CPA Salary Breakdown: What a CPA License Is Really Worth

People don’t become CPAs because they’re attracted to the fame and fast life of a public accountant. For many, it’s about a good CPA salary.

So, how much more can you make as a CPA? We crunched the numbers for a CPA salary and have the definitive answer …

It of course depends on your circumstances, but our analysis found that the average annual CPA salary is up to 15% higher than that of non-CPA accountants.

Check out this snazzy infographic with all the details.

CPA Salary Breakdown

And it’s not just that CPAs take home bigger salaries—up to $130,000 a year, according to the IMA—they also bring in more money for their firms. CPAs bill 68% more than non-CPA holders.

If anything is clear from the above infographic, it’s that your CPA salary only gets bigger and better as your career matures.

Think about it: Over the course of a 40-year career, a CPA license could earn you an additional $1 million in salary compared to the salary of a non-CPA accountant.

Not a bad return on your investment.

Open Doors to a Variety of Career Paths

In addition to a good CPA salary, you also have very real career advance possibilities. Check out the many potential career paths that earning your CPA license could lead you down, compliments of PayScale.

A lot of those potential jobs aren’t too many steps away from the C-level suite.

More Than Just A Good CPA Salary

A CPA license brings more than just inter-office and career-ladder mobility.

Earning you CPA license can also help you land a job in a new locale (check out our latest list of the top 10 U.S. cities for accountants) or ensure that you’ll be able to find a good job and a good salary in most markets.

So, why are you working to become a CPA? Is it all about the money for you?