Accountant salary in Altoona, PA
No other area in Pennsylvania pays accountants less than Altoona. The median is $65,690 a year1, 16.8% below the Pennsylvania statewide median of $79,000 and 21.5% below the US median of $83,680. Nationally that is #488 of 521 areas, in the bottom tenth. About 490 accountants work here.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Altoona, PA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Altoona against Pennsylvania and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altoona, PA | $42,490 | $65,690 | $102,490 | |
| Pennsylvania | $50,680 | $79,000 | $130,270 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
Accountants at the 90th percentile earn $102,490, 2.4 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.6. The middle half of accountants in Altoona earns $50,960–$82,680. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $31,720 wide, against $37,660 across Pennsylvania and $42,790 nationally: employers in Altoona pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $42,490 | $3,541 | $20.43 | $54,826 |
| 25th percentile | $50,960 | $4,247 | $24.50 | $65,755 |
| Median | $65,690 | $5,474 | $31.58 | $84,761 |
| 75th percentile | $82,680 | $6,890 | $39.75 | $106,684 |
| 90th percentile | $102,490 | $8,541 | $49.27 | $132,245 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $14,730 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $16,990, or about $21,923 once benefits are added. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles in Altoona, and the Pennsylvania statewide median of $79,000 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local accountants earn.
What a hire really costs in Altoona
At the $65,690 median, a local hire costs about $84,761 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $19,071 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Altoona
Of the 15 roles we track in Altoona, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($87,660); recruiters come next at $63,910.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +33.4% | 270 | |
| Accountant | this role | 490 | |
| Recruiter | -2.7% | 310 | |
| Executive Assistant | -2.7% | 80 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -6.0% | 150 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #13 of the 15 roles we track in Altoona (-21.5%), between administrative assistants (-17.9%) and marketing specialists (-21.6%). The typical role here is at -15.8%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost less in Altoona than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 10.3% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Altoona, 9.6% across Pennsylvania and 9.2% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Pennsylvania
Across the 20 areas of Pennsylvania with data for this job, the median runs from $65,690 in Altoona to $85,990 in Philadelphia-Camden, a gap of $20,300 a year. All 13 areas in Pennsylvania with more accountants than Altoona also pay more, among them Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ ($85,990) and Pittsburgh, PA ($76,940).
| Area | Median | vs Altoona | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie, PA | +6.6% | 970 | |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | +6.5% | 690 | |
| Williamsport, PA | +6.4% | 340 | |
| Johnstown, PA | +6.4% | 380 | |
| Northwestern Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | +2.6% | 1,030 | |
| Central Pennsylvania (Nonmetro) | +0.2% | 1,020 | |
| Altoona, PA | this area | 490 |
Altoona against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Altoona is #356 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Pennsylvania, Little Rock-North Little Rock and Manhattan pay just above Altoona and Pocatello and Hattiesburg just below. All four are within $370 a year of the median in Altoona. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Altoona | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | +28.5% | 490 | jobs | |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA | +13.9% | 490 | jobs | |
| Morgantown, WV | +9.2% | 490 | jobs | |
| Manhattan, KS | +0.3% | 470 | pay | |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | +0.2% | 2,620 | pay | |
| Altoona, PA | this area | 490 | ||
| Pocatello, ID | -0.5% | 170 | pay | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | -0.6% | 350 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Altoona, PA?
About $84,761 a year at the median, or $7,063 a month: $65,690 in pay plus about $19,071 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Altoona?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $65,690 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $42,490, the 90th $102,490, and the middle half earned $50,960 to $82,680.
Is Altoona the cheapest area in Pennsylvania for accountants?
Yes. Its median of $65,690 is the lowest of 20 areas in Pennsylvania. The Central Pennsylvania nonmetro area is next at $65,850.
How many accountants work in Altoona?
BLS counts about 490 in the May 2025 survey. 13 areas in Pennsylvania have more; the closest in size is the Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetro area, with about 690.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Altoona?
Yes: $1,780 a year more at the median. The medians are $65,690 and $63,910.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.