Accountant - Federal Salaries of 2018

Pay Rates for "Accountant"

How much does an Accountant in the federal government get paid? $117,524.37* *Based on the 2018 average.

8,483 EMPLOYEES

$910.58M TOTAL SALARY

GS MOST COMMON PAYSCALE

Accountant was the 41st most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2018, with 8,483 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.

In 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission hired the most employees titled Accounting, with an average salary of $210,487.

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	917	$210,487.18
Federal Bureau of Investigation	565	$104,040.02
Veterans Health Administration	552	$73,405.16
Bureau of the Fiscal Service	487	$90,640.66
Department of Energy	311	$105,530.53
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Agriculture)	309	$98,012.79
Federal Aviation Administration	204	$98,055.82
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services	195	$108,899.05
Office of the Secretary of the Interior	190	$110,270.10
U.S. Coast Guard	187	$94,080.61
Rural Housing Service	178	$93,869.80
Environmental Protection Agency	128	$112,778.05
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Finance	123	$93,460.89
Department of State	122	$105,434.09
Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System	121	$79,409.88
Veterans Benefits Administration	117	$84,053.15
Program Support Center	113	$110,063.84
Internal Revenue Service	105	$113,117.61
Bureau of Reclamation	105	$88,197.63
Customs and Border Protection	103	$130,136.21
Immigration and Customs Enforcement	100	$111,828.08
Farm Service Agency	99	$101,194.13
Office of Justice Programs	82	$123,193.60
Drug Enforcement Administration	81	$121,333.47
Federal Emergency Management Agency	79	$112,219.80
Bureau of the Census	79	$97,030.66
Headquarters, Nasa	77	$127,362.99
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	72	$108,927.07
Forest Service	70	$95,143.14
Offices, Boards and Divisions	69	$120,723.30
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	63	$113,615.33
National Institutes of Health	63	$119,180.67
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation	62	$115,200.85
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	61	$153,266.69
Bureau of Economic Analysis	60	$102,127.77
Indian Health Service	57	$84,437.68
Social Security Administration	56	$105,173.34
National Institute of Standards and Technology	55	$116,057.55
Federal Student Aid	55	$126,580.40
U.S. Agency for International Development	53	$116,272.43
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Education)	51	$119,585.06
Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner	50	$120,808.68
Bureau of Engraving and Printing	47	$100,577.96
Department of Homeland Security Headquarters	46	$128,410.35
Goddard Space Flight Center	44	$116,852.61
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center	41	$112,265.27
Food and Drug Administration	40	$113,375.68
Office of Personnel Management	38	$124,578.95
Small Business Administration	38	$109,304.95
Employment and Training Administration	36	$106,947.64
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Housing and Urban Development)	36	$123,866.03
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (General Services Administration)	35	$114,954.89
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	34	$106,666.71
Transportation Security Administration	34	$120,590.62
Food and Nutrition Service	34	$113,889.29
Nuclear Regulatory Commission	33	$138,219.73
Office of Comptroller of Currency	33	$183,221.18
Natural Resources Conservation Service	32	$112,056.72
Risk Management Agency	31	$99,112.10
Patent and Trademark Office	31	$120,683.81
George C. Marshall Space Flight Center	30	$104,281.07
National Park Service	29	$125,119.52
National Credit Union Administration	29	$0.00
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers	28	$90,150.43
John F. Kennedy Space Center	28	$100,843.36
Departmental Offices	28	$135,271.36
U.S. Mint	27	$126,697.63
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission	27	$121,867.33
Government Printing Office	27	$118,728.52
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service	25	$101,195.08
International Trade Administration	25	$119,513.00
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Labor)	25	$135,013.92
Smithsonian Institution (Exchange Sep Boards of Trust)	25	$107,419.44
Citizenship and Immigration Services	24	$127,526.17
U.S. Marshals Service	23	$117,336.74
Federal Housing Finance Agency	23	$184,011.57
Federal Communications Commission	21	$131,327.90
National Science Foundation	21	$130,213.86
John Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field	19	$95,662.84
National Protection and Programs Directorate	18	$116,784.11
Geological Survey	18	$126,545.28
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board	18	$101,118.28
Office of Senior Coordinator for Southwest	17	$106,153.88
Government National Mortgage Association	17	$126,579.53
Indian Affairs	17	$107,490.12
Office of the Secretary (Department of Commerce)	17	$134,061.65
Federal Trade Commission	16	$139,902.13
Bureau of Land Management	16	$106,593.00
National Institute of Food & Agriculture	16	$103,554.44
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives	15	$104,926.80
National Archives and Records Administration	15	$123,949.07
Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement	15	$111,918.60
Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement	14	$120,819.36
National Cemetery Administration	14	$102,946.07
Corporation for National and Community Service	14	$112,206.50
Export-Import Bank of the United States	13	$110,669.54
Food Safety and Inspection Service	13	$121,646.15
Ames Research Center	13	$113,272.15
John C. Stennis Space Center	13	$95,761.15
Federal Highway Administration	13	$125,823.31
Federal Transit Administration	12	$123,040.42
Langley Research Center	12	$97,524.42
Railroad Retirement Board	12	$93,657.92
Office of Secretary of Transportation	12	$136,475.83
Overseas Private Investment Corporation	12	$118,231.42
Presidio Trust	11	$100,832.55
Office Secretary Health and Human Services	11	$144,324.55
U.S. Secret Service	11	$125,404.64
Office Assistant Secretary Administration and Management	11	$128,636.55
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Logistics	11	$108,577.09
Bureau of Labor Statistics	10	$120,425.60
Occupational Safety and Health Administration	10	$111,937.30
Dryden Flight Research Center	10	$100,762.80
Agricultural Research Service	9	$116,665.67
Office of the Chief Information Officer (Department of Education)	8	$142,774.25
Science and Technology Directorate	8	$132,692.63
Office of Administration	7	$138,893.57
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission	7	$104,844.86
Farm Credit Administration	7	$0.00
National Labor Relations Board	7	$118,897.57
Immediate Office of Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology	6	$99,262.50
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology	6	$118,631.33
Office of the Chief Information Officer (Department of Agriculture)	6	$109,931.67
National Technical Information Service	6	$105,438.67
Commodity Futures Trading Commission	5	$187,016.40
Federal Railroad Administration	5	$119,118.80
Maritime Administration	5	$135,167.80
Mine Safety and Health Administration	5	$112,782.20
Peace Corps	5	$85,059.00
Consumer Product Safety Commission	5	$110,621.60
Selective Service System	5	$82,023.80
U.S. International Trade Commission	5	$131,679.40
Broadcasting Board of Governors	5	$130,627.80
Health Resources and Services Administration	4	$121,076.00
Department of Agriculture	4	$92,367.25
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Agriculture)	4	$116,330.00
National Telecommunications and Information Administration	4	$128,160.00
Pipeline/Hazardous Materials Safety Administration	4	$99,272.00
Millennium Challenge Corporation	4	$141,661.75
National Gallery of Art	4	$158,489.00
National Transportation Safety Board	4	$138,545.75
Office of Workers' Compensation Programs	4	$133,070.00
Wage and Hour Division	4	$114,173.75
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service	3	$124,229.67
Office of the Director	3	$119,980.33
American Battle Monuments Commission	3	$111,126.67
Rural Utilities Service	3	$126,601.00
National Endowment for the Arts	3	$94,363.67
National Endowment for the Humanities	3	$125,845.33
Office of General Services Administration Innovative Technologies	3	$111,246.00
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum	3	$119,162.67
Federal Election Commission	3	$110,777.67
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration	3	$113,555.67
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau	3	$116,365.00
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network	3	$105,637.67
St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation	2	$87,781.50
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration	2	$116,365.00
Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program	2	$114,590.00
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs	2	$116,358.50
Office of Labor-Management Standards	2	$82,721.50
Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation	2	$0.00
Pretrial Services Agency	2	$119,297.50
Office of Administrative Services	2	$126,936.50
International Boundary & Water Commission: U.S. & Mexico	2	$88,660.00
Administration for Children and Families	2	$115,773.50
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council	1	$88,050.00
Office of Governmentwide Policy	1	$145,148.00
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration	1	$129,869.00
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality	1	$126,062.00
Office of Inspector General (Federal Housing Finance Agency)	1	$113,520.00
Foreign Agricultural Service	1	$137,508.00
Fpac Business Center	1	$111,219.00
Institute of Museum and Library Services	1	$126,049.00
African Development Foundation	1	$137,508.00
Merit Systems Protection Board	1	$137,508.00
Office of Management and Budget	1	$164,200.00
Architectural & Transportation Barrier Compliance Board	1	$68,036.00
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Commerce)	1	$126,049.00
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office	1	$122,830.00
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing	1	$164,200.00
U.S. Tax Court	1	$106,668.00
Office of Inspector General (Department of Transportation)	1	$104,703.00
Office of Inspector General for Tax Administration	1	$137,508.00
Utah Reclamation Mitigation & Conservation Commission	1	$107,611.00
Department of Veterans Affairs	1	$88,905.00
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission	1	$62,796.00
Federal Maritime Commission	1	$106,668.00
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars	1	$74,841.00
Employee Benefits Security Administration	1	$174,052.00
Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development	1	$164,200.00

Accountant Pay Distribution

The average pay for an Accountant is $117,524.37. The highest paid Accountant made $274,050 in 2018.

Common Accountant Payscales

Payscale	Number of Accounting Employees
GS - General Schedule	6,719
SK - Sec Emp Formerly Under Gs, Gm, And Ez	907
FV - Faa Core Compensation Plan	204
ZA - Administrative	198
CG - Corporate Graded	59
GL - Gs Emp Grades 3-10 Paid Leo Special Rate	46
GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule	43
NQ - Nnsa Professional, Technical, And Admin	39
SV - Trans Security Admin Emp Other Than Exec	34
NB - Ofc Of Comptroller Of The Currency Only	33
CU - Credit Union Employees	29
PG - Printing Office Grades	27
EL - Non-executive Positions At Fhfa	22
ES - Senior Executive Service	20
IR - Irs Broadband Class And Pay System Pos	17
AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not E	16
NY - All Other Positions In The Corporation	13
IC - Federal Emergency Management Agency Use	12
SO - Sec Emp Formerly Under Es Pay Plan	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	4
EN - Nat Nuclear Security Admin Exc Srvc Only	3
GM - Emp Covered By Pmrs Termination Provisns	2
LL - Executives At Federal Housing Finance Ag	2
EI - Advisory Committee Member (other)	1
CX - Senior Expert Positions In The Fdic	1
EM - Fdic Executive-level Positions Only	1
SL - Senior Level Positions	1
NX - Executive-level And Managerial 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.