Accountant salary in Burlington, NC
Burlington is a lower-cost market for accountants: the median of $80,320 a year1 is 2.1% below the North Carolina statewide median of $82,050, and 4.0% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#120 of 521). About 430 accountants work here.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Burlington, NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Burlington against North Carolina and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, NC | $51,830 | $80,320 | $130,460 | |
| North Carolina | $53,610 | $82,050 | $146,100 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Burlington earns $62,460–$100,530. The top tenth earns $130,460 or more, 2.5 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. The mean ($88,480) is 10% 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 $38,070 wide, against $42,970 across North Carolina and $42,790 nationally: employers in Burlington 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 | $51,830 | $4,319 | $24.92 | $66,877 |
| 25th percentile | $62,460 | $5,205 | $30.03 | $80,594 |
| Median | $80,320 | $6,693 | $38.62 | $103,639 |
| 75th percentile | $100,530 | $8,378 | $48.33 | $129,716 |
| 90th percentile | $130,460 | $10,872 | $62.72 | $168,335 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $20,210 a year in pay and about $26,077 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $17,860 in pay. 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 Burlington, and the North Carolina statewide median of $82,050 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Burlington
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 $23,319 to the $80,320 median and brings it to $103,639 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 Burlington
Of the 15 roles we track in Burlington, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($83,370); marketing specialists come next at $77,860.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +3.8% | 250 | |
| Accountant | this role | 430 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -3.1% | 300 | |
| Recruiter | -13.5% | 280 | |
| Executive Assistant | -23.3% | 80 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #3 of the 15 roles we track in Burlington (-4.0%), between medical administrative assistants (-3.8%) and virtual receptionists (-4.7%). The typical role here is at -8.3%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost more in Burlington than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 7.2% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Burlington, 9.5% across North Carolina and 9.2% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
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 13 areas in North Carolina with more accountants than Burlington, 9 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 Burlington | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | +5.9% | 3,060 | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +2.0% | 9,190 | |
| Asheville, NC | +0.1% | 1,540 | |
| Burlington, NC | this area | 430 | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | -0.2% | 3,300 | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | -1.7% | 2,030 | |
| Fayetteville, NC | -2.2% | 800 |
Burlington against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Burlington is #387 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 North Carolina, Sheboygan and Glens Falls pay just above Burlington and Milwaukee-Waukesha and Odessa just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in Burlington. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Burlington | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glens Falls, NY | +0.0% | 390 | pay | |
| Sheboygan, WI | +0.0% | 390 | pay | |
| Burlington, NC | this area | 430 | ||
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | -0.0% | 7,960 | pay | |
| Odessa, TX | -0.1% | 550 | pay | |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | -2.1% | 440 | jobs | |
| Chico, CA | -3.3% | 420 | jobs | |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | -6.9% | 440 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Burlington, NC?
About $103,639 a year at the median, or $8,637 a month: $80,320 in pay plus about $23,319 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Burlington?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $80,320 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $51,830, the 90th $130,460, and the middle half earned $62,460 to $100,530.
Is Burlington cheaper than the rest of North Carolina for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $80,320 against $82,050 statewide. The next area up in North Carolina is Asheville at $80,400, the next down Greensboro-High Point at $80,170.
How many accountants work in Burlington?
BLS counts about 430 in the May 2025 survey. 13 areas in North Carolina have more; the closest in size is Greenville, with about 550.
Does an accountant cost more than a marketing specialist in Burlington?
Yes: $2,460 a year more at the median. The medians are $80,320 and $77,860.
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.