Accountants & Auditors salary in Appleton, WI
Median pay for accountants & auditors in Appleton, WI: $76,980/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $53,760 – $124,440 · about 1,170 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($74,290) by +$2,690 (+4%).
What it's really worth in Appleton
With Appleton's cost of living at 94 (US=100), that $76,980 has the buying power of about $82,124 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $79,958 · median home $350,370 · median rent $1,217/mo.
How Appleton ranks for this job
On raw pay, Appleton, WI is 71st of the 187 metros we hold accountants & auditors wages for. Once Appleton's cost of living is applied, it ranks 34th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Appleton is one of the places where accountants & auditors gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Appleton
A median home in Appleton, WI costs $350,370 — about 4.6× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,217/mo works out at 19% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where accountants & auditors earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Appleton.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Appleton | Rent vs Appleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $113,980 | +48% | 3× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,990 | +35% | 2.7× |
| New York, NY | $103,900 | +35% | 2.9× |
| Washington, DC | $97,320 | +26% | 2× |
Same job elsewhere in WI
| Metro | Median pay | vs Appleton | Rent vs Appleton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | $78,260 | +2% | 1.3× |
| Madison, WI | $78,000 | +1% | 1.4× |
| Green Bay, WI | $75,320 | −2% | 1× |
Staying in WI keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires accountants & auditors around Appleton
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Pierce Manufacturing · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Appleton
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.