Accountant salary in Richmond, VA
Accountants earn more in Richmond than anywhere else in Virginia. Expect a median of $84,220 a year1, 9.7% below the Virginia statewide median of $93,290 and about level with the US median of $83,680. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#68 of 521). It is the largest market for the job in Virginia: about 7,920 people, 17% of the Virginia total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Richmond, VA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Richmond against Virginia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | $59,290 | $84,220 | $134,290 | |
| Virginia | $60,000 | $93,290 | $156,730 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Richmond earns $68,790–$107,000. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $134,290, only 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($93,210) 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 $38,210 wide, against $49,260 across Virginia and $42,790 nationally: employers in Richmond 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 | $59,290 | $4,941 | $28.50 | $76,503 |
| 25th percentile | $68,790 | $5,732 | $33.07 | $88,761 |
| Median | $84,220 | $7,018 | $40.49 | $108,671 |
| 75th percentile | $107,000 | $8,917 | $51.44 | $138,065 |
| 90th percentile | $134,290 | $11,191 | $64.56 | $173,277 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $22,780 a year in pay and about $29,394 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $15,430 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 25th percentile and the median in Richmond, and the Virginia statewide median of $93,290 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Richmond
At the $84,220 median, a local hire costs about $108,671 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $24,451 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 Richmond
Of the 17 roles we track in Richmond, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($102,170); marketing specialists come next at $81,660.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +21.3% | 6,380 | |
| Accountant | this role | 7,920 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -3.0% | 4,550 | |
| Recruiter | -5.8% | 4,540 | |
| Executive Assistant | -8.0% | 2,060 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Richmond (+0.6%), between executive assistants (+1.2%) and administrative assistants (+0.6%). The typical role here is at +0.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 11.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Richmond, 11.0% across Virginia and 9.1% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Virginia
Across the 13 areas of Virginia with data for this job, the median runs from $74,800 in Blacksburg-Christiansburg to $84,220 in Richmond, a gap of $9,420 a year. No other area in Virginia has as many accountants, and all 12 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Richmond | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | this area | 7,920 | |
| Charlottesville, VA | -3.2% | 1,100 | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | -5.7% | 6,160 | |
| Northeast Virginia (Nonmetro) | -6.0% | 340 | |
| Lynchburg, VA | -6.2% | 680 | |
| Northwest Virginia (Nonmetro) | -7.3% | 400 | |
| Winchester, VA-WV | -7.8% | 590 |
Richmond against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Richmond is #40 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Virginia, Amherst Town-Northampton and Naples-Marco Island pay just above Richmond and Rochester and Riverside-San Bernardino just below. All four are within $350 a year of the median in Richmond. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Richmond | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | +12.8% | 8,250 | jobs | |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | +0.4% | 1,430 | pay | |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | +0.2% | 490 | pay | |
| Richmond, VA | this area | 7,920 | ||
| Rochester, MN | -0.3% | 760 | pay | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | -0.4% | 9,240 | pay | |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | -4.7% | 7,960 | jobs | |
| Birmingham, AL | -6.6% | 7,790 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Richmond, VA?
About $108,671 a year at the median, or $9,056 a month: $84,220 in pay plus about $24,451 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Richmond?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $84,220 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $59,290, the 90th $134,290, and the middle half earned $68,790 to $107,000.
Is Richmond the most expensive area in Virginia for accountants?
Yes. Its median of $84,220 is the highest of 13 areas in Virginia. Charlottesville comes next at $81,530.
How many accountants work in Richmond?
BLS counts about 7,920 in the May 2025 survey. That is 17% of the Virginia total of 47,100. No other area in Virginia has as many.
Does an accountant cost more than a marketing specialist in Richmond?
Yes: $2,560 a year more at the median. The medians are $84,220 and $81,660.
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.