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