Accountant pay in Philadelphia, by the numbers
Monthly take-home on that median is roughly US$6,300; local prices sit at COL 100, so its buying power is about US$86,000.
How Philadelphia compares with United States and PA
Directly above Philadelphia is Portland (US$92,200); directly below is Atlanta (US$85,820). The full range runs from US$78,650 in San Antonio to US$121,700 in San Jose.
With Philadelphia as the sole PA entry for accountants, the useful benchmarks are national: 11th of 21, +3% vs the median.
What the Philadelphia median is worth after tax and rent
Price levels in Philadelphia (index 100) neither inflate nor shrink the paycheck much; adjusted for costs it is worth about US$86,000.
Its place holds after a cost-of-living adjustment — 11th of 21 either way.
After a simplified 12% effective national income tax, the median nets about US$6,300 a month. A modeled 1-bedroom (US$1,650) takes 26% of that, leaving around US$2,830 after modeled living costs.
Philadelphia vs similar-cost metros
New York (similar cost level, COL 100) pays US$105,650, 23% more than Philadelphia; modeled monthly leftover is US$1,270 higher.
A accountant moving from Philadelphia to Los Angeles (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median rise 10% to US$94,360, with US$540 more left over monthly in our model.
A accountant moving from Philadelphia to Chicago (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median fall 4% to US$82,360, with US$240 less left over monthly in our model.
Where Accountant ranks among Philadelphia jobs
Lawyer is the best-paid tracked role in Philadelphia at US$170,660; accountant comes 9th of 9.
Closest neighbours in the Philadelphia list: Frontend Developer at US$94,570 (+10%).
Where Philadelphia stands for junior and senior accountants
Starting pay holds up better than senior pay here. The 10th percentile places 11th nationally among observed metros; the 90th places 12th.
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$196,890 at the 90th percentile, +41% against Philadelphia.
Spread between low and high accountant pay in Philadelphia
The 90th percentile (US$139,420) is 2.3× the 10th (US$59,560), a wide band that usually reflects different seniority levels and employer types under one title.