Seattle accountant salary: rankings and context
Monthly take-home on that median is roughly US$7,200; local prices sit at COL 100, so its buying power is about US$99,400.
How Seattle compares with United States and WA
On a United States league table of 21 metros, Seattle comes 7th. One place higher is Denver at US$100,020, one lower is San Diego at US$96,340, and San Jose tops the list.
No other WA metro has observed accountant percentiles here, so Seattle is judged against the 21-metro national list instead.
Is US$99,370 a good salary in Seattle?
Living costs are close to the baseline (COL index 100), so the median's buying power, about US$99,400, is near its face value.
Cash rank and buying-power rank match for Seattle: 7th of 21.
Run the median through our simplified tax model (13% effective) and about US$7,200 lands each month. Budget US$1,650 for a modeled 1-bedroom — 23% of pay — and other modeled costs, and roughly US$3,690 remains.
Metros with a cost level like Seattle
A accountant moving from Seattle to New York (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median rise 6% to US$105,650, with US$410 more left over monthly in our model.
In Los Angeles — similar cost level, COL 100 — the median is US$94,360 (-5% vs Seattle), and the modeled budget leaves US$320 less each month.
Chicago (similar cost level, COL 100) pays US$82,360, 17% less than Seattle; modeled monthly leftover is US$1,100 lower.
Other Seattle jobs compared with accountant
Accountant ranks 9th of 9 occupations with observed Seattle data. Software Engineer leads the city at US$167,280.
Closest neighbours in the Seattle list: Financial Analyst at US$124,790 (+26%).
Entry-level vs senior accountant pay in Seattle
Starting pay holds up better than senior pay here. The 10th percentile places 3rd nationally among observed metros; the 90th places 7th.
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$196,890 at the 90th percentile, +23% against Seattle.
How wide accountant pay runs in Seattle
The 90th percentile (US$160,640) is 2.2× the 10th (US$73,250), a wide band that usually reflects different seniority levels and employer types under one title.