Accountant - Federal Salaries of 2020

Pay Rates for "Accountant"

How much does an Accountant in the federal government get paid? $122,584.75* *Based on the 2020 average.

7,975 EMPLOYEES

$889.23M TOTAL SALARY

GS MOST COMMON PAYSCALE

Accountant was the 40th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2020, with 7,975 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.

In 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission hired the most employees titled Accounting, with an average salary of $218,297.

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	849	$218,297.19
Federal Bureau of Investigation	560	$116,493.03
Veterans Health Administration	555	$78,584.47
Bureau of the Fiscal Service	477	$88,225.68
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Agriculture)	278	$99,200.67
Department of Energy	267	$110,336.20
Federal Aviation Administration	192	$106,869.72
Rural Housing Service	190	$92,316.61
U.S. Coast Guard	181	$98,197.09
Office of the Secretary of the Interior	171	$116,379.35
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services	166	$115,744.76
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Finance	148	$100,914.21
Fpac Business Center	135	$108,560.26
Environmental Protection Agency	125	$114,723.14
Veterans Benefits Administration	120	$91,621.64
Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System	111	$80,639.48
Department of State	105	$109,824.43
Internal Revenue Service	104	$122,602.59
Customs and Border Protection	101	$138,573.00
Program Support Center	96	$118,582.30
Immigration and Customs Enforcement	86	$117,846.51
Bureau of Reclamation	81	$93,891.25
Office of Justice Programs	79	$133,287.42
Offices, Boards and Divisions	76	$125,262.00
Headquarters, Nasa	75	$131,169.85
Drug Enforcement Administration	74	$129,573.81
Federal Emergency Management Agency	66	$122,275.12
Bureau of the Census	62	$105,884.15
National Institutes of Health	61	$127,299.34
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation	58	$125,043.02
Office of Intergovernmental and Interagency Affairs	57	$122,625.58
Social Security Administration	57	$111,214.77
Indian Health Service	56	$89,412.80
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	56	$120,868.45
Bureau of Economic Analysis	54	$115,412.46
National Institute of Standards and Technology	54	$133,422.54
Forest Service	52	$106,813.42
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention	51	$111,920.53
Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner	51	$127,467.71
Goddard Space Flight Center	49	$121,252.94
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	46	$159,427.59
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center	43	$119,038.16
Department of Homeland Security Headquarters	43	$138,141.57
U.S. Agency for International Development	42	$122,360.60
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Housing and Urban Development)	41	$131,797.00
Federal Student Aid	40	$135,115.60
Food and Drug Administration	39	$125,348.67
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (General Services Administration)	38	$116,788.37
Small Business Administration	36	$112,608.00
Bureau of Engraving and Printing	34	$112,827.82
Employment and Training Administration	33	$113,208.58
Food and Nutrition Service	31	$123,569.71
John F. Kennedy Space Center	29	$103,286.66
Departmental Offices	29	$142,919.76
National Institute of Food & Agriculture	28	$91,847.86
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	28	$117,127.89
Transportation Security Administration	28	$136,888.93
U.S. Mint	27	$120,280.70
National Credit Union Administration	27	$0.00
George C. Marshall Space Flight Center	27	$108,553.70
Nuclear Regulatory Commission	26	$146,066.65
Office of Personnel Management	26	$131,955.12
Citizenship and Immigration Services	26	$131,938.54
International Trade Administration	26	$123,937.81
Patent and Trademark Office	25	$129,722.36
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission	25	$132,648.00
Bureau of Land Management	24	$109,776.50
National Park Service	24	$132,990.46
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service	24	$104,040.71
Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers	24	$90,245.88
Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Department of Labor)	24	$141,379.33
Government National Mortgage Association	23	$131,944.09
Government Printing Office	23	$125,461.48
Federal Housing Finance Agency	22	$198,104.33
John Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field	22	$98,106.09
Office of Comptroller of Currency	22	$199,174.91
U.S. Marshals Service	22	$122,754.73
Risk Management Agency	21	$102,133.10
Smithsonian Institution (Exchange Sep Boards of Trust)	20	$109,822.05
National Science Foundation	20	$132,127.35
Overseas Private Investment Corporation	19	$124,309.37
Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary for Management	18	$123,724.83
National Cemetery Administration	18	$104,398.44
Office of the Secretary (Department of Commerce)	18	$145,969.72
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives	18	$105,195.80
Federal Communications Commission	18	$141,558.00
National Protection and Programs Directorate	16	$122,279.44
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board	15	$110,882.33
Federal Trade Commission	15	$154,028.73
Geological Survey	15	$133,791.40
Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement	15	$126,703.20
Ames Research Center	15	$118,267.47
Food Safety and Inspection Service	14	$117,870.50
U.S. Secret Service	14	$124,467.14
Office of Senior Coordinator for Southwest	13	$108,741.85
Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement	13	$115,717.46
Langley Research Center	13	$87,695.31
John C. Stennis Space Center	13	$103,572.23
National Archives and Records Administration	13	$137,913.00
Indian Affairs	12	$114,457.08
Export-Import Bank of the United States	12	$121,749.17
Railroad Retirement Board	11	$99,310.91
Federal Transit Administration	11	$136,240.00
Immediate Office of Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology	11	$120,505.09
Corporation for National and Community Service	11	$108,134.45
Office Secretary Health and Human Services	10	$144,166.20
Occupational Safety and Health Administration	10	$123,184.30
National Labor Relations Board	10	$118,801.70
Office of Secretary of Transportation	9	$142,366.89
Science and Technology Directorate	9	$132,283.56
Office Assistant Secretary Administration and Management	9	$140,753.44
Farm Credit Administration	9	$0.00
Agricultural Research Service	8	$132,410.00
Federal Highway Administration	8	$138,784.25
Presidio Trust	8	$104,602.13
Bureau of Labor Statistics	7	$122,900.29
Dryden Flight Research Center	7	$105,831.86
Peace Corps	6	$104,567.67
Consumer Product Safety Commission	6	$124,223.33
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology	6	$120,528.33
Office of Administration	6	$148,710.17
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission	6	$113,310.83
National Technical Information Service	5	$120,867.20
Commodity Futures Trading Commission	5	$201,971.00
Federal Railroad Administration	5	$128,976.60
Pipeline/Hazardous Materials Safety Administration	5	$114,806.60
Broadcasting Board of Governors	5	$131,687.20
National Gallery of Art	4	$164,814.00
National Transportation Safety Board	4	$149,090.75
U.S. International Trade Commission	4	$134,242.75
Maritime Administration	4	$150,345.00
Office of the Chief Information Officer (Department of Agriculture)	4	$121,410.25
National Endowment for the Humanities	4	$118,698.25
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network	3	$125,344.67
American Battle Monuments Commission	3	$121,278.33
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Agriculture)	3	$136,005.00
National Telecommunications and Information Administration	3	$136,606.67
Federal Election Commission	3	$127,442.00
Millennium Challenge Corporation	3	$139,738.00
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau	3	$126,620.00
Mine Safety and Health Administration	3	$114,863.67
Wage and Hour Division	3	$125,455.33
Office of the Director	3	$136,143.00
Office of General Services Administration Innovative Technologies	3	$118,010.33
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum	3	$118,196.33
Health Resources and Services Administration	3	$135,629.33
International Boundary & Water Commission: U.S. & Mexico	2	$100,211.50
Domestic Nuclear Detection Office	2	$125,521.00
National Endowment for the Arts	2	$124,032.50
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs	2	$126,922.00
Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation	2	$0.00
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service	2	$133,616.50
Pretrial Services Agency	2	$128,322.50
Office of Administrative Services	2	$138,120.50
St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation	2	$94,823.50
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration	2	$130,344.50
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration	2	$97,046.50
Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program	2	$127,381.50
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars	1	$61,519.00
Selective Service System	1	$121,316.00
Office of Inspector General (Department of Transportation)	1	$109,479.00
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative	1	$119,775.00
Foreign Agricultural Service	1	$149,621.00
Institute of Museum and Library Services	1	$145,578.00
Architectural & Transportation Barrier Compliance Board	1	$89,213.00
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Commerce)	1	$137,491.00
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing	1	$170,800.00
Office of the Inspector General (Department of Interior)	1	$120,035.00
U.S. Tax Court	1	$116,353.00
Federal Maritime Commission	1	$116,353.00
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Service Administration	1	$141,534.00
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality	1	$133,465.00
Administration for Children and Families	1	$157,709.00
Office of Inspector General (Federal Housing Finance Agency)	1	$121,488.00
Employee Benefits Security Administration	1	$190,120.00
Office of Inspector General (Department of Education)	1	$121,411.00
Office of the Chief Information Officer (Department of Education)	1	$170,800.00
Office of Inspector General for Tax Administration	1	$145,578.00
Utah Reclamation Mitigation & Conservation Commission	1	$115,562.00
Immediate Office of Assistant Secretary for Human Resolution & Administration	1	$104,127.00
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisition and Logistics	1	$149,621.00
Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight	1	$121,316.00

Accountant Pay Distribution

The average pay for an Accountant is $122,584.75. The highest paid Accountant made $273,400 in 2020.

Common Accountant Payscales

Payscale	Number of Accounting Employees
GS - General Schedule	6,374
SK - Non-supervisorty Postions Employed By The Securities And Exchange Commission (sec) And Formerly Under Gs Pay	841
FV - Federal Aviation Administration Core Compensation Plan	192
ZA - Administrative	184
CG - Corporate Graded	44
GL - Gs Employees In Grades 3 Through 10 Paid A Law Enforcement Officer Special Base Rate	43
NQ - Employees In The National Nuclear Secuirty Administration's Professional, Technical, And Admin Career Path	34
GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule	33
SV - Transportation Security Administration Employees Other Than Executives	28
CU - Credit Union Employees	27
PG - Printing Office Grades	23
NB - Office Of The Comptroller Of The Currency Only	22
EL - Non-executive Positions At The Federal Housing Finance Agency	21
ES - Senior Executive Service	18
IR - Internal Revenue Service Broadband Classification And Pay System Positions Only	13
AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified	12
VH - Professional, Administrative, And Managerial	11
NY - All Other Positions In The Corporation For National And Community Service, P.l. 103-82, Subtitle G, Section	10
IC - Employees Holding Incident Management Cadre Of On-call Response/recovery Employees(core)positions	8
SO - Executive Positions Employed By The Securities And Exchange Commission (sec) And Formerly Under The Es Pay Pla	8
VC - Canteen Service	7
FP - Foreign Service Personnel	6
CT - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Positions Previously Defined Under Pay Plan Codes Ad, Es, Gm, And Gs	5
MC - Employees Of The Millennium Challenge Corporation Appointed Under Public Law 108-199 Only.	3
LL - Executives At The Federal Housing Finance Agency	2
CX - Senior Expert Positions In The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation	2
EN - National Nuclear Security Administration Excepted Service Only	2
NX - Executive-level And Managerial Positions In The Corporation For National And Community Service, P.l. 103-82	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
Biological Science Technician	Technical and Medical Support	GS-1	GS-9
Archives Technician	Administrative and Management	GS-4	GS-15
Wage and Hour Investigation	Administrative and Management	GS-4	GS-15
Education and Vocational Training	Professional and Scientific	GS-6	GS-15
Equipment Operator	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.