Accountant salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Hiring an accountant costs less in Buffalo-Cheektowaga than in New York or the country as a whole. The median is $82,120 a year1: 20.0% below the New York statewide median of $102,640 and 1.9% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#94 of 521). BLS counts about 4,870 people in this job here, 4% of the New York total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $56,550 | $82,120 | $135,370 | |
| New York | $63,700 | $102,640 | $171,030 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Buffalo-Cheektowaga earns $66,290–$104,160. The top tenth earns $135,370 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. The mean ($91,190) 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 $37,870 wide, against $55,060 across New York and $42,790 nationally: employers in Buffalo-Cheektowaga 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 | $56,550 | $4,712 | $27.19 | $72,968 |
| 25th percentile | $66,290 | $5,524 | $31.87 | $85,535 |
| Median | $82,120 | $6,843 | $39.48 | $105,961 |
| 75th percentile | $104,160 | $8,680 | $50.08 | $134,400 |
| 90th percentile | $135,370 | $11,281 | $65.08 | $174,671 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $15,830 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $22,040, or about $28,439 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, and the New York statewide median of $102,640 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Buffalo-Cheektowaga
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 $23,841 to the $82,120 median and brings it to $105,961 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga
Of the 17 roles we track in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($101,180); marketing specialists come next at $75,990.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +23.2% | 3,050 | |
| Accountant | this role | 4,870 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -7.5% | 2,520 | |
| Executive Assistant | -8.8% | 2,870 | |
| Recruiter | -9.3% | 2,730 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #11 of the 17 roles we track in Buffalo-Cheektowaga (-1.9%), between administrative assistants (-1.6%) and recruiters (-1.9%). The typical role here is at -1.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 8.6% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, 10.0% across New York and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in New York
Across the 16 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $76,510 in the Capital/Northern New York nonmetro area to $105,650 in New York-Newark, a gap of $29,140 a year. The one area in New York with more accountants, New York-Newark, NY-NJ ($105,650), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Buffalo-Cheektowaga | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ithaca, NY | +2.0% | 370 | |
| Binghamton, NY | +0.5% | 670 | |
| Syracuse, NY | +0.1% | 2,710 | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | this area | 4,870 | |
| Rochester, NY | -1.5% | 4,370 | |
| Kingston, NY | -1.9% | 470 | |
| Glens Falls, NY | -2.2% | 390 |
Buffalo-Cheektowaga against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Buffalo-Cheektowaga is #50 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 New York, Anchorage and Chicago-Naperville pay just above Buffalo-Cheektowaga and Salt Lake City-Murray and Ogden just below. All four are within $240 a year of the median in Buffalo-Cheektowaga. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Buffalo-Cheektowaga | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +24.2% | 5,000 | jobs | |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +0.3% | 41,360 | pay | |
| Anchorage, AK | +0.0% | 1,160 | pay | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | this area | 4,870 | ||
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | -0.0% | 8,660 | pay | |
| Ogden, UT | -0.1% | 1,650 | pay | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson, NV | -1.9% | 4,680 | jobs | |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | -3.4% | 4,850 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
About $105,961 a year at the median, or $8,830 a month: $82,120 in pay plus about $23,841 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $82,120 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $56,550, the 90th $135,370, and the middle half earned $66,290 to $104,160.
Is Buffalo-Cheektowaga cheaper than the rest of New York for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $82,120 against $102,640 statewide. The next area up in New York is Syracuse at $82,230, the next down Rochester at $80,890.
How many accountants work in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
BLS counts about 4,870 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the New York total of 109,830. Only New York-Newark has more in New York.
Does an accountant cost more than a marketing specialist in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Yes: $6,130 a year more at the median. The medians are $82,120 and $75,990.
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.