When planning your future as an accountant, it’s important to know what route to take to ensure a solid career and high income. Accountants can work in a wide variety of salaries, but some pay better than others and some guarantee more positions and availability for professionals. In a struggling job market, professionals want to know where they can find the highest employment levels for their field. While accountants are always in demand, some industries have higher employment levels for accountants than others.
For example, accounting services has the highest employment level for accountants than any other industry. There are no real surprises there. Accounting services refers to accounting firms. Professionals also have great income potential in this industry, with average salaries of $72,270.

This chart displays annual mean salaries for Accountants in the U.S. The data was collected
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics OES - May 2008.
Company management also has high employment levels with average salaries of $64,220. Local governments have high demand for accountants and offer salaries averaging at $56,160. At the state government level, accountants are also in demand and can expect average salaries of $52,560. In the insurance carrier business, every penny must be accounted for, so the industry employs high numbers of accountants and promises average salaries of $63,990.
Professionals in the accounting field have the advantage of working in industries with high employment levels while also commanding good salaries. While salaries for accountants can vary widely from one industry to the next, professional accountants can find comfortable incomes wherever they are.
Related Charts for Accounting Salaries:
Accounting Pay Scale - All Industries
Accounting Salaries - Popular Metropolitan Areas
Accounting Salary Ranges - Popular Paying States
The bar graph above shows the average accounting salary in industries with the highest employment levels. The data is displayed below in table format:
| Industry | Annual Mean Wage | | Accounting Services | 72,270 | | Company Management | 64,220 | | Local Government | 56,160 | | State Government | 52,560 | | Insurance Carriers | 63,990 |
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