Accountant salary in Cedar Rapids, IA
Cedar Rapids pays accountants close to the Iowa norm. The median is $77,180 a year1, about level with the Iowa statewide median of $77,440 and 7.8% below the US median of $83,680. Among US areas it comes in at #235 of 521. BLS counts about 1,190 people in this job here, 9% of the Iowa total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Cedar Rapids, IA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Cedar Rapids against Iowa and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $53,070 | $77,180 | $124,610 | |
| Iowa | $51,420 | $77,440 | $123,700 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Cedar Rapids earns $61,260–$96,920. The top tenth earns $124,610 or more, 2.3 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. The mean ($83,680) is 8% 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 $35,660 wide, against $36,060 across Iowa and $42,790 nationally: employers in Cedar Rapids 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 | $53,070 | $4,422 | $25.51 | $68,477 |
| 25th percentile | $61,260 | $5,105 | $29.45 | $79,045 |
| Median | $77,180 | $6,432 | $37.11 | $99,587 |
| 75th percentile | $96,920 | $8,077 | $46.60 | $125,058 |
| 90th percentile | $124,610 | $10,384 | $59.91 | $160,787 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $15,920 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $19,740, or about $25,471 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 Cedar Rapids, and the Iowa statewide median of $77,440 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Cedar Rapids
At the $77,180 median, a local hire costs about $99,587 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $22,407 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 Cedar Rapids
Of the 17 roles we track in Cedar Rapids, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($93,760); sales development representatives come next at $67,360.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +21.5% | 850 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,190 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -12.7% | 790 | |
| Office Manager | -17.4% | 1,020 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -17.6% | 960 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Cedar Rapids (-7.8%), between e-commerce order specialists (-5.4%) and office managers (-8.3%). The typical role here is at -8.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 8.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Cedar Rapids, 9.7% across Iowa and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Iowa
Across the 12 areas of Iowa with data for this job, the median runs from $70,190 in the Southwest Iowa nonmetro area to $79,320 in Ames, a gap of $9,130 a year. Of the 3 areas in Iowa with more accountants than Cedar Rapids, 1 pays less: the Southeast Iowa nonmetro area ($75,390).
| Area | Median | vs Cedar Rapids | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | +2.7% | 4,850 | |
| Sioux City, IA-NE | +1.9% | 520 | |
| Davenport-Moline, IA-IL | +0.5% | 1,560 | |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | this area | 1,190 | |
| Northwest Iowa (Nonmetro) | -0.8% | 940 | |
| Northeast Iowa (Nonmetro) | -0.9% | 680 | |
| Southeast Iowa (Nonmetro) | -2.3% | 1,270 |
Cedar Rapids against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Cedar Rapids is #157 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Iowa, Fayetteville-Springdale and Corvallis pay just above Cedar Rapids and Kalamazoo-Portage and Janesville-Beloit just below. All four are within $80 a year of the median in Cedar Rapids. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Cedar Rapids | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CA | +8.3% | 1,200 | jobs | |
| Roanoke, VA | +0.1% | 1,200 | jobs | |
| Corvallis, OR | +0.0% | 210 | pay | |
| Fayetteville-Springdale, AR | +0.0% | 1,980 | pay | |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | this area | 1,190 | ||
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | -0.1% | 1,060 | pay | |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | -0.1% | 500 | pay | |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass, FL | -1.0% | 1,170 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Cedar Rapids, IA?
About $99,587 a year at the median, or $8,299 a month: $77,180 in pay plus about $22,407 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Cedar Rapids?
The median was $77,180 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $53,070, the 90th $124,610, and the middle half earned $61,260 to $96,920.
Is Cedar Rapids cheaper than the rest of Iowa for accountants?
About the same: a median of $77,180 against $77,440 statewide. The next area up in Iowa is Davenport-Moline at $77,600, the next down the Northwest Iowa nonmetro area at $76,540.
How many accountants work in Cedar Rapids?
BLS counts about 1,190 in the May 2025 survey. That is 9% of the Iowa total of 13,210. 3 areas in Iowa have more; the closest in size is the Southeast Iowa nonmetro area, with about 1,270.
Does an accountant cost more than a sales development representative in Cedar Rapids?
Yes: $9,820 a year more at the median. The medians are $77,180 and $67,360.
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.