Accounting Salary In Florida

Accounting professionals in the state of Florida are paid an average of $55,000 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn less than $30,000 per year, and the highest-paid 10% earn more than $85,000 per year.

Accounting salaries in Florida vary according to location, experience and education. Average accounting salaries in Florida are $71,000 for entry-level positions, $72,000 for mid-career professionals and $93,000 for senior-level employees.

Accountants with bachelor’s degrees typically earn more than those who have only a high school education or an associate degree. In addition to higher incomes, accountants with advanced degrees may also be eligible for higher bonuses and promotions.

The average salary for accountants in Florida is $72,000 as of May 2017. This is higher than the national average salary of $69,900 per year.

Accounting Salary In Florida

The field of accounting is booming in Florida as Wall Street firms relocate their offices to business-friendly cities like Jacksonville where operational costs and tax rates are lower than almost anywhere on the East coast, and a whole lot lower than in New York where most of these firms hail from. And according to a recent article in Bloomberg, there are corporate defectors coming down south, as well, with the state’s reputation as a tax haven pulling in former talent from Morgan Stanley and Squared Capital, along with other fund managers coming to set up shop.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in May 2020, Florida was home to the fourth highest number of accountants and auditors in the country.

Plus, the number of accounting positions in Florida is increasing faster than in the U.S. as a whole. The total number of accounting jobs in the state is expected to increase by 13.9% between 2018 and 2028 according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. New jobs, along with normal changes in the workforce, will result in 9,040 average annual job openings in the ten-year period leading to 2028.

Salaries for Accountants, CPAs and CFOs in Florida

According to the BLS, the median salary for accountants in Florida was $65,100 a year in 2020, with the highest earners (top 10%) earning more than $118,600.

The BLS also highlights what accountants and auditors are earning at different levels, in different roles, and with varying degrees of experience and education. Note that the following base salaries do not take into account the bonuses and other financial incentives that are typical in this profession.

Corporate Staff Accountants, Bookkeepers, and Accounting Clerks

Corporate staff accountants, bookkeepers, and accounting clerks in Florida earn a median salary of $39,730. Those new to the profession earn closer to the 25th percentile, at $32,670, while those with significant experience and those holding managerial roles earn closer to the top of the pay scale (75th – 90th percentile), at $49,640 – $61,650.

Forensic Accountants

Forensic accountants have a unique skillset that results in salaries that usually exceed their general accountant and auditor counterparts. In Florida, they earn a salary of about $88,100, which reflects the 75th percentile among accountants and auditors.

Controllers and Other Financial Managers

Controllers and other financial managers earn a median salary of $118,070, while those with considerable experience earn closer to $167,500, which represents the 75th percentile. The top earners in Florida in management and controller roles (90th percentile) earn more than $208,000 annually.

CPAs and Auditors

CPAs holding high-level management or director positions in large accounting firms where audit and assurance services are offered earn some of the highest salaries among accountants in Florida. For example, in Jacksonville, they earn about $103,420, while in Miami, they earn $128,300, both of which represent the 90th percentile.

Accountants in Executive Roles

The highest average salaries in the field are reserved for Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), who typically have many years of experience in management accounting and hold CPA licenses. In Florida, these top-level professionals earn $182,900 at the median level, and more than $208,000 at the 75th percentile and above.

Salaries for Accountants and Auditors in Florida’s Cities and Rural Areas

Salary data from the BLS reveal that some of the highest median salaries among accountants and auditors in Florida were in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie, and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro areas:

Area Name

Employment

Annual 25th percentile wage

Annual median wage

Annual 75th percentile wage

Annual 90th percentile wage

Cape Coral-Fort Myers

1850

44520

58570

78880

105190

Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin

710

42490

58040

79250

102240

Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach

1190

45630

59590

76780

110930

Gainesville

890

48130

61310

78560

98690

Homosassa Springs

150

37010

65000

89050

112250

Jacksonville

5420

48370

62520

80590

103420

Lakeland-Winter Haven

1570

52970

65350

87310

111530

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach

27090

54280

68480

94390

128300

Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island

1220

51250

65140

91420

119550

North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton

2420

46140

60440

82220

107650

Ocala

430

52880

63700

85880

107830

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford

9740

53490

65200

86130

108240

Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville

1420

48040

63130

88440

116350

Panama City

490

47790

62800

77050

90460

Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent

1540

41290

58540

85980

111990

Port St. Lucie

990

52100

67840

97940

141780

Punta Gorda

280

44360

58680

77870

113720

Sebastian-Vero Beach

260

53280

63000

80660

120100

Tallahassee

2030

36520

44930

64410

92320

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater

11770

52650

67460

91280

127020

The Villages

100

46410

57640

75970

93350

(This is a broad classification that includes accounting professionals in different areas of specialty, with different credentials, and with varying levels of experience).

Tax Preparer Salaries Throughout Florida

The average salary of Florida’s tax preparers varied dramatically depending on their location. Tax preparers in the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville metro earned among the highest salaries in the state as of 2020:

rea Name

Employment

Annual 25th percentile wage

Annual median wage

Annual 75th percentile wage

Annual 90th percentile wage

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell

1070

36010

56090

70670

92850

Augusta-Richmond County

100

27120

30430

54170

72560

Cape Coral-Fort Myers

180

19290

40250

57550

69500

Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin

45200

51330

59080

63450

Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach

100

18950

19900

35030

38970

Jacksonville

450

26160

35000

48850

59140

Lakeland-Winter Haven

150

38280

50250

67650

93090

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach

2080

23090

37640

60060

77630

Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island

19140

21320

46680

64350

Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford

630

35440

51320

78990

107660

Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville

110

39190

52830

80960

129650

Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent

90

Port St. Lucie

70

23100

29650

75590

82020

Tallahassee

19830

37100

48330

63500

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater

550

36100

47870

61190

87580

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