Accountant salary in Rochester, NY
Hiring an accountant costs less in Rochester than in New York or the country as a whole. The median is $80,890 a year1: 21.2% below the New York statewide median of $102,640 and 3.3% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#108 of 521). BLS counts about 4,370 people in this job here, 4% of the New York total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Rochester, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Rochester against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, NY | $58,030 | $80,890 | $130,690 | |
| New York | $63,700 | $102,640 | $171,030 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Rochester earns $64,520–$101,380. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $130,690, only 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($89,650) 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 $36,860 wide, against $55,060 across New York and $42,790 nationally: employers in Rochester 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 | $58,030 | $4,836 | $27.90 | $74,877 |
| 25th percentile | $64,520 | $5,377 | $31.02 | $83,252 |
| Median | $80,890 | $6,741 | $38.89 | $104,374 |
| 75th percentile | $101,380 | $8,448 | $48.74 | $130,813 |
| 90th percentile | $130,690 | $10,891 | $62.83 | $168,632 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $16,370 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $20,490, or about $26,439 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 median and the 75th percentile in Rochester, and the New York statewide median of $102,640 falls between the 75th and 90th percentiles.
What a hire really costs in Rochester
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 $23,484 to the $80,890 median and brings it to $104,374 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 Rochester
Of the 17 roles we track in Rochester, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($103,520); marketing specialists come next at $77,170.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +28.0% | 3,350 | |
| Accountant | this role | 4,370 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -4.6% | 2,550 | |
| Recruiter | -5.3% | 2,460 | |
| Executive Assistant | -10.7% | 2,830 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #11 of the 17 roles we track in Rochester (-3.3%), between e-commerce order specialists (-2.2%) and medical administrative assistants (-3.4%). The typical role here is at -2.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 8.2% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Rochester, 10.0% across New York and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in New York
Across the 16 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $76,510 in the Capital/Northern New York nonmetro area to $105,650 in New York-Newark, a gap of $29,140 a year. All 3 areas in New York with more accountants than Rochester also pay more, among them New York-Newark, NY-NJ ($105,650) and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY ($82,120).
| Area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binghamton, NY | +2.0% | 670 | |
| Syracuse, NY | +1.7% | 2,710 | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | +1.5% | 4,870 | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 4,370 | |
| Kingston, NY | -0.4% | 470 | |
| Glens Falls, NY | -0.7% | 390 | |
| Utica-Rome, NY | -1.3% | 1,040 |
Rochester against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Rochester is #57 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 New York, Sioux Falls and Miami-Fort Lauderdale pay just above Rochester and Phoenix-Mesa and Detroit-Warren just below. All four are within $240 a year of the median in Rochester. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison, WI | +0.3% | 4,440 | jobs | |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +0.0% | 30,950 | pay | |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | +0.0% | 2,370 | pay | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 4,370 | ||
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | -0.1% | 21,360 | pay | |
| Detroit-Warren, MI | -0.3% | 19,390 | pay | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | -4.9% | 4,390 | jobs | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | -5.6% | 4,590 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Rochester, NY?
About $104,374 a year at the median, or $8,698 a month: $80,890 in pay plus about $23,484 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Rochester?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $80,890 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $58,030, the 90th $130,690, and the middle half earned $64,520 to $101,380.
Is Rochester cheaper than the rest of New York for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $80,890 against $102,640 statewide. The next area up in New York is Buffalo-Cheektowaga at $82,120, the next down Kingston at $80,560.
How many accountants work in Rochester?
BLS counts about 4,370 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the New York total of 109,830. 3 areas in New York have more; the closest in size is Albany-Schenectady, with about 4,680.
Does an accountant cost more than a marketing specialist in Rochester?
Yes: $3,720 a year more at the median. The medians are $80,890 and $77,170.
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.