Starting Salary For Accountants In California

Find Starting Salary For Accountants In California. Learn More About Becoming A Certified Public Accountant, What You Should Earn After Graduating From An Accounting Program And The Average Salary For An Accounting Intern.

A starting salary for accountants in California can be anywhere between $35,000 and $50,000. This range is dependent upon which industry the company is in, whether or not they are a public or private company, and whether or not they are a mid-sized firm.

Starting Salary For Accountants In California Overview

Are you a new accountant looking for a job in California? We have some great news: the average salary for accountants in California is $67,000, according to Indeed. That’s more than double the national average of $36,000!

If you’re looking to get your foot in the door, there are plenty of entry-level jobs available—a quick search on Indeed will show you over 1,000 listings.

But what if you want to become a senior accountant or tax professional? How much do those positions pay?

The good news is that even as your career progresses, salaries stay high in this state. The bad news is that competition can be fierce. If you want to earn top dollar as an experienced accountant, we recommend working with one of our recruiters who specialize in helping professionals get their dream job.

Steps to Becoming an Accountant in California

Since the California Board of Accountancy fully integrated the protocols of the Uniform Accountancy Act (UAA), it now requires all applicants for CPA licensure to have 150 semester hours of college credit and one year of accounting experience. Since a bachelor’s degree consists of just 120 semester hours, aspiring CPAs often enroll in master’s degree programs in accounting to earn the 30 additional semester hours required for a CPA license while satisfying the pre-licensure experience requirements.

All of the “Big Four” international CPA firms (Deloitte & Touche, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young) have offices here, as do other leading firms such as Mayer Hoffman McCann and Moss Adams.

Find out more about CPA requirements in our step-by-step guide on how to become a CPA in California.

Top Industries and Employment Trends for California Accountants

Auditors, accounting managers, forensic accountants, and controllers are all found in some of America’s biggest banks and publicly traded companies – most of them have a strong presence in California, and many are headquartered here, including such diverse corporate juggernauts as banking giant Wells Fargo and military contractor Northrop Grumman.

As companies look to cut costs and boost profits in an era of tighter regulatory controls, there is a growing number of accountants recruited into the world of business to perform internal audits and management functions. Accountants are no longer relegated to backrooms, and instead frequently collaborate in Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) meetings, both to contribute their insights and to draft GPFFRs (general purpose federal financial reports) for the SEC.

The Employment Development Department (EDD) of California has also noted an increase in the number of highly specialized accountants involved in accounting information system design and IT network auditing for systems management companies like Symantec in Mountain View. In the public sector, the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Labor based in San Francisco employs IT auditors to draft the computerized audit programs used in federal, state and municipal agencies.

Entry Level Accountant Salary in San Jose, CA

How much does an Entry Level Accountant in San Jose, CA make?

The average Entry Level Accountant in San Jose, CA makes $82,418, 25% above the national average Entry Level Accountant salary of $65,882. This pay is 22% higher than the combined average salaries of other metros Los Angeles and New York.

San Jose Average

$82,41825% VS US AVERAGE

$61,123$95,651

Base Salary

$82,418

How Much Do Entry-Level Accountants Make an Hour?

Most people only come across accountants during the tax season, but these financial experts are busy preparing and examining financial records all year round. On the job, they’re the people responsible for making sure the books are accurate and taxes are paid properly and on time. Many graduates are motivated to pursue a career in accounting by the prospect of earning a decent living. With typical starting salaries of $26.92 per hour rising to $44.71 with experience, there is plenty of scope for making a well above-average wage.

Job Description

Accountants look after a company’s books and examine financial records. Day-to-day duties include preparing financial ledgers, billing clients, creating budgets and income forecasts, keeping inventory and preparing tax returns. As a trusted financial adviser, an accountant might also suggest ways to increase revenues, reduce costs and improve a company’s profitability. Newcomers to the profession typically will start out recording the financial transactions of a firm, overseeing accounts payable and receivable, managing payroll and preparing financial reports or balance sheets. Attention to detail is a must.

Education Requirements

You will need at least a bachelor’s degree for this position, preferably in accounting or a related field. In some cases, a bookkeeper or account clerk with an associate’s degree and experience may advance to a junior accounting position. A certified public accountant or CPA credential – requiring 150 semester hours of college coursework – is often requested by employers. Certification proves your professional competence and can massively boost your job prospects.

The median hourly accounting salary is $32.76 per hour, which equates to $68,150 per year as of May 2016. The median represents the midpoint, so half of all accountants earn more than this per hour and a half earn less. The top 10 percent of accountants make more than $120,910 per year. However, this salary is typically reserved for those in senior positions, not entry-level accountants.

Industry

Accountants work in every sector for corporations, governments, nonprofits and individuals. Since the scope is so broad, many choose to specialize on a work type such as tax accounting, forensic investigation, a client type (wealthy private individuals, nonprofits) or an industry type (oil and gas, construction). Newcomers have a dizzying array of options both when they enter the field and as their career progresses. Many regard an entry-level job in public accounting, working towards the CPA credential, to be a solid resume-builder that bestows instant credibility.

Years of Experience

Entry-level accountants earn a reasonable income, but like most professionals, their earning power rises with time and experience. A typical projection for a CPA salary looks like this:

  • Less than 5 years: $56,000 or $26.92 per hour assuming two weeks paid vacation
  • 5-10 years: $70,000 or $33.65 per hour
  • 10-20 years: $81,000 or $38.94 per hour
  • 20+ years: $93,000 or $44.71 per hour.

Job Growth Trend

Accountancy is a stable and growing field that’s projected to grow by 10 percent from 2016 to 2026. This above-average growth rate may lead to good prospects for entry-level positions. The demand for accountants is largely driven by globalization and the increasingly complex regulatory environment in which we all now live. Technology is the one threat on the horizon. As routine tasks become automated, accountants will be expected to move away from simple bookkeeping and instead take on a more strategic and advisory role for their clients.

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