Accountant salary in Gainesville, FL
Hiring an accountant costs less in Gainesville than in Florida or the country as a whole. The median is $75,820 a year1: 4.3% below the Florida statewide median of $79,250 and 9.4% below the US median of $83,680. Among US areas it comes in at #298 of 521. About 1,010 accountants work here, 1% of the Florida total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Gainesville, FL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Gainesville against Florida and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gainesville, FL | $46,630 | $75,820 | $124,790 | |
| Florida | $50,280 | $79,250 | $131,930 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Gainesville earns $61,070–$96,270. The top tenth earns $124,790 or more, 2.7 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $35,200 wide, against $40,410 across Florida and $42,790 nationally: employers in Gainesville 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 | $46,630 | $3,886 | $22.42 | $60,168 |
| 25th percentile | $61,070 | $5,089 | $29.36 | $78,800 |
| Median | $75,820 | $6,318 | $36.45 | $97,832 |
| 75th percentile | $96,270 | $8,022 | $46.28 | $124,219 |
| 90th percentile | $124,790 | $10,399 | $60.00 | $161,019 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $20,450 a year in pay and about $26,387 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $14,750 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 Gainesville, and the Florida statewide median of $79,250 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Gainesville
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 $22,012 to the $75,820 median and brings it to $97,832 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 Gainesville
Of the 16 roles we track in Gainesville, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($80,630); marketing specialists come next at $70,920.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +6.3% | 830 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,010 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -6.5% | 670 | |
| Office Manager | -18.3% | 1,120 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -20.8% | 910 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #4 of the 16 roles we track in Gainesville (-9.4%), between virtual receptionists (-7.0%) and marketing specialists (-10.0%). The typical role here is at -13.0%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost more in Gainesville than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 7.5% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Gainesville, 7.9% across Florida and 9.2% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Florida
Across the 24 areas of Florida with data for this job, the median runs from $61,840 in Tallahassee to $84,570 in Naples-Marco Island, a gap of $22,730 a year. Of the 13 areas in Florida with more accountants than Gainesville, 2 pay less: Tallahassee, FL ($61,840) and Deltona-Daytona Beach, FL ($73,730).
| Area | Median | vs Gainesville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | +1.3% | 1,740 | |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass, FL | +0.8% | 1,170 | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | +0.1% | 2,110 | |
| Gainesville, FL | this area | 1,010 | |
| Punta Gorda, FL | -1.3% | 400 | |
| Ocala, FL | -1.9% | 730 | |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach, FL | -2.8% | 1,390 |
Gainesville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Gainesville is #193 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Florida, Athens-Clarke County and Kingsport-Bristol pay just above Gainesville and Billings and Sierra Vista-Douglas just below. All four are within $120 a year of the median in Gainesville. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Gainesville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +23.0% | 1,020 | jobs | |
| Appleton, WI | +6.0% | 1,020 | jobs | |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | +2.8% | 1,020 | jobs | |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | +0.2% | 780 | pay | |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA | +0.1% | 570 | pay | |
| Gainesville, FL | this area | 1,010 | ||
| Billings, MT | -0.1% | 790 | pay | |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | -0.1% | 190 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Gainesville, FL?
About $97,832 a year at the median, or $8,153 a month: $75,820 in pay plus about $22,012 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Gainesville?
The median was $75,820 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $46,630, the 90th $124,790, and the middle half earned $61,070 to $96,270.
Is Gainesville cheaper than the rest of Florida for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $75,820 against $79,250 statewide. The next area up in Florida is Palm Bay-Melbourne at $75,860, the next down Punta Gorda at $74,800.
How many accountants work in Gainesville?
BLS counts about 1,010 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the Florida total of 91,000. 13 areas in Florida have more; the closest in size is Port St. Lucie, with about 1,170.
Does an accountant cost more than a marketing specialist in Gainesville?
Yes: $4,900 a year more at the median. The medians are $75,820 and $70,920.
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.