Accountant salary in Waco, TX
Hiring an accountant costs less in Waco than in Texas or the country as a whole. The median is $76,140 a year1: 5.9% below the Texas statewide median of $80,920 and 9.0% below the US median of $83,680. Among US areas it comes in at #286 of 521. BLS counts about 860 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Waco, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Waco against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waco, TX | $52,590 | $76,140 | $122,330 | |
| Texas | $53,380 | $80,920 | $132,040 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
Accountants at the 90th percentile earn $122,330, 2.3 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.6. The middle half of accountants in Waco earns $62,760–$94,380. The mean ($84,280) 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 $31,620 wide, against $38,200 across Texas and $42,790 nationally: employers in Waco 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 | $52,590 | $4,382 | $25.28 | $67,858 |
| 25th percentile | $62,760 | $5,230 | $30.17 | $80,981 |
| Median | $76,140 | $6,345 | $36.61 | $98,245 |
| 75th percentile | $94,380 | $7,865 | $45.38 | $121,781 |
| 90th percentile | $122,330 | $10,194 | $58.81 | $157,845 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $18,240 a year in pay and about $23,535 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $13,380 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 median and the 75th percentile in Waco, and the Texas statewide median of $80,920 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Waco
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 $22,105 to the $76,140 median and brings it to $98,245 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 Waco
Of the 17 roles we track in Waco, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($78,580); executive assistants come next at $66,980.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +3.2% | 920 | |
| Accountant | this role | 860 | |
| Executive Assistant | -12.0% | 270 | |
| Recruiter | -16.8% | 590 | |
| Office Manager | -21.2% | 1,530 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Waco (-9.0%), between administrative assistants (-8.9%) and HR assistants (-11.5%). The typical role here is at -12.5%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost more in Waco than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 6.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Waco, 7.4% across Texas and 9.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Texas
Across the 32 areas of Texas with data for this job, the median runs from $63,410 in Laredo to $100,890 in Midland, a gap of $37,480 a year. Of the 13 areas in Texas with more accountants than Waco, 5 pay less, the largest of them El Paso, TX ($65,990), McAllen-Edinburg, TX ($64,470) and the Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetro area ($74,450).
| Area | Median | vs Waco | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | +0.7% | 840 | |
| North Region of Texas (Nonmetro) | +0.2% | 1,470 | |
| Amarillo, TX | +0.1% | 1,070 | |
| Waco, TX | this area | 860 | |
| Wichita Falls, TX | -0.1% | 310 | |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | -0.6% | 260 | |
| Corpus Christi, TX | -0.7% | 1,070 |
Waco against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Waco is #221 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Texas, Grand Rapids-Wyoming and Topeka pay just above Waco and Lancaster and Farmington just below. All four are within $140 a year of the median in Waco. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Waco | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | +15.8% | 860 | jobs | |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | +0.3% | 860 | jobs | |
| Topeka, KS | +0.2% | 1,420 | pay | |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | +0.2% | 5,670 | pay | |
| Waco, TX | this area | 860 | ||
| Lancaster, PA | -0.0% | 1,990 | pay | |
| Farmington, NM | -0.1% | 240 | pay | |
| Flint, MI | -2.2% | 860 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Waco, TX?
About $98,245 a year at the median, or $8,187 a month: $76,140 in pay plus about $22,105 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do accountants earn in Waco?
The median was $76,140 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $52,590, the 90th $122,330, and the middle half earned $62,760 to $94,380.
Is Waco cheaper than the rest of Texas for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $76,140 against $80,920 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Amarillo at $76,200, the next down Wichita Falls at $76,050.
How many accountants work in Waco?
BLS counts about 860 in the May 2025 survey. 13 areas in Texas have more; the closest in size is Lubbock, with about 960.
Does an accountant cost more than an executive assistant in Waco?
Yes: $9,160 a year more at the median. The medians are $76,140 and $66,980.
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.