Accountant salary in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
Santa Rosa-Petaluma pays accountants less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $94,690 a year1: 2.4% below the California statewide median of $97,050 and 13.2% above the US median of $83,680. Nationally that is #20 of 521 areas, in the top tenth. BLS counts about 1,740 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Santa Rosa-Petaluma against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $62,180 | $94,690 | $151,790 | |
| California | $61,770 | $97,050 | $160,520 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Santa Rosa-Petaluma earns $76,390–$124,550. The top tenth earns $151,790 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $48,160 wide, between the figure for California ($50,040) 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 | $62,180 | $5,182 | $29.89 | $80,232 |
| 25th percentile | $76,390 | $6,366 | $36.73 | $98,568 |
| Median | $94,690 | $7,891 | $45.52 | $122,181 |
| 75th percentile | $124,550 | $10,379 | $59.88 | $160,710 |
| 90th percentile | $151,790 | $12,649 | $72.98 | $195,858 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $29,860 over the median, the 25th only $18,300 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $38,529 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 25th percentile and the median in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, and the California statewide median of $97,050 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Santa Rosa-Petaluma
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 $27,491 to the $94,690 median and brings it to $122,181 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma
Of the 17 roles we track in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($107,340); executive assistants come next at $92,240.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +13.4% | 1,000 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,740 | |
| Executive Assistant | -2.6% | 490 | |
| Recruiter | -13.9% | 920 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -16.8% | 960 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #11 of the 17 roles we track in Santa Rosa-Petaluma (+13.2%), between HR assistants (+14.2%) and office managers (+9.8%). The typical role here is at +15.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 9.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, 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 9 areas in California with more accountants than Santa Rosa-Petaluma, 6 pay less, the largest of them Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($94,360), Sacramento-Roseville, CA ($92,110) and Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ($83,920).
| Area | Median | vs Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | +5.2% | 520 | |
| San Diego-Chula Vista, CA | +1.7% | 13,450 | |
| Vallejo, CA | +1.2% | 690 | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | this area | 1,740 | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | -0.3% | 70,640 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | -2.7% | 13,170 | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | -3.3% | 1,510 |
Santa Rosa-Petaluma against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Santa Rosa-Petaluma is #113 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 California, New Haven and Providence-Warwick pay just above Santa Rosa-Petaluma and Olympia-Lacey and Worcester just below. All four are within $620 a year of the median in Santa Rosa-Petaluma. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | +0.3% | 8,250 | pay | |
| New Haven, CT | +0.3% | 2,000 | pay | |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | this area | 1,740 | ||
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | -0.2% | 1,330 | pay | |
| Worcester, MA | -0.7% | 3,090 | pay | |
| Springfield, MA | -2.8% | 1,720 | jobs | |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | -15.7% | 1,780 | jobs | |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | -18.9% | 1,740 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?
About $122,181 a year at the median, or $10,182 a month: $94,690 in pay plus about $27,491 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $94,690 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $62,180, the 90th $151,790, and the middle half earned $76,390 to $124,550.
Is Santa Rosa-Petaluma cheaper than the rest of California for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $94,690 against $97,050 statewide. The next area up in California is Vallejo at $95,800, the next down Los Angeles-Long Beach at $94,360.
How many accountants work in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
BLS counts about 1,740 in the May 2025 survey. 9 areas in California have more; the closest in size is Bakersfield-Delano, with about 1,870.
Does an accountant cost more than an executive assistant in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Yes: $2,450 a year more at the median. The medians are $94,690 and $92,240.
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.