Accountant salary in Yakima, WA
Of the 13 areas in Washington with BLS pay data for this job, Yakima has the lowest median: $82,380 a year1. That is 14.7% below the Washington statewide median of $96,550, and 1.6% below the US median of $83,680. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#88 of 521). BLS counts about 600 people in this job here, 2% of the Washington total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Yakima, WA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Yakima against Washington and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima, WA | $60,230 | $82,380 | $128,000 | |
| Washington | $66,330 | $96,550 | $152,310 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Yakima earns $69,990–$104,000. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $128,000, only 2.1 times the bottom tenth, against 2.6 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($90,380) 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 $34,010 wide, against $43,300 across Washington and $42,790 nationally: employers in Yakima 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 | $60,230 | $5,019 | $28.96 | $77,716 |
| 25th percentile | $69,990 | $5,832 | $33.65 | $90,310 |
| Median | $82,380 | $6,865 | $39.61 | $106,297 |
| 75th percentile | $104,000 | $8,667 | $50.00 | $134,194 |
| 90th percentile | $128,000 | $10,667 | $61.54 | $165,161 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $21,620 over the median, the 25th only $12,390 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $27,897 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 median and the 75th percentile in Yakima, and the Washington statewide median of $96,550 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Yakima
At the $82,380 median, a local hire costs about $106,297 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $23,917 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 Yakima
Of the 15 roles we track in Yakima, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($98,780); executive assistants come next at $73,190.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +19.9% | 250 | |
| Accountant | this role | 600 | |
| Executive Assistant | -11.2% | 180 | |
| Office Manager | -11.3% | 880 | |
| Recruiter | -12.4% | 390 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #10 of the 15 roles we track in Yakima (-1.6%), between paralegals (+0.4%) and project coordinators (-3.5%). The typical role here is at +0.6%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Accountants hold 8.5% of the jobs in these 15 roles in Yakima, 10.3% across Washington and 9.3% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Washington
Across the 13 areas of Washington with data for this job, the median runs from $82,380 in Yakima to $99,370 in Seattle-Tacoma, a gap of $16,990 a year. All 7 areas in Washington with more accountants than Yakima also pay more, among them Seattle-Tacoma, WA ($99,370) and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($86,350).
| Area | Median | vs Yakima | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walla Walla, WA | +8.8% | 170 | |
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | +7.1% | 580 | |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | +6.5% | 410 | |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | +4.8% | 2,340 | |
| Bellingham, WA | +3.7% | 870 | |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | +2.3% | 860 | |
| Yakima, WA | this area | 600 |
Yakima against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Yakima is #309 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 Washington, Fairbanks-College and Binghamton pay just above Yakima and Reno and Chicago-Naperville just below. All four are within $120 a year of the median in Yakima. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Yakima | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binghamton, NY | +0.1% | 670 | pay | |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | +0.1% | 170 | pay | |
| Yakima, WA | this area | 600 | ||
| Reno, NV | -0.0% | 1,480 | pay | |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | -0.0% | 41,360 | pay | |
| Medford, OR | -1.4% | 600 | jobs | |
| Missoula, MT | -11.5% | 600 | jobs | |
| Lake Charles, LA | -15.0% | 600 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Yakima, WA?
About $106,297 a year at the median, or $8,858 a month: $82,380 in pay plus about $23,917 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Yakima?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $82,380 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $60,230, the 90th $128,000, and the middle half earned $69,990 to $104,000.
Is Yakima the cheapest area in Washington for accountants?
Yes. Its median of $82,380 is the lowest of 13 areas in Washington. The Eastern Washington nonmetro area is next at $84,290.
How many accountants work in Yakima?
BLS counts about 600 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Washington total of 34,740. 7 areas in Washington have more; the closest in size is the Eastern Washington nonmetro area, with about 860.
Does an accountant cost more than an executive assistant in Yakima?
Yes: $9,190 a year more at the median. The medians are $82,380 and $73,190.
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.