Accountant salary in Columbus, GA-AL
Hiring an accountant costs less in Columbus than in Georgia or the country as a whole. The median is $73,640 a year1: 10.1% below the Georgia statewide median of $81,900 and 12.0% below the US median of $83,680. Among US areas it comes in at #369 of 521. About 840 accountants work here.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Columbus, GA-AL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Columbus against Georgia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, GA-AL | $47,020 | $73,640 | $128,320 | |
| Georgia (US state) | $51,830 | $81,900 | $145,960 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Columbus earns $57,480–$98,380. The top tenth earns $128,320 or more, 2.7 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. The mean ($85,130) is 16% 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 $40,900 wide, against $44,280 across Georgia and $42,790 nationally: employers in Columbus 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 | $47,020 | $3,918 | $22.61 | $60,671 |
| 25th percentile | $57,480 | $4,790 | $27.63 | $74,168 |
| Median | $73,640 | $6,137 | $35.40 | $95,019 |
| 75th percentile | $98,380 | $8,198 | $47.30 | $126,942 |
| 90th percentile | $128,320 | $10,693 | $61.69 | $165,574 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $24,740 over the median, the 25th only $16,160 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $31,923 a year in employer cost. 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 Columbus, and the Georgia statewide median of $81,900 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Columbus
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 $21,379 to the $73,640 median and brings it to $95,019 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 Columbus
Of the 17 roles we track in Columbus, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($98,470); marketing specialists come next at $68,080.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +33.7% | 400 | |
| Accountant | this role | 840 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -7.6% | 470 | |
| Recruiter | -11.0% | 700 | |
| Executive Assistant | -14.4% | 240 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in Columbus (-12.0%), between payroll specialists (-6.3%) and data entry specialists (-12.3%). The typical role here is at -14.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 7.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Columbus, 8.6% across Georgia and 9.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Georgia
Across the 18 areas of Georgia with data for this job, the median runs from $67,800 in Hinesville to $85,820 in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, a gap of $18,020 a year. All 5 areas in Georgia with more accountants than Columbus also pay more, among them Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA ($85,820) and Savannah, GA ($79,790).
| Area | Median | vs Columbus | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | +1.7% | 640 | |
| Rome, GA | +1.4% | 240 | |
| Albany, GA | +0.5% | 390 | |
| Columbus, GA-AL | this area | 840 | |
| Valdosta, GA | -0.3% | 310 | |
| East Georgia (Nonmetro) | -1.2% | 520 | |
| Hinesville, GA | -7.9% | 80 |
Columbus against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Columbus is #228 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Georgia, Paducah and Deltona-Daytona Beach pay just above Columbus and Waterloo-Cedar Falls and Minot just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in Columbus. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Columbus | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach, FL | +8.0% | 840 | jobs | |
| Rapid City, SD | +7.6% | 840 | jobs | |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | +4.1% | 840 | jobs | |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach, FL | +0.1% | 1,390 | pay | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | +0.0% | 280 | pay | |
| Columbus, GA-AL | this area | 840 | ||
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | -0.1% | 540 | pay | |
| Minot, ND | -0.2% | 310 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Columbus, GA-AL?
About $95,019 a year at the median, or $7,918 a month: $73,640 in pay plus about $21,379 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Columbus?
The median was $73,640 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,020, the 90th $128,320, and the middle half earned $57,480 to $98,380.
Is Columbus cheaper than the rest of Georgia for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $73,640 against $81,900 statewide. The next area up in Georgia is Albany at $73,980, the next down Valdosta at $73,420.
How many accountants work in Columbus?
BLS counts about 840 in the May 2025 survey. 5 areas in Georgia have more; the closest in size is the North Georgia nonmetro area, with about 890.
Does an accountant cost more than a marketing specialist in Columbus?
Yes: $5,560 a year more at the median. The medians are $73,640 and $68,080.
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.