Accountant salary in Asheville, NC
Hiring an accountant costs less in Asheville than in North Carolina or the country as a whole. The median is $80,400 a year1: 2.0% below the North Carolina statewide median of $82,050 and 3.9% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#116 of 521). BLS counts about 1,540 people in this job here, 3% of the North Carolina total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Asheville, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Asheville against North Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville, NC | $51,740 | $80,400 | $130,870 | |
| North Carolina | $53,610 | $82,050 | $146,100 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Asheville earns $63,810–$105,160. The top tenth earns $130,870 or more, 2.5 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. The mean ($89,480) is 11% 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 $41,350 wide, against $42,970 across North Carolina and $42,790 nationally: employers in Asheville 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 | $51,740 | $4,312 | $24.88 | $66,761 |
| 25th percentile | $63,810 | $5,318 | $30.68 | $82,335 |
| Median | $80,400 | $6,700 | $38.65 | $103,742 |
| 75th percentile | $105,160 | $8,763 | $50.56 | $135,690 |
| 90th percentile | $130,870 | $10,906 | $62.92 | $168,865 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $16,590 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $24,760, or about $31,948 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 Asheville, and the North Carolina statewide median of $82,050 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Asheville
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 $23,342 to the $80,400 median and brings it to $103,742 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 Asheville
Of the 17 roles we track in Asheville, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($97,470); recruiters come next at $70,210.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +21.2% | 950 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,540 | |
| Recruiter | -12.7% | 910 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -20.7% | 850 | |
| Office Manager | -25.5% | 1,380 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in Asheville (-3.9%), between bookkeepers (-3.6%) and project coordinators (-4.7%). The typical role here is at -7.5%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost more in Asheville than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 8.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Asheville, 9.4% across North Carolina and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in North Carolina
Across the 18 areas of North Carolina with data for this job, the median runs from $73,740 in Jacksonville to $92,910 in Charlotte-Concord, a gap of $19,170 a year. Of the 7 areas in North Carolina with more accountants than Asheville, 4 pay less, the largest of them Greensboro-High Point, NC ($80,170), Winston-Salem, NC ($78,950) and the Eastern North Carolina nonmetro area ($75,790).
| Area | Median | vs Asheville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +15.6% | 16,820 | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | +5.8% | 3,060 | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +1.9% | 9,190 | |
| Asheville, NC | this area | 1,540 | |
| Burlington, NC | -0.1% | 430 | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | -0.3% | 3,300 | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | -1.8% | 2,030 |
Asheville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Asheville is #126 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside North Carolina, Merced and Las Vegas-Henderson pay just above Asheville and Appleton and Glens Falls just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in Asheville. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Asheville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +13.9% | 1,510 | jobs | |
| Salem, OR | +8.8% | 1,510 | jobs | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson, NV | +0.2% | 4,680 | pay | |
| Merced, CA | +0.0% | 360 | pay | |
| Asheville, NC | this area | 1,540 | ||
| Appleton, WI | -0.0% | 1,020 | pay | |
| Glens Falls, NY | -0.1% | 390 | pay | |
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | -3.5% | 1,560 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Asheville, NC?
About $103,742 a year at the median, or $8,645 a month: $80,400 in pay plus about $23,342 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Asheville?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $80,400 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $51,740, the 90th $130,870, and the middle half earned $63,810 to $105,160.
Is Asheville cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $80,400 against $82,050 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Raleigh-Cary at $81,950, the next down Burlington at $80,320.
How many accountants work in Asheville?
BLS counts about 1,540 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the North Carolina total of 49,270. 7 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is the Western North Carolina nonmetro area, with about 1,720.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Asheville?
Yes: $10,190 a year more at the median. The medians are $80,400 and $70,210.
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.