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These 10 LCOL Cities Are Expected to Have Higher-Than-Average Public Accounting Starting Salaries in 2023

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Over the last week we’ve taken a look at projected public accounting starting salaries in 2023 for eight cities with a high cost of living and 12 cities with a medium cost of living, and how those salaries compare to the national averages contained in the 2023 Robert Half Accounting & Finance Salary Guide. Today we’re going to examine next year’s PA starting salaries for 10 cities considered to have a low cost of living.

Using the find your local salaries” tool in the salary guide, we tried to find as many LCOL cities as possible with a large public accounting firm presence (Big 4, national, and/or regional) that have starting salaries projected to be higher than the national average. It was a tough task, but we found 10 of them!

We compared the 2023 average starting salaries for each of those 10 cities with the national average starting salaries for public accounting (2023 national average -> the average for that city by percentile per position). In its 2023 salary guide, Robert Half provided starting pay data for eight positions within PA: four in tax services and four in audit and assurance services.

If you’re thinking, “What do they mean ‘by percentile?’” Bob Half provides starting salaries in its guide for three percentiles based on employee experience. Those percentiles are:

If you’re expecting to see cities like Pittsburgh, Cincinnati or Cleveland or Columbus in Ohio, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Detroit, Louisville, Milwaukee, Birmingham, Sioux Falls, and Oklahoma City, they are all expected to have PA starting salaries either lower than or equal to the national averages in 2023. But the starting salaries in these 10 cities are projected to be higher, ranging from 0.5% to 14%:

1. Hartford, CT

Salaries in Hartford are 14% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

Manager of tax services

Senior tax associate

Tax associate

Senior manager/managing director, audit and assurance services

Manager, audit and assurance services

Senior associate, audit and assurance services

Associate, audit and assurance services

2. Salt Lake City

Salaries in Salt Lake City are 8% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

Manager of tax services

Senior tax associate

Tax associate

Senior manager/managing director, audit and assurance services

Manager, audit and assurance services

Senior associate, audit and assurance services

Associate, audit and assurance services

3. Tucson, AZ

Salaries in Tucson are 7% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

Manager of tax services

Senior tax associate

Tax associate

Senior manager/managing director, audit and assurance services

Manager, audit and assurance services

Senior associate, audit and assurance services

Associate, audit and assurance services

4. Baltimore

Salaries in Baltimore are 4% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

Manager of tax services

Senior tax associate

Tax associate

Senior manager/managing director, audit and assurance services

Manager, audit and assurance services

Senior associate, audit and assurance services

Associate, audit and assurance services

5. Charlotte, NC
6. Raleigh, NC

Salaries in Charlotte and Raleigh are 3.5% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

Manager of tax services

Senior tax associate

Tax associate

Senior manager/managing director, audit and assurance services

Manager, audit and assurance services

Senior associate, audit and assurance services

Associate, audit and assurance services

7. Tampa, FL

Salaries in Tampa are 2% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

Manager of tax services

Senior tax associate

Tax associate

Senior manager/managing director, audit and assurance services

Manager, audit and assurance services

Senior associate, audit and assurance services

Associate, audit and assurance services

8. Providence, RI

Salaries in Providence are 1.5% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

Manager of tax services

Senior tax associate

Tax associate

Senior manager/managing director, audit and assurance services

Manager, audit and assurance services

Senior associate, audit and assurance services

Associate, audit and assurance services

9. San Antonio

Salaries in San Antonio are 1% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

Manager of tax services

Senior tax associate

Tax associate

Senior manager/managing director, audit and assurance services

Manager, audit and assurance services

Senior associate, audit and assurance services

Associate, audit and assurance services

10. St. Louis

Salaries in St. Louis are 0.5% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

Manager of tax services

Senior tax associate

Tax associate

Senior manager/managing director, audit and assurance services

Manager, audit and assurance services

Senior associate, audit and assurance services

Associate, audit and assurance services

You can find all of our posts about the 2023 Robert Half Accounting & Salary Guide here.

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