Accountant salary in Modesto, CA
For this job Modesto sits right at the US figure, with a median of $83,560 a year1. That is about level with the US median of $83,680, and 13.9% below the California statewide median of $97,050. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#78 of 521). About 1,200 accountants work here.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Modesto, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Modesto against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CA | $60,620 | $83,560 | $134,750 | |
| California | $61,770 | $97,050 | $160,520 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Modesto earns $73,750–$104,730. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $134,750, only 2.2 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($93,000) is 11% 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 $30,980 wide, against $50,040 across California and $42,790 nationally: employers in Modesto 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 | $60,620 | $5,052 | $29.14 | $78,219 |
| 25th percentile | $73,750 | $6,146 | $35.46 | $95,161 |
| Median | $83,560 | $6,963 | $40.17 | $107,819 |
| 75th percentile | $104,730 | $8,728 | $50.35 | $135,135 |
| 90th percentile | $134,750 | $11,229 | $64.78 | $173,871 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $21,170 over the median, the 25th only $9,810 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $27,316 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 Modesto, and the California statewide median of $97,050 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Modesto
At the $83,560 median, a local hire costs about $107,819 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $24,259 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 Modesto
Of the 17 roles we track in Modesto, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($102,490); executive assistants come next at $77,900.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +22.7% | 670 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,200 | |
| Executive Assistant | -6.8% | 520 | |
| Recruiter | -7.8% | 730 | |
| Office Manager | -11.3% | 1,490 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #13 of the 17 roles we track in Modesto (-0.1%), between project coordinators (+0.2%) and e-commerce order specialists (-0.8%). The typical role here is at +5.5%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost less in Modesto than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 8.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Modesto, 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. Of the 12 areas in California with more accountants than Modesto, 2 pay less: Fresno, CA ($78,690) and Bakersfield-Delano, CA ($79,620).
| Area | Median | vs Modesto | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | +0.4% | 9,240 | |
| Salinas, CA | +0.3% | 1,050 | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | +0.0% | 1,420 | |
| Modesto, CA | this area | 1,200 | |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California (Nonmetro) | -1.7% | 720 | |
| Merced, CA | -3.8% | 360 | |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | -4.7% | 1,870 |
Modesto against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Modesto is #155 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside California, Manchester-Nashua and Ithaca pay just above Modesto and Austin-Round Rock and Atlantic City-Hammonton just below. All four are within $520 a year of the median in Modesto. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Modesto | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ithaca, NY | +0.3% | 370 | pay | |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | +0.1% | 2,110 | pay | |
| Modesto, CA | this area | 1,200 | ||
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | -0.5% | 12,480 | pay | |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | -0.6% | 910 | pay | |
| Roanoke, VA | -7.6% | 1,200 | jobs | |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | -7.6% | 1,190 | jobs | |
| Reading, PA | -9.6% | 1,230 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Modesto, CA?
About $107,819 a year at the median, or $8,985 a month: $83,560 in pay plus about $24,259 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Modesto?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $83,560 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $60,620, the 90th $134,750, and the middle half earned $73,750 to $104,730.
Is Modesto cheaper than the rest of California for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $83,560 against $97,050 statewide. The next area up in California is Stockton-Lodi at $83,570, the next down the North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetro area at $82,140.
How many accountants work in Modesto?
BLS counts about 1,200 in the May 2025 survey. 12 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Stockton-Lodi, with about 1,420.
Does an accountant cost more than an executive assistant in Modesto?
Yes: $5,660 a year more at the median. The medians are $83,560 and $77,900.
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.