Accountant salary in Fresno, CA
Hiring an accountant costs less in Fresno than in California or the country as a whole. The median is $78,690 a year1: 18.9% below the California statewide median of $97,050 and 6.0% below the US median of $83,680. Nationally it ranks #168 of 521 areas. BLS counts about 2,810 people in this job here, 2% of the California total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Fresno, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Fresno against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno, CA | $56,700 | $78,690 | $128,600 | |
| California | $61,770 | $97,050 | $160,520 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Fresno earns $66,250–$101,500. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $128,600, only 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($88,140) is 12% 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 $35,250 wide, against $50,040 across California and $42,790 nationally: employers in Fresno 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 | $56,700 | $4,725 | $27.26 | $73,161 |
| 25th percentile | $66,250 | $5,521 | $31.85 | $85,484 |
| Median | $78,690 | $6,558 | $37.83 | $101,535 |
| 75th percentile | $101,500 | $8,458 | $48.80 | $130,968 |
| 90th percentile | $128,600 | $10,717 | $61.83 | $165,935 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $22,810 over the median, the 25th only $12,440 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $29,432 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 Fresno, and the California statewide median of $97,050 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Fresno
At the $78,690 median, a local hire costs about $101,535 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $22,845 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 Fresno
Of the 17 roles we track in Fresno, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($101,030); executive assistants come next at $77,610.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +28.4% | 1,720 | |
| Accountant | this role | 2,810 | |
| Executive Assistant | -1.4% | 880 | |
| Recruiter | -5.7% | 1,770 | |
| Office Manager | -8.7% | 3,670 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #15 of the 17 roles we track in Fresno (-6.0%), between e-commerce order specialists (-3.8%) and sales development representatives (-11.7%). The typical role here is at +1.3%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost less in Fresno than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 8.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Fresno, 10.5% across California and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $74,880 in the North Coast Region of California nonmetro area to $121,700 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $46,820 a year. All 6 areas in California with more accountants than Fresno also pay more, among them Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($94,360) and San Francisco-Oakland, CA ($110,730).
| Area | Median | vs Fresno | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | +1.2% | 1,870 | |
| Visalia, CA | +0.9% | 870 | |
| Redding, CA | +0.4% | 490 | |
| Fresno, CA | this area | 2,810 | |
| Yuba City, CA | -0.2% | 280 | |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | -0.5% | 210 | |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California (Nonmetro) | -1.1% | 390 |
Fresno against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Fresno is #75 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside California, Columbus and Kenosha pay just above Fresno and Birmingham and San Antonio-New Braunfels just below. All four are within $150 a year of the median in Fresno. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Fresno | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Port-Bradenton, FL | +3.0% | 2,780 | jobs | |
| Kenosha, WI | +0.2% | 570 | pay | |
| Columbus, IN | +0.1% | 330 | pay | |
| Fresno, CA | this area | 2,810 | ||
| Birmingham, AL | -0.0% | 7,790 | pay | |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | -0.1% | 8,360 | pay | |
| Akron, OH | -0.2% | 2,840 | jobs | |
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | -2.3% | 2,890 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Fresno, CA?
About $101,535 a year at the median, or $8,461 a month: $78,690 in pay plus about $22,845 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Fresno?
The median was $78,690 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $56,700, the 90th $128,600, and the middle half earned $66,250 to $101,500.
Is Fresno cheaper than the rest of California for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $78,690 against $97,050 statewide. The next area up in California is Redding at $78,990, the next down Yuba City at $78,530.
How many accountants work in Fresno?
BLS counts about 2,810 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the California total of 175,360. 6 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Riverside-San Bernardino, with about 9,240.
Does an accountant cost more than an executive assistant in Fresno?
Yes: $1,080 a year more at the median. The medians are $78,690 and $77,610.
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.