Accountant salary in Appleton, WI
For this job Appleton sits between the state and national figures, with a median of $80,360 a year1. That is 1.2% above the Wisconsin statewide median of $79,400, and 4.0% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#117 of 521). BLS counts about 1,020 people in this job here, 4% of the Wisconsin total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Appleton, WI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Appleton against Wisconsin and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton, WI | $58,490 | $80,360 | $130,740 | |
| Wisconsin | $58,340 | $79,400 | $127,800 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Appleton earns $66,060–$101,030. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $130,740, only 2.2 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($89,740) is 12% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $34,970 wide, against $35,800 across Wisconsin and $42,790 nationally: employers in Appleton 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 | $58,490 | $4,874 | $28.12 | $75,471 |
| 25th percentile | $66,060 | $5,505 | $31.76 | $85,239 |
| Median | $80,360 | $6,697 | $38.63 | $103,690 |
| 75th percentile | $101,030 | $8,419 | $48.57 | $130,361 |
| 90th percentile | $130,740 | $10,895 | $62.86 | $168,697 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $14,300 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $20,670, or about $26,671 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 median and the 75th percentile in Appleton, and the Wisconsin statewide median of $79,400 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Appleton
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $23,330 to the $80,360 median and brings it to $103,690 a year. 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 Appleton
Of the 17 roles we track in Appleton, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($98,290); office managers come next at $69,340.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +22.3% | 970 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,020 | |
| Office Manager | -13.7% | 960 | |
| Executive Assistant | -18.4% | 130 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -19.0% | 690 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #11 of the 17 roles we track in Appleton (-4.0%), between project coordinators (-3.9%) and HR assistants (-6.9%). The typical role here is at -1.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 8.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Appleton, 8.9% across Wisconsin and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Wisconsin
Across the 17 areas of Wisconsin with data for this job, the median runs from $74,210 in the Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetro area to $81,130 in Madison, a gap of $6,920 a year. Of the 5 areas in Wisconsin with more accountants than Appleton, 4 pay less, the largest of them Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI ($80,290), Green Bay, WI ($77,720) and the South Central Wisconsin nonmetro area ($77,340).
| Area | Median | vs Appleton | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | +1.0% | 4,440 | |
| Appleton, WI | this area | 1,020 | |
| Sheboygan, WI | -0.0% | 390 | |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | -0.1% | 7,960 | |
| Kenosha, WI | -1.9% | 570 | |
| Western Wisconsin (Nonmetro) | -2.8% | 680 | |
| Green Bay, WI | -3.3% | 1,490 |
Appleton against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Appleton is #188 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Wisconsin, Asheville and Merced pay just above Appleton and Glens Falls and Burlington just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in Appleton. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Appleton | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +16.1% | 1,020 | jobs | |
| Merced, CA | +0.1% | 360 | pay | |
| Asheville, NC | +0.0% | 1,540 | pay | |
| Appleton, WI | this area | 1,020 | ||
| Glens Falls, NY | -0.0% | 390 | pay | |
| Burlington, NC | -0.0% | 430 | pay | |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | -3.0% | 1,020 | jobs | |
| Gainesville, FL | -5.6% | 1,010 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Appleton, WI?
About $103,690 a year at the median, or $8,641 a month: $80,360 in pay plus about $23,330 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Appleton?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $80,360 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $58,490, the 90th $130,740, and the middle half earned $66,060 to $101,030.
Is Appleton cheaper than the rest of Wisconsin for accountants?
No, it costs more: a median of $80,360 against $79,400 statewide. The next area up in Wisconsin is Madison at $81,130, the next down Sheboygan at $80,330.
How many accountants work in Appleton?
BLS counts about 1,020 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the Wisconsin total of 25,100. 5 areas in Wisconsin have more; the closest in size is the Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetro area, with about 1,210.
Does an accountant cost more than an office manager in Appleton?
Yes: $11,020 a year more at the median. The medians are $80,360 and $69,340.
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.