Accountant salary in Waterbury-Shelton, CT
Waterbury-Shelton pays accountants less than Connecticut as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $93,010 a year1: 4.7% below the Connecticut statewide median of $97,550 and 11.1% above the US median of $83,680. Nationally that is #29 of 521 areas, in the top tenth. About 1,230 accountants work here, 7% of the Connecticut total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Waterbury-Shelton, CT. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Waterbury-Shelton against Connecticut and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $61,880 | $93,010 | $131,280 | |
| Connecticut | $64,230 | $97,550 | $156,670 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Waterbury-Shelton earns $71,990–$107,460. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $131,280, only 2.1 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 only $35,470 wide, against $45,650 across Connecticut and $42,790 nationally: employers in Waterbury-Shelton 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 | $61,880 | $5,157 | $29.75 | $79,845 |
| 25th percentile | $71,990 | $5,999 | $34.61 | $92,890 |
| Median | $93,010 | $7,751 | $44.72 | $120,013 |
| 75th percentile | $107,460 | $8,955 | $51.66 | $138,658 |
| 90th percentile | $131,280 | $10,940 | $63.12 | $169,394 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $21,020 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $14,450, or about $18,645 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 25th percentile and the median in Waterbury-Shelton, and the Connecticut statewide median of $97,550 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Waterbury-Shelton
At the $93,010 median, a local hire costs about $120,013 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $27,003 here. 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 Waterbury-Shelton
Of the 17 roles we track in Waterbury-Shelton, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($99,990); executive assistants come next at $81,640.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +7.5% | 590 | |
| Accountant | this role | 1,230 | |
| Executive Assistant | -12.2% | 430 | |
| Recruiter | -14.1% | 710 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -17.7% | 1,180 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Waterbury-Shelton (+11.1%), between e-commerce order specialists (+14.9%) and bookkeepers (+10.7%). The typical role here is at +5.1%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost more in Waterbury-Shelton than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 7.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Waterbury-Shelton, 9.3% across Connecticut and 9.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Connecticut
Across the 6 areas of Connecticut with data for this job, the median runs from $82,530 in Norwich-New London to $102,020 in Bridgeport-Stamford, a gap of $19,490 a year. All 3 areas in Connecticut with more accountants than Waterbury-Shelton also pay more, among them Hartford-West Hartford, CT ($95,940) and Bridgeport-Stamford, CT ($102,020).
| Area | Median | vs Waterbury-Shelton | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +9.7% | 5,000 | |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | +3.2% | 6,780 | |
| New Haven, CT | +2.1% | 2,000 | |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | this area | 1,230 | |
| Connecticut (Nonmetro) | -2.8% | 380 | |
| Norwich-New London, CT | -11.3% | 740 |
Waterbury-Shelton against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Waterbury-Shelton is #152 of 521 US areas for this job. It is a mid-sized market, and its pay is in the top quarter of US areas. Outside Connecticut, Longview-Kelso and Kennewick-Richland pay just above Waterbury-Shelton and Mount Vernon-Anacortes and Charlotte-Concord just below. All four are within $270 a year of the median in Waterbury-Shelton. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Waterbury-Shelton | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland, TX | +8.5% | 1,240 | jobs | |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +0.3% | 1,020 | pay | |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | +0.1% | 250 | pay | |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | this area | 1,230 | ||
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | -0.1% | 400 | pay | |
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | -0.1% | 16,820 | pay | |
| Reading, PA | -18.8% | 1,230 | jobs | |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | -24.3% | 1,250 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?
About $120,013 a year at the median, or $10,001 a month: $93,010 in pay plus about $27,003 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Waterbury-Shelton?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $93,010 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $61,880, the 90th $131,280, and the middle half earned $71,990 to $107,460.
Is Waterbury-Shelton cheaper than the rest of Connecticut for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $93,010 against $97,550 statewide. The next area up in Connecticut is New Haven at $94,960, the next down the Connecticut nonmetro area at $90,420.
How many accountants work in Waterbury-Shelton?
BLS counts about 1,230 in the May 2025 survey. That is 7% of the Connecticut total of 16,770. 3 areas in Connecticut have more; the closest in size is New Haven, with about 2,000.
Does an accountant cost more than an executive assistant in Waterbury-Shelton?
Yes: $11,370 a year more at the median. The medians are $93,010 and $81,640.
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.