Accountant.
Salt Lake City.
$77,000
median salary, 6% below the national average
$61,000 to $100,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating an Accountant offer in Salt Lake City, UT, here is the reality: $61,000 to $100,000, with $77,000 as the midpoint. 6% below the national average. CPA licensure, industry specialization, and company size are the biggest factors. Do not accept the first number. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Accountant in Salt Lake City, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $75,700 for Accountants and Auditors (SOC 13-2011) in the Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT metropolitan area, based on 3,020 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$45,030
25th percentile
$58,200
Median
$75,700
75th percentile
$97,410
90th percentile
$125,070
Workers surveyed
3,020
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Accountants and Auditors (SOC 13-2011) rather than Accountant specifically. The Salt Lake City range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 13-2011Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $69,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$50,000
to $62,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$65,000
to $81,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$85,000
to $100,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$96,000
to $119,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $17,000 to the total package.
Base
$77,000
Equity
$9,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $94,000
How Salt Lake City compares.
Salt Lake City, UT
$77,000
Cost of living: 2% below average
National Average
$82,000
Salt Lake City is $5,000 below
Accountant salary by city.
Salary by role in Salt Lake City.
What you should know.
Here is what the Accountant market actually looks like in Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City anchors the Silicon Slopes tech corridor, home to companies like Qualtrics, Pluralsight, and Domo. The region has attracted significant venture investment and tech relocations. Utah's business friendly environment, young educated workforce, and outdoor lifestyle make it a rising destination for tech professionals seeking affordability without sacrificing career growth. CPA licensure, industry specialization, and company size are the biggest factors. Public accounting at Big Four firms pays well at entry but demands long hours. Corporate accountants in tech and finance earn 10 to 20% more than those in other industries. Experience with complex areas like international tax, M&A, or revenue recognition commands premiums.
Staff accountants start at $52,000 to $68,000, advancing to senior accountant at $70,000 to $90,000 in two to three years. Accounting managers earn $90,000 to $120,000. Controllers reach $130,000 to $175,000, and CFOs at mid size companies earn $200,000 to $350,000. Public accounting partnership offers the highest ceiling. In Salt Lake City, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Bonuses of 5 to 15% are typical in corporate roles, rising to 15 to 25%+ in public accounting at manager level. Benefits include CPA exam reimbursement, busy season bonuses, and in public firms, a path to partnership with profit sharing. Tech companies add equity grants of $5,000 to $25,000. And on the tax side: utah has a flat 4.65% state income tax. Salt Lake City imposes no additional city income tax. The moderate rate combined with affordable living costs results in strong net compensation. When someone quotes you $77,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference Silicon Slopes growth when negotiating. Local employers are increasingly matching 85 to 95% of Seattle or Bay Area salaries to compete for tech talent. The range for Accountants in Salt Lake City runs from $61,000 to $100,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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- A Radiologic Technologist in Salt Lake City earns $76,000 (1% less)
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Common questions.
Accountant salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Salt Lake City.
Related salary pages
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Accountant Salary in Salt Lake City, UT." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/accountant/salt-lake-city
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