Accountant salary in Salem, OR
Salem is a higher-paying market for accountants: the median of $87,480 a year1 is 2.0% above the Oregon statewide median of $85,800, and 4.5% above the US median of $83,680. Nationally that is #48 of 521 areas, in the top tenth. BLS counts about 1,510 people in this job here, 10% of the Oregon total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Salem, OR. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Salem against Oregon and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | $62,300 | $87,480 | $124,190 | |
| Oregon | $62,590 | $85,800 | $130,650 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Salem earns $74,170–$104,150. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $124,190, only 2.0 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $29,980 wide, between the figure for Oregon ($29,800) 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 | $62,300 | $5,192 | $29.95 | $80,387 |
| 25th percentile | $74,170 | $6,181 | $35.66 | $95,703 |
| Median | $87,480 | $7,290 | $42.06 | $112,877 |
| 75th percentile | $104,150 | $8,679 | $50.07 | $134,387 |
| 90th percentile | $124,190 | $10,349 | $59.71 | $160,245 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $16,670 a year in pay and about $21,510 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $13,310 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 Salem, and the Oregon statewide median of $85,800 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Salem
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 $25,397 to the $87,480 median and brings it to $112,877 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 Salem
Of the 17 roles we track in Salem, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($102,730); recruiters come next at $80,270.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +17.4% | 1,420 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,510 | |
| Recruiter | -8.2% | 1,070 | |
| Office Manager | -13.1% | 1,190 | |
| Executive Assistant | -19.6% | 800 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in Salem (+4.5%), between recruiters (+5.7%) and e-commerce order specialists (+3.4%). The typical role here is at +5.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 8.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Salem, 7.8% across Oregon and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Oregon
Across the 11 areas of Oregon with data for this job, the median runs from $77,200 in Corvallis to $92,200 in Portland-Vancouver, a gap of $15,000 a year. The one area in Oregon with more accountants, Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA ($92,200), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Salem | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | +5.4% | 10,100 | |
| Salem, OR | this area | 1,510 | |
| Bend, OR | -1.7% | 750 | |
| Albany, OR | -6.3% | 200 | |
| Medford, OR | -7.2% | 600 | |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | -8.6% | 1,120 | |
| Coast Oregon (Nonmetro) | -8.7% | 590 |
Salem against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Salem is #128 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 Oregon, Wenatchee-East Wenatchee and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles pay just above Salem and Greeley and Minneapolis-St. Paul just below. All four are within $980 a year of the median in Salem. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Salem | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +4.7% | 1,510 | jobs | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | +0.8% | 860 | pay | |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | +0.3% | 410 | pay | |
| Salem, OR | this area | 1,510 | ||
| Greeley, CO | -0.3% | 1,160 | pay | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | -1.1% | 21,820 | pay | |
| Wilmington, NC | -10.9% | 1,520 | jobs | |
| Green Bay, WI | -11.2% | 1,490 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Salem, OR?
About $112,877 a year at the median, or $9,406 a month: $87,480 in pay plus about $25,397 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Salem?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $87,480 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $62,300, the 90th $124,190, and the middle half earned $74,170 to $104,150.
Is Salem cheaper than the rest of Oregon for accountants?
No, it costs more: a median of $87,480 against $85,800 statewide. The next area up in Oregon is Portland-Vancouver at $92,200, the next down Bend at $86,030.
How many accountants work in Salem?
BLS counts about 1,510 in the May 2025 survey. That is 10% of the Oregon total of 14,920. Only Portland-Vancouver has more in Oregon.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in Salem?
Yes: $7,210 a year more at the median. The medians are $87,480 and $80,270.
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.