Accounting firm salaries rose slightly this year

Salaries at accounting firms have gone up this year—but perhaps not at the level where it matters most.

According to Accounting Today’s third annual salary survey, median base salaries at accounting firms crept upward in 2026. For senior accountants, they reached a median of $98,500, and for managers, around $142,000. Partners at small firms—defined in this survey as those with fewer than 10 employees—brought home a median salary of $150,000, while those at firms with 10 or more employees made median salaries of $260,000.

The median salary at the staff level though, went down slightly: from $75,000 last year to $73,000 this year. That’s a somewhat concerning trend, as lower starting salaries are one reason young people often cite for not entering the accounting profession.

The survey polled 715 people in June 2026. About three-quarters of them (74%) worked at CPA firms, while the rest worked at non-CPA accounting, tax, and other professional services firms. Accounting Today chose not to include salary data from billion-dollar-plus firms, as it only received a few of these responses and they skewed the results.

Private equity-backed firms rewarded employees with the highest average salaries: $219,000, compared with $184,000 at CPA firms. “This is significant as private equity’s infusion into the accounting profession has supercharged growth through acquisitions and investments in technology and talent,” Accounting Today said.

On the whole, respondents appeared fairly satisfied with their employers and disinclined to leave. Only 5% said they were actively looking for a new job, while nearly half (47%) planned to stay put. The remainder said they weren’t actively searching but would be open to opportunities.

Eight in 10 respondents said they’d choose to work at their firms again, and three-quarters said they’d recommend their employer to others. Slightly more than two thirds (69%) said they were happy with their compensation.

Interestingly, despite the much-heralded death of the billable hour, 58% of survey respondents said they, individually, had a billable hours requirement. Nearly one in five (18%) indicated that this requirement was “strict,” while 40% said it was a “loose expectation.”