One of the cool features of the Robert Half 2022 Accounting & Finance Salary Guide is the location feature, where you can type in the name of a city and it spits out the projected starting salaries next year for that city, taking into account factors like cost of living and talent availability. It also tells you if starting salaries in that city are expected to be higher or lower than the national average.

Let’s take Los Angeles, for example. Starting salaries in the 10 public accounting roles highlighted in Bob Half’s latest guide are expected to be 33% higher in LA next year than the national averages.

So using data from this 2021 cost of living index, here are Robert Half’s projected public accounting starting salaries for 2022 in five of the top 11 cities with the highest cost of living in the US: San Francisco (I decided to go with San Fran instead of LA because Adrienne used to live there); New York City; Washington, DC; Boston; and Seattle. These five cities have both a Big 4 presence and a national accounting firm presence (i.e., RSM US, BDO USA, Grant Thornton).

The salary data below from Robert Half shows the national average -> the average for that city by percentile per position. As a reminder, there are three salary percentiles in the 2022 Accounting & Finance Salary Guide:

25th percentile: New to the type of role, still acquiring relevant skills.50th percentile: Average experience, has most of the necessary skills.75th percentile: Above-average experience, has all needed skills.

Here are the starting salary comparisons for those five HCOL cities:

1. San Francisco

Salaries in San Francisco are 42% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

25th percentile: $114,500 -> $162,59050th percentile: $141,500 -> $200,93075th percentile: $170,000 -> $241,400

Manager of tax services

25th percentile: $90,750 -> $128,86550th percentile: $110,000 -> $156,20075th percentile: $128,000 -> $181,760

Senior tax accountant

25th percentile: $62,500 -> $88,75050th percentile: $75,500 -> $107,21075th percentile: $87,500 -> $124,250

Tax accountant, 1-3 years’ experience

25th percentile: $49,750 -> $70,64550th percentile: $61,500 -> $87,33075th percentile: $70,750 -> $100,465

Entry-level tax accountant

25th percentile: $41,000 -> $58,22050th percentile: $50,250 -> $71,35575th percentile: $59,500 -> $84,490

Senior manager/director audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $113,000 -> $160,46050th percentile: $139,750 -> $198,44575th percentile: $162,000 -> $230,040

Manager audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $77,000 -> $109,34050th percentile: $96,250 -> $136,67575th percentile: $110,250 -> $156,555

Senior audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $55,000 -> $78,10050th percentile: $68,750 -> $97,62575th percentile: $78,750 -> $111,825

udit and assurance services, 1-3 years’ experience

25th percentile: $46,000 -> $65,32050th percentile: $56,750 -> $80,58575th percentile: $64,500 -> $91,590

Entry-level audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $41,000 -> $58,22050th percentile: $50,500 -> $71,71075th percentile: $58,000 -> $82,360

2. New York City

Salaries in New York City are 40.5% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

25th percentile: $114,500 -> $160,87350th percentile: $141,500 -> $198,80875th percentile: $170,000 -> $238,850

Manager of tax services

25th percentile: $90,750 -> $127,50450th percentile: $110,000 -> $154,55075th percentile: $128,000 -> $179,840

Senior tax accountant

25th percentile: $62,500 -> $87,81350th percentile: $75,500 -> $106,07875th percentile: $87,500 -> $122,938

Tax accountant, 1-3 years’ experience

25th percentile: $49,750 -> $69,89950th percentile: $61,500 -> $86,40875th percentile: $70,750 -> $99,404

Entry-level tax accountant

25th percentile: $41,000 -> $57,60550th percentile: $50,250 -> $70,60175th percentile: $59,500 -> $83,598

Senior manager/director audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $113,000 -> $158,76550th percentile: $139,750 -> $196,34975th percentile: $162,000 -> $227,610

Manager audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $77,000 -> $108,18550th percentile: $96,250 -> $135,23175th percentile: $110,250 -> $154,901

Senior audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $55,000 -> $77,27550th percentile: $68,750 -> $96,59475th percentile: $78,750 -> $110,644

udit and assurance services, 1-3 years’ experience

25th percentile: $46,000 -> $64,63050th percentile: $56,750 -> $79,73475th percentile: $64,500 -> $90,623

Entry-level audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $41,000 -> $57,60550th percentile: $50,500 -> $70,95375th percentile: $58,000 -> $81,490

3. Washington, DC

Salaries in Washington, DC are 33% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

25th percentile: $114,500 -> $152,28550th percentile: $141,500 -> $188,19575th percentile: $170,000 -> $226,100

Manager of tax services

25th percentile: $90,750 -> $120,69850th percentile: $110,000 -> $146,30075th percentile: $128,000 -> $170,240

Senior tax accountant

25th percentile: $62,500 -> $83,12550th percentile: $75,500 -> $100,41575th percentile: $87,500 -> $116,375

Tax accountant, 1-3 years’ experience

25th percentile: $49,750 -> $66,16850th percentile: $61,500 -> $81,79575th percentile: $70,750 -> $94,098

Entry-level tax accountant

25th percentile: $41,000 -> $54,53050th percentile: $50,250 -> $66,83375th percentile: $59,500 -> $79,135

Senior manager/director audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $113,000 -> $150,29050th percentile: $139,750 -> $185,86875th percentile: $162,000 -> $215,460

Manager audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $77,000 -> $102,41050th percentile: $96,250 -> $128,01375th percentile: $110,250 -> $146,633

Senior audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $55,000 -> $73,15050th percentile: $68,750 -> $91,43875th percentile: $78,750 -> $104,738

udit and assurance services, 1-3 years’ experience

25th percentile: $46,000 -> $61,18050th percentile: $56,750 -> $75,47875th percentile: $64,500 -> $85,785

Entry-level audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $41,000 -> $54,53050th percentile: $50,500 -> $67,16575th percentile: $58,000 -> $77,140

4. Boston

Salaries in Boston are 34% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

25th percentile: $114,500 -> $153,43050th percentile: $141,500 -> $189,61075th percentile: $170,000 -> $227,800

Manager of tax services

25th percentile: $90,750 -> $121,60550th percentile: $110,000 -> $147,40075th percentile: $128,000 -> $171,520

Senior tax accountant

25th percentile: $62,500 -> $83,75050th percentile: $75,500 -> $101,17075th percentile: $87,500 -> $117,250

Tax accountant, 1-3 years’ experience

25th percentile: $49,750 -> $66,66550th percentile: $61,500 -> $82,41075th percentile: $70,750 -> $94,805

Entry-level tax accountant

25th percentile: $41,000 -> $54,94050th percentile: $50,250 -> $67,33575th percentile: $59,500 -> $79,730

Senior manager/director audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $113,000 -> $151,42050th percentile: $139,750 -> $187,26575th percentile: $162,000 -> $217,080

Manager audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $77,000 -> $103,18050th percentile: $96,250 -> $128,97575th percentile: $110,250 -> $147,735

Senior audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $55,000 -> $73,70050th percentile: $68,750 -> $92,12575th percentile: $78,750 -> $105,525

udit and assurance services, 1-3 years’ experience

25th percentile: $46,000 -> $61,64050th percentile: $56,750 -> $76,04575th percentile: $64,500 -> $86,430

Entry-level audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $41,000 -> $54,94050th percentile: $50,500 -> $67,67075th percentile: $58,000 -> $77,720

5. Seattle

Salaries in Seattle are 29% higher than the national average.

Senior manager/director tax services

25th percentile: $114,500 -> $147,70550th percentile: $141,500 -> $182,53575th percentile: $170,000 -> $219,300

Manager of tax services

25th percentile: $90,750 -> $117,06850th percentile: $110,000 -> $141,90075th percentile: $128,000 -> $165,120

Senior tax accountant

25th percentile: $62,500 -> $80,62550th percentile: $75,500 -> $97,39575th percentile: $87,500 -> $112,875

Tax accountant, 1-3 years’ experience

25th percentile: $49,750 -> $64,17850th percentile: $61,500 -> $79,33575th percentile: $70,750 -> $91,268

Entry-level tax accountant

25th percentile: $41,000 -> $52,89050th percentile: $50,250 -> $64,82375th percentile: $59,500 -> $76,755

Senior manager/director audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $113,000 -> $145,77050th percentile: $139,750 -> $180,27875th percentile: $162,000 -> $208,980

Manager audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $77,000 -> $99,33050th percentile: $96,250 -> $124,16375th percentile: $110,250 -> $142,223

Senior audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $55,000 -> $70,95050th percentile: $68,750 -> $88,68875th percentile: $78,750 -> $101,588

udit and assurance services, 1-3 years’ experience

25th percentile: $46,000 -> $59,34050th percentile: $56,750 -> $73,20875th percentile: $64,500 -> $83,205

Entry-level audit and assurance services

25th percentile: $41,000 -> $52,89050th percentile: $50,500 -> $65,14575th percentile: $58,000 -> $74,820

Later this week, we’ll take a look at starting salary comparisons in five medium cost of living cities in the US.

Related article:

How Are Public Accounting Salaries Stacking Up For 2022?

The post 2022 Projected Public Accounting Salaries In Five HCOL Cities appeared first on Going Concern.

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