,960
Employment1,740
#7
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Median annual$94,360
Mean annual$99,740
Employment70,640
#8
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
Median annual$92,110
Mean annual$94,950
Employment13,170
#9
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Median annual$91,610
Mean annual$98,350
Employment1,510
#10
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
Median annual$90,340
Mean annual$97,190
Employment2,530
#11
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
Median annual$88,160
Mean annual$94,600
Employment860
#12
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Median annual$84,920
Mean annual$94,640
Employment740
#13
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Median annual$83,920
Mean annual$91,800
Employment9,240
#14
Salinas, CA
Median annual$83,810
Mean annual$95,570
Employment1,050
#15
Stockton-Lodi, CA
Median annual$83,570
Mean annual$93,820
Employment1,420
#16
Modesto, CA
Median annual$83,560
Mean annual$93,000
Employment1,200
#17
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area
Median annual$82,140
Mean annual$90,150
Employment720
#18
Merced, CA
Median annual$80,420
Mean annual$88,230
Employment360
#19
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
Median annual$79,620
Mean annual$89,590
Employment1,870
#20
Visalia, CA
Median annual$79,400
Mean annual$86,120
Employment870
Area estimates can include metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Cross-state metropolitan areas may span more than one state.
How Much Do Accountants and Auditors Make in California?
According to the OEWS figures used on this page, the median annual wage for Accountants and Auditors in California is $97,050, while the mean annual wage is $103,760. The employment estimate is 175,360. These measures describe the occupation in the BLS dataset and should not be read as a guaranteed salary for an individual worker.
How California Compares With the U.S.
The national median in the same release is $83,680. That puts the California median about 16% above the U.S. median. This is a direct comparison of reported wage estimates; the data alone do not establish the reasons for the difference.
How to Read the Wage Percentiles
The annual wage distribution runs from $61,770 at the 10th percentile to $160,520 at the 90th percentile. Percentiles describe positions in the wage distribution. They should not automatically be treated as experience levels, so the 10th percentile is not necessarily an entry-level salary.
How to Use This Data
Use the state median, national comparison, wage percentiles, and local-area estimates together when researching pay. Actual compensation can vary by employer, schedule, specialty, experience, and other factors not directly measured on this page. The calculator provides a simple gross-pay conversion and is an estimate rather than a prediction of take-home pay.
Tool
Salary Calculator
Convert hourly and annual gross pay for a simple 40-hour-week benchmark. This does not estimate taxes, overtime, bonuses, benefits, or deductions.
Calculated annual equivalents may differ slightly from published BLS annual wages because hourly figures are rounded.
Quick answers
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median salary for Accountant and Auditor in California?
The median annual wage in the May 2025 OEWS data shown on this page is $97,050.
What is the median hourly wage?
The median hourly wage shown for Accountants and Auditors in California is $46.66.
Is the 10th percentile an entry-level salary?
No. The 10th percentile describes a point in the wage distribution; OEWS does not make it a direct measure of experience level.
How often is this page checked?
Curiworld Data checks the source on a scheduled basis and records the last successful update. New values are validated before they are approved for indexing.
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Related Salary Data
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Transparency
Methodology & Sources
Primary source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS).
Data period: May 2025
Last successful update: Aug 31, 2026
How it is produced: Curiworld Data retrieves official BLS datasets, validates required fields and unexpected changes, calculates comparisons, and presents the results in a readable format. Automated refreshes do not overwrite human-edited explanatory text.