Accountant - Federal Salaries of 2013

Pay Rates for "Accountant"

How much does an Accountant in the federal government get paid? $103,529.71* *Based on the 2013 average.

8,450 EMPLOYEES

$874.31M TOTAL SALARY

GS MOST COMMON PAYSCALE

Accountant was the 38th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2013, with 8,450 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.

In 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission hired the most employees titled Accounting, with an average salary of $168,605.

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	971	$168,605.33
Veterans Health Administration	523	$67,882.57
Federal Bureau of Investigation	439	$88,027.11
Department of Energy	317	$99,360.46
Bureau of the Public Debt	290	$75,615.53
Federal Aviation Administration	222	$85,860.15
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services	216	$96,048.69
Office of the Secretary of the Interior	195	$99,955.93
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Agriculture)	192	$87,624.10
Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System	172	$72,953.90
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (General Services Administration)	169	$87,779.43
Environmental Protection Agency	164	$96,777.25
U.S. Coast Guard	158	$84,385.60
Program Support Center	144	$105,138.32
Farm Service Agency	138	$91,810.66
Department of State	125	$93,305.89
Forest Service	123	$85,293.71
Financial Management Service	122	$106,466.76
Rural Housing Service	105	$85,056.61
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	103	$124,647.94
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Finance	103	$94,722.09
Veterans Benefits Administration	99	$79,576.69
Bureau of Reclamation	97	$78,945.73
Internal Revenue Service	95	$102,517.21
Customs and Border Protection	90	$95,521.93
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	83	$94,574.06
Drug Enforcement Administration	83	$103,838.94
Office of Justice Programs	78	$109,858.50
Immigration and Customs Enforcement	76	$94,241.61
Indian Health Service	69	$77,619.91
National Institutes of Health	67	$102,044.97
Headquarters, Nasa	67	$113,252.03
Offices, Boards and Divisions	66	$103,444.67
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation	65	$106,253.83
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	64	$102,187.84
Federal Emergency Management Agency	61	$107,012.36
Bureau of the Census	61	$86,589.97
Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner	59	$109,466.24
Federal Student Aid	59	$106,144.51
U.S. Agency for International Development	56	$94,317.02
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Education)	54	$121,699.94
National Institute of Standards and Technology	53	$100,667.00
Office of Personnel Management	50	$110,393.50
Goddard Space Flight Center	48	$109,431.33
Food and Nutrition Service	48	$95,229.90
Bureau of Economic Analysis	48	$94,046.67
Bureau of Engraving and Printing	47	$92,373.02
Social Security Administration	46	$98,086.04
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Labor)	45	$115,726.36
Department of Homeland Security Headquarters	41	$112,274.71
Departmental Offices	41	$115,917.27
Food and Drug Administration	39	$99,354.08
Small Business Administration	38	$104,652.42
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Housing and Urban Development)	38	$116,947.87
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	37	$91,907.14
Nuclear Regulatory Commission	35	$127,278.83
Transportation Security Administration	35	$113,204.74
Rural Utilities Service	34	$100,703.03
Natural Resources Conservation Service	33	$88,655.52
Office of Comptroller of Currency	33	$158,626.61
George C. Marshall Space Flight Center	31	$99,804.52
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center	31	$98,570.58
Patent and Trademark Office	31	$105,142.16
Employment and Training Administration	30	$97,889.77
U.S. Mint	30	$105,358.23
National Park Service	30	$110,676.30
Federal Housing Finance Agency	29	$157,802.41
John F. Kennedy Space Center	28	$95,576.57
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service	28	$92,753.86
Smithsonian Institution (Exchange Sep Boards of Trust)	27	$97,653.07
Government Printing Office	25	$107,518.60
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission	23	$109,144.70
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers	22	$80,158.23
Office of Senior Coordinator for Southwest	22	$99,228.86
Bureau of Land Management	22	$93,538.32
Federal Communications Commission	22	$129,585.55
Citizenship and Immigration Services	22	$120,744.86
Indian Affairs	21	$97,845.43
U.S. Marshals Service	21	$102,799.38
Office of General Services Administration Innovative Technologies	20	$96,707.20
Geological Survey	19	$111,492.68
U.S. Secret Service	19	$106,206.63
National Credit Union Administration	19	$104,789.37
Risk Management Agency	19	$86,904.53
International Trade Administration	19	$112,897.79
National Science Foundation	18	$118,049.28
John Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field	16	$95,707.31
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives	15	$116,673.27
Federal Highway Administration	15	$107,138.20
National Archives and Records Administration	15	$107,386.67
Food Safety and Inspection Service	15	$105,444.47
Office Secretary Health and Human Services	14	$133,127.86
Office Assistant Secretary Administration and Management	14	$110,359.14
Export-Import Bank of the United States	14	$93,223.43
Office of Secretary of Transportation	14	$124,551.43
Office of the Secretary (Department of Commerce)	14	$113,136.29
Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement	14	$98,414.07
Corporation for National and Community Service	14	$104,569.36
Ames Research Center	14	$108,040.21
John C. Stennis Space Center	14	$84,754.21
Langley Research Center	13	$89,454.31
Federal Transit Administration	12	$116,955.17
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board	12	$99,607.08
Railroad Retirement Board	12	$87,233.83
National Institute of Food & Agriculture	12	$97,328.58
Federal Trade Commission	11	$126,835.18
Overseas Private Investment Corporation	11	$96,003.09
Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement	11	$114,704.91
Occupational Safety and Health Administration	10	$99,980.60
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Logistics	10	$99,302.30
Government National Mortgage Association	9	$109,929.33
Broadcasting Board of Governors	9	$117,813.44
National Technical Information Service	9	$98,806.00
Dryden Flight Research Center	8	$84,525.88
Office of the Chief Information Officer (Department of Education)	8	$127,833.88
Agricultural Research Service	8	$99,960.75
Maritime Administration	8	$123,060.13
National Cemetery Administration	8	$99,482.25
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology	7	$104,019.14
Science and Technology Directorate	7	$104,807.71
Peace Corps	7	$79,875.29
Bureau of Labor Statistics	7	$87,189.29
Office of Administration	7	$121,580.86
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission	7	$102,951.29
Presidio Trust	7	$100,927.29
Health Resources and Services Administration	7	$98,500.57
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration	6	$109,124.67
National Labor Relations Board	6	$103,170.83
Consumer Product Safety Commission	6	$98,970.00
National Gallery of Art	6	$147,285.17
Office of the Chief Information Officer (Department of Agriculture)	6	$94,735.33
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs	5	$116,758.60
Farm Credit Administration	5	$150,818.80
National Transportation Safety Board	5	$125,361.00
U.S. International Trade Commission	5	$104,768.00
Immediate Office of Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology	5	$118,752.40
National Endowment for the Arts	5	$104,689.60
Commodity Futures Trading Commission	5	$148,647.40
National Protection and Programs Directorate	4	$102,047.25
Office of Administrative Services	4	$120,789.00
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum	4	$100,980.00
Mine Safety and Health Administration	4	$105,372.50
Federal Railroad Administration	4	$105,206.50
Millennium Challenge Corporation	4	$138,814.50
Selective Service System	3	$97,979.67
Office of Labor-Management Standards	3	$80,695.67
Employee Benefits Security Administration	3	$114,021.00
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service	3	$96,326.33
International Boundary & Water Commission: U.S. & Mexico	3	$84,366.00
National Endowment for the Humanities	3	$105,249.33
Office of the Secretary, Research and Technology	3	$119,630.33
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration	3	$96,947.00
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network	3	$97,980.00
St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation	2	$70,979.00
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration	2	$106,133.00
Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program	2	$115,731.00
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau	2	$115,716.00
Wage and Hour Division	2	$92,339.50
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Agriculture)	2	$101,843.00
Office of the Director	2	$123,289.00
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Regulation	2	$106,415.00
Pretrial Services Agency	1	$112,774.00
Valles Caldera Trust	1	$76,689.00
Election Assistance Commission	1	$126,392.00
Office of Governmentwide Policy	1	$126,251.00
Federal Acquisition Service	1	$92,127.00
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality	1	$109,807.00
Administration for Children and Families	1	$84,855.00
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation	1	$97,936.00
U.S. Trustee Program	1	$122,744.00
Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development	1	$152,635.00
Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation	1	$124,632.00
Office of Inspector General (Department of Transportation)	1	$87,278.00
Pipeline/Hazardous Materials Safety Administration	1	$74,872.00
Office of Inspector General for Tax Administration	1	$115,731.00
Utah Reclamation Mitigation & Conservation Commission	1	$95,459.00
American Battle Monuments Commission	1	$97,936.00
African Development Foundation	1	$64,548.00
Federal Labor Relations Authority	1	$115,742.00
Office of Management and Budget	1	$155,500.00
U.S. Tax Court	1	$70,012.00
Federal Election Commission	1	$144,385.00
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars	1	$42,209.00

Accountant Pay Distribution

The average pay for an Accountant is $103,529.71. The highest paid Accountant made $251,500 in 2013.

Common Accountant Payscales

Payscale	Number of Accounting Employees
GS - General Schedule	6,563
SK - Sec Emp Formerly Under Gs, Gm, And Ez	958
FV - Faa Core Compensation Plan	222
ZA - Administrative	178
CG - Corporate Graded	101
GL - Gs Emp Grades 3-10 Paid Leo Special Rate	75
NQ - Nnsa Professional, Technical, And Admin	49
GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule	39
SV - Trans Security Admin Emp Other Than Exec	35
NB - Ofc Of Comptroller Of The Currency Only	33
EL - Non-executive Positions At Fhfa	26
PG - Printing Office Grades	25
ES - Senior Executive Service	20
CU - Credit Union Employees	19
IR - Irs Broadband Class And Pay System Pos	18
AP - Admin, Profess, & Scientific Career Path	15
SO - Sec Emp Formerly Under Es Pay Plan	13
NY - All Other Positions In The Corporation	13
GM - Emp Covered By Pmrs Termination Provisns	9
AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not E	8
FP - Foreign Service Personnel	7
VH - Professional, Admin., And Managerial	6
CT - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Pos	5
MC - Emp Of Millennium Challenge Corporation	4
LL - Executives At Federal Housing Finance Ag	3
NX - Executive-level And Managerial Positions	1
EI - Advisory Committee Member (other)	1
SN - Senior Level System	1
SL - Senior Level Positions	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.