Accountant salary in St. Cloud, MN
St. Cloud is a lower-cost market for accountants: the median of $77,720 a year1 is 4.8% below the Minnesota statewide median of $81,600, and 7.1% below the US median of $83,680. Among US areas it comes in at #208 of 521. BLS counts about 800 people in this job here, 3% of the Minnesota total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area St. Cloud, MN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in St. Cloud against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud, MN | $53,420 | $77,720 | $124,800 | |
| Minnesota | $58,280 | $81,600 | $138,960 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
Accountants at the 90th percentile earn $124,800, 2.3 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.6. The middle half of accountants in St. Cloud earns $64,250–$95,870. The mean ($85,350) is 10% 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 $31,620 wide, against $36,830 across Minnesota and $42,790 nationally: employers in St. Cloud 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 | $53,420 | $4,452 | $25.68 | $68,929 |
| 25th percentile | $64,250 | $5,354 | $30.89 | $82,903 |
| Median | $77,720 | $6,477 | $37.37 | $100,284 |
| 75th percentile | $95,870 | $7,989 | $46.09 | $123,703 |
| 90th percentile | $124,800 | $10,400 | $60.00 | $161,032 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $13,470 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $18,150, or about $23,419 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 St. Cloud, and the Minnesota statewide median of $81,600 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in St. Cloud
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 $22,564 to the $77,720 median and brings it to $100,284 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 St. Cloud
Of the 17 roles we track in St. Cloud, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($96,390); recruiters come next at $74,710.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +24.0% | 380 | |
| Accountant | this role | 800 | |
| Recruiter | -3.9% | 480 | |
| Marketing Specialist | -6.1% | 350 | |
| Office Manager | -7.6% | 820 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #14 of the 17 roles we track in St. Cloud (-7.1%), between project coordinators (-5.8%) and marketing specialists (-7.3%). The typical role here is at -1.6%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost less in St. Cloud than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 8.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in St. Cloud, 10.4% across Minnesota and 9.1% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Minnesota
Across the 9 areas of Minnesota with data for this job, the median runs from $73,830 in the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area to $86,500 in Minneapolis-St. Paul, a gap of $12,670 a year. Of the 5 areas in Minnesota with more accountants than St. Cloud, 3 pay less: the Northwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($73,830), Duluth, MN-WI ($77,400) and the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area ($76,840).
| Area | Median | vs St. Cloud | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +11.3% | 21,820 | |
| Rochester, MN | +8.0% | 760 | |
| Southeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | +0.9% | 990 | |
| St. Cloud, MN | this area | 800 | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | -0.4% | 940 | |
| Northeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -0.7% | 260 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -1.1% | 930 |
St. Cloud against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, St. Cloud is #241 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Minnesota, Green Bay and Lafayette-West Lafayette pay just above St. Cloud and Chico and Wausau just below. All four are within $40 a year of the median in St. Cloud. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs St. Cloud | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, NC | +1.1% | 800 | jobs | |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | +0.0% | 570 | pay | |
| Green Bay, WI | +0.0% | 1,490 | pay | |
| St. Cloud, MN | this area | 800 | ||
| Chico, CA | -0.1% | 420 | pay | |
| Wausau, WI | -0.1% | 530 | pay | |
| Bozeman, MT | -0.4% | 800 | jobs | |
| Spartanburg, SC | -0.8% | 800 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in St. Cloud, MN?
About $100,284 a year at the median, or $8,357 a month: $77,720 in pay plus about $22,564 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in St. Cloud?
The median was $77,720 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $53,420, the 90th $124,800, and the middle half earned $64,250 to $95,870.
Is St. Cloud cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $77,720 against $81,600 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area at $78,450, the next down Duluth at $77,400.
How many accountants work in St. Cloud?
BLS counts about 800 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Minnesota total of 30,530. 5 areas in Minnesota have more; the closest in size is the Southwest Minnesota nonmetro area, with about 930.
Does an accountant cost more than a recruiter in St. Cloud?
Yes: $3,010 a year more at the median. The medians are $77,720 and $74,710.
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.