What Is an Accountant’s Salary in Arizona?

In the 2025 edition of the Rich States, Poor States index, the Grand Canyon State ranked second in economic performance and sixth for its overall economic outlook. The state’s diversified economy includes booming real estate, public service, healthcare, manufacturing, retail industries, and a fast-growing technology and innovation sector.

Despite these advantages, Arizona employers are struggling to fill accounting positions: The Arizona Society of CPAs (ASCPA) notes a stark talent shortage in the state, and Arizona’s government is now considering changes to its licensing system for certified public accountants (CPAs).

Explore what accountants in Arizona can expect and discover trends impacting accountant salaries.

Arizona has made significant investments in its higher education system as the state works to fill educational attainment gaps. The Talent Ready AZ program is the state government’s flagship initiative: It includes scholarship and workforce development programs designed to boost the state’s percentage of working adults with a postsecondary credential to 60% by 2030.

As an accounting student in Arizona, you’ll have plenty of schooling options. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 20 public or private nonprofit Arizona institutions offer degree programs in accounting as of the 2024-25 school year. These programs cover all degree levels, from associate to advanced.

Many of these programs include field learning components, including internships and work-study placements. These offer valuable networking opportunities that can help you form connections with potential employers. A 2020 University of Arizona survey found that graduating seniors who completed internships were two times more likely to land a full-time job.

Arizona’s economy also offers diverse employment opportunities. The state has a strong corporate presence and a flourishing small business sector. According to the Arizona Commerce Authority, more than 650,000 small businesses combine to employ 42.2% of Arizona’s private-sector workforce.

Arizona’s personal and corporate income tax advantages leave less funding for higher education. As a result, the state falls well below national averages for postsecondary education appropriations and tax revenues.

These trends help explain the state’s strong orientation toward online learning, which conserves institutional resources. If you plan to learn online, Arizona has a favorable profile: According to the NCES, it has a greater percentage of fully online college students than any other state except New Hampshire.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) has historically served as Arizona’s main institutional accrediting agency. WASC accredits two-year schools through its Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), and other institutions through the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

As a prospective Arizona student, look for endorsements from the ACCJC, WSCUC, or other recognized regional accrediting bodies. These accreditations are mandatory, since you need them to qualify for federal financial aid.

You can also look for optional programmatic accreditations from organizations like the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) or the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. These endorsements generally indicate high academic quality.

Arizona is a national leader in online higher education: More than half of the state’s college students study entirely online, and nearly three-quarters take at least some distance education courses.

While Arizona emphasizes online learning, it offers many campus-based educational opportunities and hybrid programs that blend face-to-face and distance models. Explore the unique benefits of each option for accounting students:

Arizona’s year-round warm weather and socially engaging campuses rank as main draws for traditional students. You can also benefit from easier access to campus resources, especially if you attend one of the state’s larger institutions.

On-campus learning also provides opportunities for networking with peers, faculty, and potential employers, which may benefit you as you start looking for work.

Arizona’s online learning programs involve a combination of public and private investment. You can find many online programs to maximize flexibility and convenience while studying accounting at an Arizona college.

Hybrid programs combine the social and networking advantages of traditional attendance with the convenience of online learning. About one-fifth of Arizona college students opt for this format, but it does require you to live near campus.

Arizona’s public institutions charge average to above-average tuition fees, but the state’s private colleges offer major discounts. Average tuition rates at Arizona private colleges fell 61.8% below the national average during the 2022-23 school year.

Despite these savings opportunities, many Arizona students need financial aid. Start by looking into scholarship and grant programs. Also, explore the Arizona Board of Regents’ Promise Program for low-income students, which offers tuition-free access to eligible applicants. You can also explore other options, including federal or private loans, that must be repaid with interest.

Public colleges throughout the United States usually charge out-of-state students higher tuition fees. In Arizona, non-resident students pay a premium of about 242% over their in-state peers, reports the NCES.

However, there is some good news: Arizona is a member of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), which operates two tuition reciprocity programs: the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) and the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP).

If you live in another WICHE member state or jurisdiction, you could qualify for tuition discounts through the WUE or WRGP. These discounts can significantly reduce the cost of attending an Arizona public college as an out-of-state learner.

Arizona’s cost-of-living index score is 112.5. A score of 100 represents the baseline national average, making Arizona’s cost of living 12.5% higher than that of the typical U.S. destination.

Arizona’s housing costs are especially high with a score of 134.8 against the 100 baseline average. Keep this in mind if you plan to live in Arizona as you attend college, since you will need to budget accordingly.

Arizona has an excellent employment outlook for accountants and auditors. The U.S. Department of Labor projects nearly 14% growth for these jobs from 2022 to 2032. You can seek accounting roles in various settings, including:

If you seek employment with a professional services firm, you can look for openings with the Big Four accounting firms: Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC. All four have offices in Arizona, from which they serve a large base of business clients.

Large corporate employers also have a strong presence in Arizona, and you can also explore opportunities for accounting employment with businesses in the state’s fastest-growing industries, according to the Arizona Commerce Authority, which include:

Arizona also hosts a strong financial services industry, which marks another major avenue of employment for accounting graduates.

The following professions are some career paths you can enter with an accounting degree. It features roles that offer the highest pay rates in Arizona relative to the recommended education level:

Payroll clerks help prepare and process payments to employees and contractors. They also track and distribute benefits and bonuses, and create payroll reports for management. While the career path pays well relative to the required level of education, it is also impacted by increasing automation.

Job Outlook in Arizona (2022-32): -6.2%

Arizona’s labor market offers a bright outlook for these specialists, who liaise between buyers and sellers in financial markets. Securities, commodities, and financial services sales agents also recommend investments and financial products to individual and business clients, monitor and manage portfolios, and provide investment advice.

Job Outlook in Arizona (2022-32): +19.8%

Financial managers perform advanced financial planning and management duties, usually in corporate settings. They lead finance departments, supervising junior employees while working to develop, implement, and monitor strategic plans for organizational growth. Arizona also holds great promise for managerial-level finance specialists, with high pay and strong growth projections.

Job Outlook in Arizona (2022-32): +27.1%

In Arizona, salaries in accounting-related professions generally lag behind national averages. To improve your accountant’s salary in Arizona, consider earning a master’s degree, as it can help you access career paths with higher earning potential.

A few career paths defy this trend. For example, Arizona tax examiners and cost estimators earn salaries that surpass national averages.

You can also boost your earning power by acquiring an in-demand professional certification or license, such as a CPA credential. The following section offers an overview of how to become a CPA in Arizona.

All states have their own unique CPA licensing guidelines. The Arizona Board of Accountancy is the Grand Canyon State’s CPA licensing authority, and its current requirements include:

In May 2025, the ASCPA reported that Arizona plans to reform its CPA licensing model in 2026. The ASCPA expects the upcoming changes to reflect shifts in other states, which have introduced 120-credit pathways to CPA licensure by adding a second required year of employment experience.

Monitor this situation as you move through your accounting program in Arizona, as it could impact your path to CPA licensure by the time you are ready to pursue it.