Accountant - Federal Salaries of 2012

Pay Rates for "Accountant"

How much does an Accountant in the federal government get paid? $102,877.20* *Based on the 2012 average.

8,474 EMPLOYEES

$870.96M TOTAL SALARY

GS MOST COMMON PAYSCALE

Accountant was the 36th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2012, with 8,474 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.

In 2012, the Securities and Exchange Commission hired the most employees titled Accounting, with an average salary of $165,401.

Government Accounting jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. The minimum paygrade for a Accounting job is GS-6, and the highest paygrade that can be attained within this job series is GS-15. Remember that the starting and maximum yearly pay listed above reflect base pay only - your actual salary will be higher based on the Locality Pay Adjustment for the area in which you work.

Job Description

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions fall under this job category. Due to the growing focus of them STEM fields, individuals in this job category tend to advance more quickly than employees in the other job categories. Jobs in this category are being added quickly and many organizations have trouble finding qualified individuals. Individuals in this job category typically recieve pormotions of 2 grade increases at a time until they reach GS-12.

Agencies that have hired an Accountant

Agency	Employees Hired	Average Salary
Securities and Exchange Commission	959	$165,400.77
Veterans Health Administration	535	$66,824.48
Federal Bureau of Investigation	427	$87,182.43
Department of Energy	333	$98,760.65
Bureau of the Public Debt	246	$77,880.52
Federal Aviation Administration	216	$85,976.91
Office of the Secretary of the Interior	210	$98,087.65
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services	190	$100,224.53
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (General Services Administration)	188	$88,399.55
Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System	186	$71,613.84
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Agriculture)	178	$87,724.12
Environmental Protection Agency	165	$99,329.16
U.S. Coast Guard	163	$84,052.55
Financial Management Service	154	$107,596.05
Program Support Center	150	$105,946.23
Farm Service Agency	136	$91,111.76
Forest Service	126	$84,055.54
Department of State	118	$94,181.38
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	110	$118,815.34
Rural Housing Service	106	$82,273.10
Bureau of Reclamation	99	$78,586.45
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Finance	99	$91,220.84
Internal Revenue Service	97	$98,572.42
Customs and Border Protection	93	$93,556.74
Veterans Benefits Administration	88	$80,468.48
Drug Enforcement Administration	87	$101,022.91
Immigration and Customs Enforcement	80	$91,004.34
Office of Justice Programs	78	$107,890.88
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	76	$95,803.91
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	71	$103,742.34
Headquarters, Nasa	67	$112,164.04
Offices, Boards and Divisions	67	$101,439.28
Indian Health Service	66	$77,308.31
Federal Emergency Management Agency	64	$104,180.72
National Institutes of Health	63	$102,261.17
Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner	61	$106,071.56
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation	61	$105,804.23
Federal Student Aid	59	$103,294.02
Bureau of the Census	57	$86,316.46
Bureau of Economic Analysis	56	$98,433.04
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Education)	56	$123,270.52
National Institute of Standards and Technology	53	$100,725.89
Goddard Space Flight Center	52	$104,927.81
Office of Personnel Management	51	$107,941.31
Food and Nutrition Service	47	$98,232.36
Social Security Administration	45	$101,878.49
U.S. Agency for International Development	44	$95,257.91
Departmental Offices	44	$116,337.43
Bureau of Engraving and Printing	44	$95,035.91
Department of Homeland Security Headquarters	43	$108,684.53
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Labor)	42	$120,877.33
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Housing and Urban Development)	40	$115,411.65
Food and Drug Administration	40	$95,675.55
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	40	$92,817.75
Small Business Administration	38	$108,620.74
Transportation Security Administration	38	$109,739.71
Rural Utilities Service	36	$102,446.94
Nuclear Regulatory Commission	34	$123,626.94
Office of Comptroller of Currency	34	$151,069.71
Natural Resources Conservation Service	34	$82,439.74
National Park Service	33	$110,727.39
George C. Marshall Space Flight Center	32	$103,230.31
U.S. Mint	31	$106,636.13
Federal Housing Finance Agency	31	$147,731.42
Patent and Trademark Office	29	$105,353.48
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center	29	$105,310.21
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service	29	$89,490.90
Smithsonian Institution (Exchange Sep Boards of Trust)	28	$101,765.00
Employment and Training Administration	27	$92,177.59
John F. Kennedy Space Center	27	$95,709.22
Government Printing Office	26	$106,268.92
Geological Survey	24	$108,165.75
Federal Communications Commission	23	$131,577.26
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers	23	$78,599.74
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission	23	$109,267.57
Citizenship and Immigration Services	23	$114,788.61
Risk Management Agency	22	$87,483.41
Indian Affairs	22	$98,543.95
Office of Senior Coordinator for Southwest	22	$98,795.00
Bureau of Land Management	22	$95,629.91
U.S. Marshals Service	21	$100,303.00
U.S. Secret Service	21	$103,089.19
Office Secretary Health and Human Services	21	$118,871.81
Corporation for National and Community Service	20	$90,034.55
International Trade Administration	19	$112,295.16
Office of the Secretary (Department of Commerce)	18	$114,961.67
National Science Foundation	18	$119,383.39
John Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field	17	$92,857.35
National Credit Union Administration	17	$103,986.06
Railroad Retirement Board	16	$101,577.69
Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement	16	$95,378.19
Ames Research Center	16	$108,552.25
Food Safety and Inspection Service	16	$104,897.31
National Archives and Records Administration	15	$104,357.47
Office Assistant Secretary Administration and Management	15	$107,954.07
Federal Highway Administration	15	$105,172.87
Federal Transit Administration	14	$114,092.86
Office of Secretary of Transportation	14	$129,669.57
Langley Research Center	14	$84,618.00
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives	14	$114,318.79
John C. Stennis Space Center	14	$84,390.57
National Institute of Food & Agriculture	13	$92,382.46
Federal Trade Commission	11	$125,687.73
Export-Import Bank of the United States	11	$103,672.73
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Logistics	10	$97,357.10
Health Resources and Services Administration	10	$97,088.50
Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement	10	$113,178.10
National Labor Relations Board	9	$92,981.67
National Cemetery Administration	9	$101,447.78
Maritime Administration	9	$113,770.33
Peace Corps	9	$82,039.00
Office of the Chief Information Officer (Department of Education)	9	$124,266.33
Government National Mortgage Association	9	$117,004.22
Occupational Safety and Health Administration	8	$97,903.13
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission	8	$99,761.75
Broadcasting Board of Governors	8	$117,524.00
National Technical Information Service	8	$98,972.88
Agricultural Research Service	8	$100,581.38
Dryden Flight Research Center	7	$83,610.14
Presidio Trust	7	$99,713.00
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board	7	$117,207.29
Office of Administration	7	$119,425.57
National Gallery of Art	7	$145,554.71
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology	6	$108,149.00
Farm Credit Administration	6	$151,487.00
Overseas Private Investment Corporation	6	$112,615.33
Bureau of Labor Statistics	5	$101,595.60
National Protection and Programs Directorate	5	$94,723.80
Science and Technology Directorate	5	$99,681.60
Departmental Administration	5	$101,720.20
National Transportation Safety Board	5	$125,087.40
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration	5	$104,244.00
Office of the Chief Information Officer (Department of Agriculture)	5	$91,702.40
Immediate Office of Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology	5	$116,733.80
Millennium Challenge Corporation	4	$137,368.00
National Endowment for the Arts	4	$115,492.25
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum	4	$97,072.00
Federal Railroad Administration	4	$99,762.75
Mine Safety and Health Administration	4	$99,646.75
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs	4	$110,141.75
Office of Administrative Services	4	$120,789.00
U.S. International Trade Commission	4	$134,134.50
Commodity Futures Trading Commission	4	$146,514.75
Employee Benefits Security Administration	3	$114,021.00
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service	3	$97,632.67
Office of Labor-Management Standards	3	$78,200.00
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Regulation	3	$100,512.00
Consumer Product Safety Commission	3	$101,483.33
Selective Service System	3	$100,018.67
Office of the Secretary, Research and Technology	3	$120,047.00
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration	3	$95,957.67
Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program	3	$104,664.00
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network	3	$94,367.67
National Endowment for the Humanities	3	$102,671.33
Pipeline/Hazardous Materials Safety Administration	3	$91,505.67
Wage and Hour Division	2	$85,693.50
International Boundary & Water Commission: U.S. & Mexico	2	$83,537.50
Federal Labor Relations Authority	2	$106,537.50
Federal Acquisition Service	2	$103,342.00
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Agriculture)	2	$98,606.00
Office of the Director	2	$123,289.00
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau	2	$110,885.50
Administration for Children and Families	1	$82,359.00
American Battle Monuments Commission	1	$97,936.00
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality	1	$109,807.00
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing	1	$97,936.00
St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation	1	$81,823.00
Office of Inspector General (Department of Transportation)	1	$84,550.00
Utah Reclamation Mitigation & Conservation Commission	1	$95,459.00
Economic Development Administration	1	$119,238.00
Valles Caldera Trust	1	$73,396.00
U.S. Trustee Program	1	$119,238.00
Pretrial Services Agency	1	$116,031.00
Office of Governmentwide Policy	1	$126,251.00
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration	1	$136,771.00
Office of Inspector General for Tax Administration	1	$115,731.00
Office of Management and Budget	1	$155,500.00
Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development	1	$152,635.00
Federal Election Commission	1	$155,500.00
Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation	1	$139,217.00
	1	$66,630.00

Accountant Pay Distribution

The average pay for an Accountant is $102,877.20. The highest paid Accountant made $250,684 in 2012.

Common Accountant Payscales

Payscale	Number of Accounting Employees
GS - General Schedule	6,538
SK - Sec Emp Formerly Under Gs, Gm, And Ez	946
FV - Faa Core Compensation Plan	216
ZA - Administrative	196
CG - Corporate Graded	108
GL - Gs Emp Grades 3-10 Paid Leo Special Rate	89
NQ - Nnsa Professional, Technical, And Admin	53
SV - Trans Security Admin Emp Other Than Exec	38
GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule	36
NB - Ofc Of Comptroller Of The Currency Only	34
EL - Non-executive Positions At Fhfa	28
PG - Printing Office Grades	26
ES - Senior Executive Service	22
NY - All Other Positions In The Corporation	19
CU - Credit Union Employees	17
IR - Irs Broadband Class And Pay System Pos	17
AP - Admin, Profess, & Scientific Career Path	16
GM - Emp Covered By Pmrs Termination Provisns	15
SO - Sec Emp Formerly Under Es Pay Plan	13
FP - Foreign Service Personnel	9
AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not E	7
VH - Professional, Admin., And Managerial	7
PD - Treasury Demonstration Project Positions	6
MC - Emp Of Millennium Challenge Corporation	4
CT - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Pos	4
LL - Executives At Federal Housing Finance Ag	3
SL - Senior Level Positions	2
EI - Advisory Committee Member (other)	1
NX - Executive-level And Managerial Positions	1
SN - Senior Level System	1
EM - Fdic Executive-level Positions Only	1
CX - Senior Expert Positions In The Fdic	1

Starting Paygrade:	$36,070.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-6, Step 1
Maximum Paygrade:	$152,771.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-15, Step 10
Category:	Professional and Scientific
Occupation Family:	0500 ACCOUNTING AND BUDGET GROUP

Other Jobs at the GS-6 Paygrade

GS-6 is the starting paygrade for Accounting jobs. Here are some other Federal Government jobs that can be held by employees at the GS-6 paygrade.

Occupation	Occupation Category	Starting Paygrade	Maximum Paygrade
Physiology	Professional and Scientific	GS-6	GS-15
Library Technician	Clerical and Administrative Support	GS-1	GS-9
Equal Opportunity Investigation	Administrative and Management	GS-4	GS-15
Education Research	Professional and Scientific	GS-6	GS-15
Clerk-Typist	Clerical and Administrative Support	GS-1	GS-9

Search for Accounting Jobs

Average Accounting Pay Trend from 2004 to 2021

In 2004, the average pay for an Accountant was $83,282. Since then, the average pay has increased to $123,350 in 2021.

Data Sources

The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.

Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.

The series code of this occupation is 0510.