Accountant - Federal Salaries of 2014

Pay Rates for "Accountant"

How much does an Accountant in the federal government get paid? $105,830.17* *Based on the 2014 average.

8,276 EMPLOYEES

$875.53M TOTAL SALARY

GS MOST COMMON PAYSCALE

Accountant was the 51st most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2014, with 8,276 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.

In 2014, the Securities and Exchange Commission hired the most employees titled Accounting, with an average salary of $176,315.

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	956	$176,314.53
Veterans Health Administration	525	$68,557.46
Bureau of the Fiscal Service	431	$84,847.61
Federal Bureau of Investigation	413	$91,045.83
Department of Energy	294	$100,928.52
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services	215	$98,444.22
Federal Aviation Administration	213	$88,089.94
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Agriculture)	197	$89,580.20
Office of the Secretary of the Interior	187	$100,959.62
Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System	171	$72,487.97
U.S. Coast Guard	160	$88,607.29
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (General Services Administration)	159	$90,941.86
Environmental Protection Agency	148	$99,277.36
Rural Housing Service	132	$87,943.90
Program Support Center	129	$104,696.47
Department of State	123	$96,959.82
Forest Service	106	$90,072.56
Farm Service Agency	105	$94,195.07
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Finance	104	$91,757.73
Veterans Benefits Administration	100	$80,536.88
Internal Revenue Service	100	$103,972.82
Bureau of Reclamation	94	$83,889.78
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	93	$128,009.25
Customs and Border Protection	88	$93,591.47
Office of Justice Programs	86	$108,894.83
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	83	$98,083.33
Drug Enforcement Administration	80	$107,693.23
Headquarters, Nasa	69	$114,414.17
Immigration and Customs Enforcement	67	$93,327.07
National Institutes of Health	65	$106,159.34
Offices, Boards and Divisions	64	$107,906.89
U.S. Agency for International Development	62	$94,574.16
Indian Health Service	62	$78,537.84
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	61	$102,889.34
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation	60	$108,957.72
Federal Emergency Management Agency	59	$108,877.69
Federal Student Aid	58	$110,033.29
Bureau of the Census	57	$91,687.70
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Education)	57	$118,384.96
National Institute of Standards and Technology	56	$102,611.89
Social Security Administration	54	$96,575.52
Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner	50	$111,543.74
Bureau of Engraving and Printing	50	$92,821.20
Bureau of Economic Analysis	49	$93,887.14
Goddard Space Flight Center	46	$109,005.89
Office of Personnel Management	44	$112,887.91
Food and Nutrition Service	44	$97,243.84
Food and Drug Administration	41	$101,721.95
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Labor)	41	$118,847.02
Transportation Security Administration	40	$112,847.73
Departmental Offices	39	$120,857.97
Department of Homeland Security Headquarters	38	$116,643.47
Small Business Administration	37	$102,330.24
Nuclear Regulatory Commission	35	$128,415.31
Natural Resources Conservation Service	35	$93,355.60
Employment and Training Administration	35	$96,521.94
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Housing and Urban Development)	33	$119,749.79
Patent and Trademark Office	33	$107,957.30
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center	33	$99,311.36
Office of Comptroller of Currency	32	$163,111.56
Rural Utilities Service	31	$102,306.45
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	30	$96,526.93
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service	29	$91,911.52
John F. Kennedy Space Center	29	$97,925.90
Federal Housing Finance Agency	28	$167,644.82
George C. Marshall Space Flight Center	28	$102,567.79
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission	27	$109,336.30
U.S. Mint	26	$109,724.77
National Park Service	26	$116,433.81
Government Printing Office	26	$112,406.27
Smithsonian Institution (Exchange Sep Boards of Trust)	25	$101,135.16
Risk Management Agency	24	$87,838.04
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers	24	$78,987.21
Citizenship and Immigration Services	24	$118,955.25
Bureau of Land Management	22	$94,239.27
Office of Senior Coordinator for Southwest	21	$96,864.52
Indian Affairs	20	$99,836.30
International Trade Administration	20	$112,693.10
National Credit Union Administration	20	$111,752.80
Office of General Services Administration Innovative Technologies	19	$99,335.68
Office of the Secretary (Department of Commerce)	19	$117,553.42
U.S. Marshals Service	19	$110,822.74
Federal Communications Commission	19	$128,266.47
National Science Foundation	18	$122,202.44
Geological Survey	18	$114,689.33
U.S. Secret Service	16	$113,505.06
Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement	15	$98,608.47
National Archives and Records Administration	15	$110,998.13
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board	15	$92,513.47
Federal Highway Administration	15	$108,531.93
Office Secretary Health and Human Services	14	$134,450.57
John Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field	14	$99,426.36
Langley Research Center	14	$91,670.07
John C. Stennis Space Center	14	$82,361.93
National Institute of Food & Agriculture	14	$95,358.36
Food Safety and Inspection Service	14	$107,157.21
Office of Secretary of Transportation	14	$127,188.79
Office Assistant Secretary Administration and Management	14	$109,978.71
Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement	13	$111,743.85
Ames Research Center	13	$113,509.08
Export-Import Bank of the United States	13	$98,315.85
Railroad Retirement Board	13	$93,828.54
Federal Transit Administration	13	$113,084.85
Federal Trade Commission	12	$125,933.08
Corporation for National and Community Service	12	$106,489.58
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives	12	$118,783.17
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Logistics	11	$94,539.36
Overseas Private Investment Corporation	10	$98,803.90
Dryden Flight Research Center	9	$83,591.11
Occupational Safety and Health Administration	9	$96,748.67
National Technical Information Service	9	$102,752.78
National Protection and Programs Directorate	8	$94,917.25
Science and Technology Directorate	8	$111,075.00
Agricultural Research Service	8	$104,006.13
Bureau of Labor Statistics	8	$100,184.75
Office of the Chief Information Officer (Department of Education)	8	$130,570.13
National Cemetery Administration	8	$102,225.13
National Labor Relations Board	7	$94,290.71
Government National Mortgage Association	7	$106,593.71
Consumer Product Safety Commission	7	$103,997.14
Office of Administration	7	$105,414.86
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission	7	$96,398.71
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology	7	$105,645.86
Broadcasting Board of Governors	6	$119,516.50
Presidio Trust	6	$92,502.33
Farm Credit Administration	6	$150,065.50
Maritime Administration	6	$121,583.67
Peace Corps	5	$93,370.00
National Transportation Safety Board	5	$127,941.80
U.S. International Trade Commission	5	$114,241.40
Health Resources and Services Administration	5	$97,470.20
Immediate Office of Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology	5	$120,545.80
Office of the Chief Information Officer (Department of Agriculture)	5	$99,780.80
National Endowment for the Arts	5	$105,850.40
Commodity Futures Trading Commission	5	$153,485.20
Mine Safety and Health Administration	5	$93,767.80
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs	5	$119,943.00
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service	4	$102,187.25
National Gallery of Art	4	$159,957.00
Federal Railroad Administration	4	$108,349.75
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum	4	$103,890.00
National Endowment for the Humanities	3	$101,286.67
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration	3	$107,993.00
Office of the Secretary, Research and Technology	3	$122,855.00
Pipeline/Hazardous Materials Safety Administration	3	$105,905.67
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration	3	$100,914.67
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau	3	$105,980.67
Employee Benefits Security Administration	3	$115,163.33
Wage and Hour Division	3	$94,989.00
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network	3	$103,197.67
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration	3	$96,550.67
Federal Election Commission	3	$110,556.67
Millennium Challenge Corporation	3	$135,959.33
Office of Labor-Management Standards	2	$83,336.00
Office of the Director	2	$124,521.00
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Agriculture)	2	$106,131.00
Selective Service System	2	$109,367.00
Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program	2	$93,061.50
Office of Administrative Services	2	$125,369.00
Valles Caldera Trust	1	$76,446.00
Election Assistance Commission	1	$127,656.00
Office of Governmentwide Policy	1	$127,512.00
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality	1	$113,904.00
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Regulation	1	$82,302.00
Administration for Children and Families	1	$85,703.00
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation	1	$98,916.00
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars	1	$52,146.00
St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation	1	$59,915.00
Office of Inspector General (Department of Transportation)	1	$90,906.00
U.S. Trustee Program	1	$123,970.00
Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development	1	$154,160.00
Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation	1	$131,708.00
Pretrial Services Agency	1	$113,981.00
U.S. Tax Court	1	$77,121.00
Office of Inspector General for Tax Administration	1	$120,429.00
Utah Reclamation Mitigation & Conservation Commission	1	$99,170.00
American Battle Monuments Commission	1	$100,904.00
African Development Foundation	1	$120,429.00
Office of Management and Budget	1	$157,100.00
National Telecommunications and Information Administration	1	$92,922.00

Accountant Pay Distribution

The average pay for an Accountant is $105,830.17. The highest paid Accountant made $265,860 in 2014.

Common Accountant Payscales

Payscale	Number of Accounting Employees
GS - General Schedule	6,443
SK - Sec Emp Formerly Under Gs, Gm, And Ez	942
FV - Faa Core Compensation Plan	213
ZA - Administrative	185
CG - Corporate Graded	91
GL - Gs Emp Grades 3-10 Paid Leo Special Rate	75
NQ - Nnsa Professional, Technical, And Admin	44
SV - Trans Security Admin Emp Other Than Exec	40
GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule	36
NB - Ofc Of Comptroller Of The Currency Only	32
PG - Printing Office Grades	26
EL - Non-executive Positions At Fhfa	25
CU - Credit Union Employees	20
IR - Irs Broadband Class And Pay System Pos	19
ES - Senior Executive Service	19
SO - Sec Emp Formerly Under Es Pay Plan	14
NY - All Other Positions In The Corporation	11
AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not E	7
VH - Professional, Admin., And Managerial	7
FP - Foreign Service Personnel	5
CT - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Pos	5
GM - Emp Covered By Pmrs Termination Provisns	5
LL - Executives At Federal Housing Finance Ag	3
MC - Emp Of Millennium Challenge Corporation	3
EI - Advisory Committee Member (other)	1
NX - Executive-level And Managerial Positions	1
EM - Fdic Executive-level Positions Only	1
SN - Senior Level System	1
CX - Senior Expert Positions In The Fdic	1
SL - Senior Level Positions	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.