Accountant salary in Merced, CA
Merced is a lower-cost market for accountants: the median of $80,420 a year1 is 17.1% below the California statewide median of $97,050, and 3.9% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#115 of 521). About 360 accountants work here.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Merced, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Merced against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | $53,800 | $80,420 | $130,930 | |
| California | $61,770 | $97,050 | $160,520 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
Accountants at the 90th percentile earn $130,930, 2.4 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.6. The middle half of accountants in Merced earns $64,700–$104,630. The mean ($88,230) is 10% 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 $39,930 wide, against $50,040 across California and $42,790 nationally: employers in Merced 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 | $53,800 | $4,483 | $25.87 | $69,419 |
| 25th percentile | $64,700 | $5,392 | $31.11 | $83,484 |
| Median | $80,420 | $6,702 | $38.66 | $103,768 |
| 75th percentile | $104,630 | $8,719 | $50.30 | $135,006 |
| 90th percentile | $130,930 | $10,911 | $62.95 | $168,942 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $24,210 over the median, the 25th only $15,720 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $31,239 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 Merced, and the California statewide median of $97,050 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Merced
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 $23,348 to the $80,420 median and brings it to $103,768 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 Merced
Of the 16 roles we track in Merced, this one ranks #3 by median pay, between executive assistants ($80,650) and recruiters ($76,820). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,850.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +29.1% | 190 | |
| Executive Assistant | +0.3% | 150 | |
| Accountant | this role | 360 | |
| Recruiter | -4.5% | 280 | |
| Office Manager | -15.4% | 560 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #14 of the 16 roles we track in Merced (-3.9%), between paralegals (-2.5%) and marketing specialists (-16.7%). The typical role here is at +1.8%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost less in Merced than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 7.5% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Merced, 10.6% across California and 9.2% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
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. Of the 24 areas in California with more accountants than Merced, 7 pay less, the largest of them Fresno, CA ($78,690), Bakersfield-Delano, CA ($79,620) and Visalia, CA ($79,400).
| Area | Median | vs Merced | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | +3.9% | 1,420 | |
| Modesto, CA | +3.9% | 1,200 | |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (Nonmetro) | +2.1% | 720 | |
| Merced, CA | this area | 360 | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | -1.0% | 1,870 | |
| Visalia, CA | -1.3% | 870 | |
| Redding, CA | -1.8% | 490 |
Merced against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Merced is #428 of 521 US areas for this job. The market is small, but its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside California, Las Vegas-Henderson and Kingston pay just above Merced and Asheville and Appleton just below. All four are within $140 a year of the median in Merced. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Merced | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington Park, MD | +13.5% | 360 | jobs | |
| Kingston, NY | +0.2% | 470 | pay | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson, NV | +0.1% | 4,680 | pay | |
| Merced, CA | this area | 360 | ||
| Asheville, NC | -0.0% | 1,540 | pay | |
| Appleton, WI | -0.1% | 1,020 | pay | |
| Rocky Mount, NC | -4.3% | 360 | jobs | |
| Jacksonville, NC | -8.3% | 360 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Merced, CA?
About $103,768 a year at the median, or $8,647 a month: $80,420 in pay plus about $23,348 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Merced?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $80,420 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $53,800, the 90th $130,930, and the middle half earned $64,700 to $104,630.
Is Merced cheaper than the rest of California for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $80,420 against $97,050 statewide. The next area up in California is the North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetro area at $82,140, the next down Bakersfield-Delano at $79,620.
How many accountants work in Merced?
BLS counts about 360 in the May 2025 survey. 24 areas in California have more; the closest in size is the Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetro area, with about 390.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Merced?
Yes: $3,600 a year more at the median. The medians are $80,420 and $76,820.
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.