Accountant salary in Johnson City, TN
Of the 14 areas in Tennessee with BLS pay data for this job, Johnson City has the lowest median: $64,710 a year1. That is 15.8% below the Tennessee statewide median of $76,840, and 22.7% below the US median of $83,680. Only 27 of 521 US areas pay less for this job. BLS counts about 510 people in this job here, 2% of the Tennessee total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Johnson City, TN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Johnson City against Tennessee and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson City, TN | $45,360 | $64,710 | $100,420 | |
| Tennessee | $49,920 | $76,840 | $122,160 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Johnson City earns $50,930–$83,290. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $100,420, only 2.2 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($70,690) is 9% 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 $32,360 wide, between the figure for Tennessee ($32,360) and the US figure ($42,790).
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,360 | $3,780 | $21.81 | $58,529 |
| 25th percentile | $50,930 | $4,244 | $24.49 | $65,716 |
| Median | $64,710 | $5,392 | $31.11 | $83,497 |
| 75th percentile | $83,290 | $6,941 | $40.04 | $107,471 |
| 90th percentile | $100,420 | $8,368 | $48.28 | $129,574 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $13,780 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $18,580, or about $23,974 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 75th and 90th percentiles in Johnson City, and the Tennessee statewide median of $76,840 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would beat what three quarters of local accountants earn.
What a hire really costs in Johnson City
At the $64,710 median, a local hire costs about $83,497 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $18,787 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 Johnson City
Of the 17 roles we track in Johnson City, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($78,100); recruiters come next at $61,730.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +20.7% | 300 | |
| Accountant | this role | 510 | |
| Recruiter | -4.6% | 360 | |
| Office Manager | -8.2% | 1,420 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -9.2% | 220 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #13 of the 17 roles we track in Johnson City (-22.7%), between e-commerce order specialists (-22.5%) and executive assistants (-23.3%). The typical role here is at -19.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 5.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Johnson City, 7.5% across Tennessee and 9.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Tennessee
Across the 14 areas of Tennessee with data for this job, the median runs from $64,710 in Johnson City to $78,080 in Nashville-Murfreesboro, a gap of $13,370 a year. All 9 areas in Tennessee with more accountants than Johnson City also pay more, among them Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN ($78,080) and Memphis, TN-MS ($76,960).
| Area | Median | vs Johnson City | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morristown, TN | +12.5% | 240 | |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | +12.4% | 510 | |
| Jackson, TN | +11.2% | 520 | |
| Cleveland, TN | +11.0% | 180 | |
| West Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +10.2% | 510 | |
| East Tennessee (Nonmetro) | +6.3% | 600 | |
| Johnson City, TN | this area | 510 |
Johnson City against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Johnson City is #347 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 Tennessee, Lincoln and Hattiesburg pay just above Johnson City and Alexandria and McAllen-Edinburg just below. All four are within $610 a year of the median in Johnson City. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Johnson City | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe, LA | +14.1% | 510 | jobs | |
| Hattiesburg, MS | +0.9% | 350 | pay | |
| Lincoln, NE | +0.7% | 2,130 | pay | |
| Johnson City, TN | this area | 510 | ||
| Alexandria, LA | -0.3% | 400 | pay | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -0.4% | 1,430 | pay | |
| Laredo, TX | -2.0% | 510 | jobs | |
| Terre Haute, IN | -2.4% | 510 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Johnson City, TN?
About $83,497 a year at the median, or $6,958 a month: $64,710 in pay plus about $18,787 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Johnson City?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $64,710 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $45,360, the 90th $100,420, and the middle half earned $50,930 to $83,290.
Is Johnson City the cheapest area in Tennessee for accountants?
Yes. Its median of $64,710 is the lowest of 14 areas in Tennessee. The East Tennessee nonmetro area is next at $68,780.
How many accountants work in Johnson City?
BLS counts about 510 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Tennessee total of 27,340. 10 areas in Tennessee have more; the closest in size is Clarksville, with about 510.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Johnson City?
Yes: $2,980 a year more at the median. The medians are $64,710 and $61,730.
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.