Accountants & Auditors salary in Sacramento, CA
Median pay for accountants & auditors in Sacramento, CA: $84,940/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $57,820 – $128,140 · about 12,660 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($74,290) by +$10,650 (+14%).
What it's really worth in Sacramento
With Sacramento's cost of living at 109 (US=100), that $84,940 has the buying power of about $77,862 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $89,227 · median home $582,707 · median rent $2,283/mo.
How Sacramento ranks for this job
On raw pay, Sacramento, CA is 16th of the 187 metros we hold accountants & auditors wages for. Once Sacramento's cost of living is applied, it ranks 85th.
The headline number flatters Sacramento. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, accountants & auditors here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Sacramento
A median home in Sacramento, CA costs $582,707 — about 6.9× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $2,283/mo works out at 32% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where accountants & auditors earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Sacramento.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Sacramento | Rent vs Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $113,980 | +34% | 1.6× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,990 | +22% | 1.4× |
| New York, NY | $103,900 | +22% | 1.5× |
| Washington, DC | $97,320 | +15% | 1.1× |
Same job elsewhere in CA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Sacramento | Rent vs Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $113,980 | +34% | 1.6× |
| San Francisco, CA | $103,990 | +22% | 1.4× |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $93,650 | +10% | 1.2× |
| San Diego, CA | $89,120 | +5% | 1.3× |
Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires accountants & auditors around Sacramento
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- California Department of Transportation · Government
- State of California · Government
Other jobs in Sacramento
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.