Accountant salary in Burlington-South Burlington, VT
Burlington-South Burlington is the most expensive place in Vermont to hire an accountant. The median is $82,510 a year1, 4.6% above the Vermont statewide median of $78,890 and 1.4% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#85 of 521). It is the largest market for the job in Vermont: about 1,040 people, 40% of the Vermont total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Burlington-South Burlington, VT. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Burlington-South Burlington against Vermont and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $60,980 | $82,510 | $130,610 | |
| Vermont | $59,770 | $78,890 | $118,800 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Burlington-South Burlington earns $68,810–$101,100. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $130,610, only 2.1 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($89,890) is 9% 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 $32,290 wide, between the figure for Vermont ($30,910) and the US figure ($42,790).
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $60,980 | $5,082 | $29.32 | $78,684 |
| 25th percentile | $68,810 | $5,734 | $33.08 | $88,787 |
| Median | $82,510 | $6,876 | $39.67 | $106,465 |
| 75th percentile | $101,100 | $8,425 | $48.61 | $130,452 |
| 90th percentile | $130,610 | $10,884 | $62.79 | $168,529 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $18,590 a year in pay and about $23,987 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $13,700 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-South Burlington, and the Vermont statewide median of $78,890 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Burlington-South Burlington
At the $82,510 median, a local hire costs about $106,465 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $23,955 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 Burlington-South Burlington
Of the 16 roles we track in Burlington-South Burlington, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($85,410); sales development representatives come next at $79,680.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +3.5% | 430 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,040 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -3.4% | 500 | |
| Recruiter | -4.4% | 600 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -9.5% | 410 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #12 of the 16 roles we track in Burlington-South Burlington (-1.4%), between office managers (+0.3%) and virtual receptionists (-1.6%). The typical role here is at +5.3%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost less in Burlington-South Burlington than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 11.1% of the jobs in the 15 of these roles with a job count in Burlington-South Burlington, 11.2% across Vermont and 9.3% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Vermont
Across the 3 areas of Vermont with data for this job, the median runs from $75,280 in the Southern Vermont nonmetro area to $82,510 in Burlington-South Burlington, a gap of $7,230 a year. No other area in Vermont has as many accountants, and both others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Burlington-South Burlington | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | this area | 1,040 | |
| Northern Vermont (Nonmetro) | -7.6% | 1,020 | |
| Southern Vermont (Nonmetro) | -8.8% | 480 |
Burlington-South Burlington against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Burlington-South Burlington is #183 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 Vermont, Norwich-New London and Dallas-Fort Worth pay just above Burlington-South Burlington and Binghamton and Fairbanks-College just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in Burlington-South Burlington. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Burlington-South Burlington | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | +0.1% | 37,450 | pay | |
| Norwich-New London, CT | +0.0% | 740 | pay | |
| Burlington-South Burlington, VT | this area | 1,040 | ||
| Binghamton, NY | -0.0% | 670 | pay | |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | -0.0% | 170 | pay | |
| Utica-Rome, NY | -3.2% | 1,040 | jobs | |
| Hickory-Lenoir, NC | -6.1% | 1,040 | jobs | |
| Evansville, IN | -6.1% | 1,050 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Burlington-South Burlington, VT?
About $106,465 a year at the median, or $8,872 a month: $82,510 in pay plus about $23,955 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Burlington-South Burlington?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $82,510 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $60,980, the 90th $130,610, and the middle half earned $68,810 to $101,100.
Is Burlington-South Burlington the most expensive area in Vermont for accountants?
Yes. Its median of $82,510 is the highest of 3 areas in Vermont. The Northern Vermont nonmetro area comes next at $76,210.
How many accountants work in Burlington-South Burlington?
BLS counts about 1,040 in the May 2025 survey. That is 40% of the Vermont total of 2,630. No other area in Vermont has as many.
Does an accountant cost more than a sales development representative in Burlington-South Burlington?
Yes: $2,830 a year more at the median. The medians are $82,510 and $79,680.
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.