Accounting Assistant Salary Overview

Accounting assistants play a major part in tracking and managing their employers' day-to-day financial activities. Their work forms the foundation of the accounting data that upper-level decision-makers rely on.

The accounting assistant role can also lead to more advanced accounting careers. Many emerging professionals seek accounting assistant jobs to gain the experience needed to pursue work as staff accountants and certified public accountants (CPAs). You can also pursue a long-term career as an accounting assistant and increase your pay as you gain experience.

This career guide explores accounting assistant salary trends and pay rates. Consult the data below as you explore various accounting roles, educational opportunities, and industries of employment.

How Much Does an Accounting Assistant Make?

Payscale data from April 2025 places the average annual accounting assistant salary at just under $48,000 per year.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) includes accounting assistants in its broader category for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks. BLS data from May 2024 puts the median salary for these professionals at $49,210 per year.

Both sources also report significant levels of variance in accounting assistant salaries. Factors like education, experience, location, and industry can all affect pay rates. Explore the sections below for detailed breakdowns of their impacts.

Salary by Education

Many accounting assistants hold degrees, but some employers hire candidates without them. You can learn about alternative career entry pathways from this resource on how to become an accounting assistant.

While you may not strictly need a degree, your education will likely affect your earning potential. Accounting salaries tend to rise with degree level, rewarding professionals who invest in earning academic credentials.

The following table explores average salaries according to education level. The data is not specific to accounting assistants. Instead, it explores correlations between accounting education and salary potential.

Salary by Experience

The longer you work as an accounting assistant, the more capable you can become in your role. This experience generally leads to higher compensation, as employers are often willing to pay a higher accounting assistant salary to secure the services of a seasoned professional.

Strong performance can also generate additional rewards. Many employers offer discretionary compensation to high-performing team members through bonuses and/or stock options. These sources can further increase your earning power, especially as you accumulate more experience.

Note the steady, consistent pay increases at various experience levels documented in the table below:

Salary by Location

Supporting-level accounting professionals earn variable pay rates in different parts of the United States. Factors like area-specific labor market dynamics, local living costs, and quality of life can all affect accounting assistant salaries.

Employers in higher-cost areas tend to offer stronger pay, while those in lower-cost areas may pay less. Similar trends extend to labor market demand, with businesses tending to pay more in areas where qualified accounting assistants are in shorter supply.

The following tables explore the highest-paying states and metro areas in the United States for accounting assistants. We drew salary data from the general BLS entry for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks, which includes accounting assistants.

Where Should You Work as an Accounting Assistant?

The BLS projects declining demand for accounting assistants and other supporting-level bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing professionals from 2023-2033.

The agency primarily credits these expectations to technological change. Accounting software platforms now offer more sophisticated capabilities, enabling employers to accomplish more with fewer hands-on workers. Artificial intelligence also looms as a potential game-changer for assistant-level accounting professionals, as it could accelerate the automation of many routine tasks.

However, several factors could help accounting assistants shield themselves from these impacts. Accounting assistants tend to perform more analytical tasks and a broader variety of duties than accounting clerks. As such, they may be less affected by technological advancements.

Also, many aspiring CPAs work as accounting assistants to obtain the necessary experience to pursue licensure. Employers actively participate in these experiential training programs. With the accounting industry aiming to address its growing CPA shortage, accounting assistants could find themselves in higher-than-expected demand.

Best Areas

As with other accounting professions, accounting assistant job opportunities generally cluster in densely populated urban centers and states with larger populations. These areas tend to host more corporate, industrial, and commercial activity, and accounting jobs tend to follow.

Note that some states appear set to see job growth rates for the profession that contradict national-level BLS projections. In another notable trend, some areas that look positioned for an overall decline in accounting assistant demand may still have many annual job openings due to employee turnover.

Explore related data points in the tables below:

Best Industries

Accounting firms may be the best place to launch your search for employment as an assistant. They tend to employ support professionals in the highest numbers while doubling as ideal training grounds for aspiring CPAs.

As you explore better-paying alternatives, note the limited number of people employed in the industries that offer the highest average accounting assistant salaries. Also, keep your career mobility in mind: The experience you gain as an assistant can directly prepare you for staff accountant and CPA roles, both of which offer significantly higher salaries.

Questions About an Accounting Assistant's Salary