Accountant salary in Decatur, AL
Decatur is a lower-cost market for accountants: the median of $72,030 a year1 is 3.8% below the Alabama statewide median of $74,880, and 13.9% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#406 of 521). About 530 accountants work here, 2% of the Alabama total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Decatur, AL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Decatur against Alabama and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur, AL | $50,270 | $72,030 | $116,190 | |
| Alabama | $50,240 | $74,880 | $123,170 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Decatur earns $60,330–$91,830. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $116,190, only 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $31,500 wide, against $35,030 across Alabama and $42,790 nationally: employers in Decatur 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 | $50,270 | $4,189 | $24.17 | $64,865 |
| 25th percentile | $60,330 | $5,028 | $29.00 | $77,845 |
| Median | $72,030 | $6,002 | $34.63 | $92,942 |
| 75th percentile | $91,830 | $7,652 | $44.15 | $118,490 |
| 90th percentile | $116,190 | $9,682 | $55.86 | $149,923 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $19,800 over the median, the 25th only $11,700 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $25,548 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 Decatur, and the Alabama statewide median of $74,880 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Decatur
At the $72,030 median, a local hire costs about $92,942 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $20,912 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 Decatur
Of the 15 roles we track in Decatur, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($106,140); executive assistants come next at $67,870.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +47.4% | 100 | |
| Accountant | this role | 530 | |
| Executive Assistant | -5.8% | 60 | |
| Recruiter | -12.5% | 260 | |
| Office Manager | -15.7% | 510 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #9 of the 15 roles we track in Decatur (-13.9%), between office managers (-12.6%) and recruiters (-17.0%). The typical role here is at -12.6%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 10.2% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Decatur, 11.2% across Alabama and 9.2% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Alabama
Across the 16 areas of Alabama with data for this job, the median runs from $63,250 in Gadsden to $79,220 in Huntsville, a gap of $15,970 a year. Of the 10 areas in Alabama with more accountants than Decatur, 5 pay less, the largest of them the Northeast Alabama nonmetro area ($66,010), Tuscaloosa, AL ($71,690) and Daphne-Fairhope, AL ($71,230).
| Area | Median | vs Decatur | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery, AL | +4.2% | 2,530 | |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | +0.7% | 680 | |
| Mobile, AL | +0.1% | 2,010 | |
| Decatur, AL | this area | 530 | |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | -0.5% | 960 | |
| Northwest Alabama (Nonmetro) | -0.8% | 480 | |
| Daphne-Fairhope, AL | -1.1% | 820 |
Decatur against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Decatur is #334 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Alabama, Florence and Gettysburg pay just above Decatur and Logan and Jackson just below. All four are within $50 a year of the median in Decatur. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Decatur | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ames, IA | +10.1% | 530 | jobs | |
| Wausau, WI | +7.8% | 530 | jobs | |
| Gettysburg, PA | +0.1% | 230 | pay | |
| Florence, SC | +0.0% | 470 | pay | |
| Decatur, AL | this area | 530 | ||
| Logan, UT-ID | -0.1% | 520 | pay | |
| Jackson, TN | -0.1% | 520 | pay | |
| St. George, UT | -2.1% | 530 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Decatur, AL?
About $92,942 a year at the median, or $7,745 a month: $72,030 in pay plus about $20,912 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Decatur?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $72,030 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $50,270, the 90th $116,190, and the middle half earned $60,330 to $91,830.
Is Decatur cheaper than the rest of Alabama for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $72,030 against $74,880 statewide. The next area up in Alabama is Mobile at $72,130, the next down Tuscaloosa at $71,690.
How many accountants work in Decatur?
BLS counts about 530 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Alabama total of 24,300. 10 areas in Alabama have more; the closest in size is Dothan, with about 610.
Does an accountant cost more than an executive assistant in Decatur?
Yes: $4,160 a year more at the median. The medians are $72,030 and $67,870.
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.