Accountants and Auditors Salary in Seattle, WA (2024)
Accountants and Auditors in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn a median of $99,380 per year ($47.78 per hour) based on 24,880 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +21.7% against the national median of $81,680 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where accountants and auditors actually sit across the pay range in Seattle, WA, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33.31 | $69,290 | |
| 25th percentile | $38.64 | $80,370 | |
| Median | $47.78 | $99,380 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $60.89 | $126,660 | |
| 90th percentile | $74.00 | $153,930 | |
| Average (mean) | $51.01 | $106,100 |
How Seattle, WA compares
The local median of $99,380 runs +21.7% above the US median of $81,680 for this occupation; it pays 47.2% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($67,510); within the metro it ranks 178th of 687 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA — this occupation | $99,380 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $81,680 | +21.7% |
| Seattle, WA — all occupations | $67,510 | +47.2% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $105,750 | -6.0% |
At a location quotient of 1.27, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 127% of the national share of these workers.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.0%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 178th of 687 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Seattle, WA
To put $99,380 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 178th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $237,310 | 410 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $232,120 | 2,070 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | $214,220 | 400 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $212,450 | 13,900 |
| Dentists, General | $208,810 | 1,670 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $208,230 | 2,260 |
| Medical Dosimetrists | $201,780 | 40 |
| Advertising and Promotions Managers | $192,970 | 140 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | $183,640 | 4,560 |
| Financial Managers | $180,770 | 9,460 |
Where accountants and auditors earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $77,770 to $105,750. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $105,750 | 26,600 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $105,100 | 114,300 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $99,440 | 42,320 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $99,380 | 24,880 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $97,580 | 36,300 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $95,680 | 23,290 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $93,890 | 65,590 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $93,430 | 14,070 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $85,450 | 15,770 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $84,080 | 29,180 |
See the full national picture on the Accountants and Auditors salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for accountants and auditors in Seattle, WA?
The median annual wage is $99,380, or $48 per hour. That means half of the accountants and auditors working in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $106,100.
What do the highest and lowest paid accountants and auditors in Seattle, WA earn?
The bottom 10% earn $69,290 or less, while the top 10% earn $153,930 or more — a spread of $84,640 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $80,370 and $126,660.
Is accountants and auditors pay in Seattle, WA above the local average?
Yes, it is 47.2% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $67,510. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Seattle, WA pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $99,380 the metro median is 21.7% higher than the US median of $81,680 for accountants and auditors. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $77,770 to $105,750.
How many accountants and auditors work in Seattle, WA?
BLS counts about 24,880 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 11.95 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. At a location quotient of 1.27, this occupation is over-represented locally: the metro has about 127% of the national share of these workers.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 3.1%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.