Accountants and Auditors pay in California
$103,760avg. a year
$49.89 an hour · 175,360 employed
Accountants and Auditors in California earn an average of $103,760 a year. That is $9,010 (10%) more than the U.S. average of $94,750. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $128,520.
$97,050Median pay
$49.89Average hourly
+18%Avg. pay since 2020
#5Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for accountants and auditors by metro area. Swipe to see all 25.
113,180 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$128,520
$61.79 an hour
225,170 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$120,780
$58.07 an hour
313,450 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$103,810
$49.91 an hour
4520 jobs
Napa, CA
$103,790
$49.90 an hour
51,740 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$101,960
$49.02 an hour
670,640 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$99,740
$47.95 an hour
7690 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$99,420
$47.80 an hour
81,510 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$98,350
$47.29 an hour
92,530 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$97,190
$46.73 an hour
101,050 jobs
Salinas, CA
$95,570
$45.95 an hour
1113,170 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$94,950
$45.65 an hour
12740 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$94,640
$45.50 an hour
13860 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$94,600
$45.48 an hour
141,420 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$93,820
$45.11 an hour
151,200 jobs
Modesto, CA
$93,000
$44.71 an hour
169,240 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$91,800
$44.14 an hour
17280 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$90,600
$43.56 an hour
181,870 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$89,590
$43.07 an hour
19360 jobs
Merced, CA
$88,230
$42.42 an hour
202,810 jobs
Fresno, CA
$88,140
$42.37 an hour
21490 jobs
Redding, CA
$87,780
$42.20 an hour
22210 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$87,210
$41.93 an hour
23420 jobs
Chico, CA
$86,290
$41.48 an hour
24870 jobs
Visalia, CA
$86,120
$41.40 an hour
25300 jobs
El Centro, CA
$84,540
$40.64 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Accountants and Auditors pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California accountants and auditors work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $83k$83k–$88k$88k–$94k$94k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $94,750 | $45.56 |
| California | $103,760 | $49.89 |
| Oregon | $93,870 | $45.13 |
| Nevada | $89,310 | $42.94 |
| Arizona | $88,400 | $42.50 |
Related jobs in California
- Financial and Investment Analysts$125,070
- Loan Officers$97,120
- Personal Financial Advisors$170,070
- Financial Specialists, All Other$98,100
- Insurance Underwriters$102,850
- Tax Preparers$71,540
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do accountants and auditors make in California?
The average is $103,760 a year, and the median is $97,050. That is $9,010 (10%) more than the U.S. average of $94,750.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$49.89 an hour on average; the median is $46.66.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($128,520), followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($120,780). The lowest average among 25 metro areas with data is El Centro, CA ($84,540).
How does California rank?
California ranks #5 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 13-2011. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national accountants and auditors page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.