Accountant - Federal Salaries of 2017

Pay Rates for "Accountant"

How much does an Accountant in the federal government get paid? $113,284.65* *Based on the 2017 average.

7,968 EMPLOYEES

$867.19M TOTAL SALARY

GS MOST COMMON PAYSCALE

Accountant was the 39th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2017, with 7,968 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.

In 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission hired the most employees titled Accounting, with an average salary of $204,403.

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	910	$204,403.24
Veterans Health Administration	511	$72,133.22
Federal Bureau of Investigation	494	$36,650.66
Bureau of the Fiscal Service	494	$88,585.75
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Agriculture)	310	$95,311.72
Department of Energy	283	$108,191.55
Federal Aviation Administration	203	$94,404.86
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services	195	$104,993.36
Office of the Secretary of the Interior	184	$108,290.96
Rural Housing Service	142	$89,972.85
Environmental Protection Agency	133	$110,406.08
Department of State	121	$102,990.83
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Finance	121	$94,315.17
Program Support Center	113	$106,049.49
Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System	112	$78,337.21
Veterans Benefits Administration	110	$82,050.06
Farm Service Agency	102	$97,928.35
Internal Revenue Service	99	$108,990.56
Customs and Border Protection	97	$99,422.61
Bureau of Reclamation	94	$88,103.43
Immigration and Customs Enforcement	84	$100,205.61
Office of Justice Programs	82	$119,215.05
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	76	$105,971.24
Drug Enforcement Administration	76	$110,928.04
Bureau of the Census	74	$95,268.41
Offices, Boards and Divisions	73	$116,997.58
Federal Emergency Management Agency	71	$110,817.27
Headquarters, Nasa	70	$124,039.17
National Institutes of Health	66	$115,701.67
Forest Service	64	$94,110.97
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation	64	$112,489.78
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	63	$111,041.33
Social Security Administration	62	$99,139.82
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	61	$149,392.00
Federal Student Aid	56	$121,498.55
Bureau of Economic Analysis	56	$99,841.09
National Institute of Standards and Technology	55	$114,419.49
U.S. Agency for International Development	51	$113,165.35
Indian Health Service	50	$85,319.60
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Education)	48	$121,016.94
Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner	47	$120,127.11
Department of Homeland Security Headquarters	46	$123,551.22
Bureau of Engraving and Printing	45	$94,549.60
Goddard Space Flight Center	43	$113,731.42
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center	41	$109,783.80
Food and Drug Administration	38	$108,403.55
Employment and Training Administration	37	$101,390.86
Transportation Security Administration	36	$117,814.69
Food and Nutrition Service	35	$110,571.43
Small Business Administration	35	$108,536.80
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	34	$102,744.32
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (General Services Administration)	32	$114,312.69
Nuclear Regulatory Commission	32	$135,009.44
Office of Personnel Management	32	$125,352.34
Risk Management Agency	31	$98,164.68
Patent and Trademark Office	30	$116,747.40
Office of Comptroller of Currency	29	$183,911.17
Rural Utilities Service	29	$105,659.48
George C. Marshall Space Flight Center	29	$102,279.97
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission	28	$117,846.71
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Housing and Urban Development)	28	$127,799.04
National Park Service	28	$122,625.25
Departmental Offices	27	$131,457.70
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers	26	$90,870.23
Government Printing Office	26	$112,732.35
International Trade Administration	25	$114,943.28
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Labor)	25	$124,294.12
Natural Resources Conservation Service	24	$114,543.71
Federal Housing Finance Agency	24	$183,448.00
Citizenship and Immigration Services	24	$123,924.25
John F. Kennedy Space Center	23	$101,083.13
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service	23	$99,648.57
U.S. Mint	23	$75,829.74
U.S. Marshals Service	22	$114,657.14
National Credit Union Administration	22	$131,529.86
Federal Communications Commission	21	$127,822.90
Bureau of Land Management	21	$97,856.19
Smithsonian Institution (Exchange Sep Boards of Trust)	20	$108,878.10
National Science Foundation	19	$131,642.47
John Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field	19	$93,466.63
Indian Affairs	18	$104,117.06
Office of the Secretary (Department of Commerce)	17	$133,296.94
Geological Survey	17	$121,616.59
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board	16	$98,866.81
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives	16	$100,955.88
National Institute of Food & Agriculture	16	$101,551.50
National Protection and Programs Directorate	15	$114,290.13
Office of Senior Coordinator for Southwest	15	$109,094.40
Government National Mortgage Association	15	$123,530.47
Food Safety and Inspection Service	14	$115,376.50
Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement	14	$108,535.36
National Archives and Records Administration	14	$117,369.50
Ames Research Center	13	$106,593.00
John C. Stennis Space Center	13	$91,953.85
Federal Highway Administration	13	$117,761.23
Export-Import Bank of the United States	13	$105,150.92
Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement	13	$122,058.08
U.S. Secret Service	12	$124,062.58
Federal Trade Commission	12	$141,456.00
Overseas Private Investment Corporation	12	$110,087.58
Office of Secretary of Transportation	12	$131,798.08
Federal Transit Administration	12	$116,425.25
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Logistics	11	$105,660.82
National Cemetery Administration	11	$102,026.09
Railroad Retirement Board	11	$98,933.55
Office Secretary Health and Human Services	11	$140,999.45
Corporation for National and Community Service	11	$110,976.45
Langley Research Center	10	$99,714.40
Office Assistant Secretary Administration and Management	10	$125,581.30
Occupational Safety and Health Administration	10	$106,592.60
Bureau of Labor Statistics	9	$114,428.22
Agricultural Research Service	9	$113,616.89
Dryden Flight Research Center	9	$97,546.67
Office of the Chief Information Officer (Department of Education)	8	$138,561.38
Science and Technology Directorate	8	$129,039.13
Presidio Trust	8	$96,779.50
Office of Administration	7	$135,095.29
Farm Credit Administration	7	$149,355.29
Consumer Product Safety Commission	7	$112,438.86
National Technical Information Service	7	$99,524.43
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology	7	$108,934.00
National Labor Relations Board	6	$110,891.67
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission	6	$100,949.00
Office of the Chief Information Officer (Department of Agriculture)	6	$107,055.33
Commodity Futures Trading Commission	5	$180,864.00
U.S. Coast Guard	5	$87,358.00
Maritime Administration	5	$130,641.00
Immediate Office of Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology	5	$132,039.20
Peace Corps	5	$94,586.60
U.S. International Trade Commission	5	$126,338.60
Broadcasting Board of Governors	5	$127,083.00
Mine Safety and Health Administration	5	$109,977.60
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs	5	$128,152.80
Wage and Hour Division	4	$109,891.00
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Agriculture)	4	$110,765.25
National Endowment for the Arts	4	$105,319.75
National Telecommunications and Information Administration	4	$126,101.00
Health Resources and Services Administration	4	$115,298.50
National Gallery of Art	4	$160,264.75
Selective Service System	4	$97,336.75
Federal Railroad Administration	4	$122,504.75
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration	4	$109,086.50
National Transportation Safety Board	3	$131,936.33
American Battle Monuments Commission	3	$104,542.67
National Endowment for the Humanities	3	$122,430.33
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service	3	$117,208.67
Pipeline/Hazardous Materials Safety Administration	3	$114,996.00
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau	3	$113,755.00
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network	3	$103,270.33
Federal Election Commission	3	$104,942.00
Millennium Challenge Corporation	3	$142,085.00
Office of General Services Administration Innovative Technologies	3	$109,048.00
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum	3	$115,751.67
Administration for Children and Families	3	$122,751.00
Office of Administrative Services	2	$124,090.50
International Boundary & Water Commission: U.S. & Mexico	2	$84,506.50
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs	2	$112,399.00
Office of Labor-Management Standards	2	$79,759.00
Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation	2	$115,428.50
Pretrial Services Agency	2	$113,775.00
St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation	2	$85,403.50
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration	2	$112,175.00
Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program	2	$96,626.00
Office of Inspector General (Department of Transportation)	1	$100,118.00
Office of Inspector General for Tax Administration	1	$130,692.00
Utah Reclamation Mitigation & Conservation Commission	1	$105,839.00
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission	1	$59,723.00
Foreign Agricultural Service	1	$131,192.00
Institute of Museum and Library Services	1	$93,444.00
African Development Foundation	1	$134,426.00
Merit Systems Protection Board	1	$135,191.00
Office of Management and Budget	1	$161,900.00
Architectural & Transportation Barrier Compliance Board	1	$54,972.00
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Commerce)	1	$123,223.00
U.S. Trustee Program	1	$134,426.00
Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development	1	$161,900.00
Office of the Director	1	$97,956.00
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council	1	$84,197.00
Office of Governmentwide Policy	1	$141,894.00
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration	1	$123,223.00
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality	1	$123,234.00
Office of Inspector General (Federal Housing Finance Agency)	1	$109,417.00
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office	1	$120,074.00
U.S. Tax Court	1	$101,116.00
Federal Maritime Commission	1	$101,116.00
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars	1	$73,160.00

Accountant Pay Distribution

The average pay for an Accountant is $113,284.65. The highest paid Accountant made $282,080 in 2017.

Common Accountant Payscales

Payscale	Number of Accounting Employees
GS - General Schedule	6,244
SK - Sec Emp Formerly Under Gs, Gm, And Ez	899
FV - Faa Core Compensation Plan	203
ZA - Administrative	194
CG - Corporate Graded	59
GL - Gs Emp Grades 3-10 Paid Leo Special Rate	46
NQ - Nnsa Professional, Technical, And Admin	40
SV - Trans Security Admin Emp Other Than Exec	36
GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule	35
NB - Ofc Of Comptroller Of The Currency Only	29
PG - Printing Office Grades	26
EL - Non-executive Positions At Fhfa	23
CU - Credit Union Employees	22
ES - Senior Executive Service	20
IR - Irs Broadband Class And Pay System Pos	14
AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not E	13
SO - Sec Emp Formerly Under Es Pay Plan	11
IC - Federal Emergency Management Agency Use	10
NY - All Other Positions In The Corporation	10
VH - Professional, Admin., And Managerial	9
FP - Foreign Service Personnel	5
CT - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Pos	5
MC - Emp Of Millennium Challenge Corporation	3
EN - Nat Nuclear Security Admin Exc Srvc Only	3
LL - Executives At Federal Housing Finance Ag	2
GM - Emp Covered By Pmrs Termination Provisns	2
EI - Advisory Committee Member (other)	1
EM - Fdic Executive-level Positions Only	1
NX - Executive-level And Managerial Positions	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.