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Accountant salary and cost of hiring in Washington

The median accountant in Washington earned $96,550 a year in May 2025[1], 15.4% above the US median of $83,680. That puts Washington at #8 of 51 states for this job.

$8,046median pay per month in Washington
$11,494employer cost per month with benefits
$46.42median pay per hour
34,740people in this job in Washington

BLS occupation 13-2011. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Washington$66,330$96,550$152,310
United States$56,020$83,680$144,090
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of accountants in Washington earns $79,180–$122,480; the top tenth earns $152,310 or more, 2.3 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the Washington median that makes about $137,929 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. 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 fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$137,929local hire, first year incl. benefits
-remote hire, first year incl. fee
-difference in year one
-of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Washington

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$99,370
$126,80022,100
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA
$94,470
$113,2901,330
Kennewick-Richland, WA
$93,280
$115,9201,020
Longview-Kelso, WA
$93,130
$107,100250
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA
$92,920
$114,750400
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area
$91,570
$109,9401,140
Walla Walla, WA
$89,630
$106,510170
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA
$88,250
$105,720580
Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA
$87,770
$106,750410
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
$86,350
$110,6002,340
Bellingham, WA
$85,450
$105,060870
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area
$84,290
$100,800860
Yakima, WA
$82,380
$104,000600

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA pays the most ($99,370) and Yakima, WA the least ($82,380): $16,990 a year apart for the same job.

What an accountant does

An accountant goes beyond bookkeeping: month-end close, financial statements, budgets, management reports and support for audits and tax filings.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Washington
California
$97,050
+0.5%
Colorado
$97,030
+0.5%
Washington
$96,550
+0.0%
Rhode Island
$95,820
-0.8%
Delaware
$95,020
-1.6%

Questions

How much does an accountant earn in Washington?

The median was $96,550 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $79,180 to $122,480.

What does it cost to employ an accountant in Washington?

About $137,929 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Washington do accountants earn the most?

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, with a median of $99,370 a year.

Other roles in Washington

Hire accountants remotely

How to hire accountants

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes132011.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-05.