Accountant · Pennsylvania · SOC 13-2011
2026 Accountant Pay in Pennsylvania: BLS Median + Real Take-Home
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- BLS reports Pennsylvania Accountant median pay at $77,330. Adjusted for state cost of living, real purchasing power equals $79,394.
- State ranks #31 nationally on nominal wage, #36 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
- BEA RPP near 100 means nominal pay translates almost 1:1 into real take-home.
- P25-P75 spread runs $60,780 to $99,140; P10 floor $48,850, P90 ceiling $128,300.
Wage breakdown — Pennsylvania
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $48,850 | $50,154 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $60,780 | $62,402 |
| P50 (median) | $77,330 | $79,394 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $99,140 | $101,786 |
| P90 (top tier) | $128,300 | $131,725 |
| Mean | $85,200 | $87,474 |
| Employment | 54,440 Accountants in Pennsylvania | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Pennsylvania index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 97.4 |
| Goods | 98.4 |
| Services | 118.3 |
| Rents | 85.8 |
Pennsylvania's overall RPP (97.4) is close to the national 100 baseline; nominal and real wage move roughly together.
After-tax take-home — Pennsylvania (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (Accountant) | $77,330 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$8,260 | 10.7% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$2,374 | 3.07% flat (+ local 0.5-3.9% Philly/Pgh) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$5,916 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $60,781 | 78.6% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $62,403 | ÷ (97.4 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Pennsylvania state-tax burden means for Accountant take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.1% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $60,781 (78.6% of gross). After the 97.4 RPP, real take-home is $62,403. Local-tax overlay: Philadelphia residents pay 3.75% city wage tax; Pittsburgh ~3% combined city + school. Subtract roughly $2,707/year if PHL-based.
Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).
National context
Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $81,680 for Accountants with mean pay of $93,520 and total employment of 1,448,290. Pennsylvania sits at #31 on nominal pay and #36 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Pennsylvania falls 5 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an Accountant make in Pennsylvania?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $77,330 for Accountants in Pennsylvania as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $60,780 and the 75th-percentile is $99,140.
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) Accountant salary in Pennsylvania?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 97.4 for Pennsylvania), the real-wage equivalent is $79,394 — what the $77,330 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $62,402 to $101,786.
- How are Pennsylvania Accountant salaries calculated on this page?
- Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
- What does the top of the Accountant pay scale look like in Pennsylvania?
- The 90th percentile lands at $128,300. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $99,140.
- How many Accountants does Pennsylvania employ?
- BLS OES counts 54,440 Accountants employed in Pennsylvania in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
- Public accounting vs industry vs government in Pennsylvania — which pays more?
- Public accounting (Big 4 / regional firm audit + tax) typically pays 10-15% below industry corporate-accountant pay at the staff/senior level, then crosses over at manager and above as billable-hour leverage compounds. Government accountants in {state} (state DOR, federal IRS/GAO, municipal) usually trail both private paths on base pay but lead on pension and job security. Industry controller/CFO-track roles in {state} push toward the BLS P75-P90 band.
- Is busy season ($35K of overtime) included in Pennsylvania accountant BLS figures?
- Yes — BLS OES uses annualized W-2 earnings, so January-April busy-season overtime is rolled into the median. The high P90 in public-accounting-heavy Pennsylvania markets reflects busy-season hours plus year-end bonuses. Industry accountants typically have flatter hours and a lower P90 ceiling but more predictable totals.
Sources & methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 13-2011, 2024 reference period.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
- Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
- See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.
Cross-comparison: see how Pennsylvania Accountant pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.