Best Cities for Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerkss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerkss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.15	$57,790	$58,080	31%
2	District of ColumbiaState	1.13	$65,180	$57,025	39%
3	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.11	$51,480	$56,447	28%
4	ConnecticutState	1.10	$59,970	$55,734	31%
5	MinnesotaState	1.10	$54,600	$55,714	28%
6	MassachusettsState	1.09	$59,830	$55,143	45%
7	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	1.09	$66,130	$55,017	57%
8	WashingtonState	1.08	$58,620	$54,632	39%
9	WisconsinState	1.08	$50,340	$54,540	26%
10	Columbus, OHMetro	1.08	$51,170	$54,727	30%
11	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.08	$50,940	$54,892	30%
12	AlaskaState	1.07	$56,430	$54,104	29%
13	IowaState	1.07	$48,180	$54,013	24%
14	MissouriState	1.07	$47,990	$54,165	26%
15	OhioState	1.07	$48,810	$53,993	26%
16	CaliforniaState	1.06	$59,230	$53,505	46%
17	New JerseyState	1.06	$58,300	$53,585	37%
18	North DakotaState	1.06	$49,710	$53,683	24%
19	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	1.06	$60,960	$53,709	50%
20	MichiganState	1.05	$48,980	$53,066	27%
21	Rhode IslandState	1.05	$53,280	$53,015	34%
22	VermontState	1.05	$54,720	$53,385	31%
23	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.05	$50,800	$53,027	35%
24	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	1.05	$51,720	$53,210	37%
25	GeorgiaState	1.04	$49,350	$52,837	34%
26	IndianaState	1.04	$47,820	$52,840	26%
27	KansasState	1.04	$47,290	$52,544	26%
28	KentuckyState	1.04	$46,550	$52,599	25%
29	OregonState	1.04	$54,060	$52,485	35%
30	TennesseeState	1.04	$48,180	$52,656	31%
31	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.04	$51,170	$52,862	38%
32	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	1.04	$50,810	$52,817	37%
33	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	1.04	$57,040	$52,913	38%
34	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	1.04	$60,460	$52,896	44%
35	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	1.04	$59,290	$52,562	40%
36	New MexicoState	1.03	$48,080	$52,261	26%
37	OklahomaState	1.03	$46,180	$52,181	25%
38	South CarolinaState	1.03	$47,940	$52,109	31%
39	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.03	$48,150	$52,337	33%
40	NebraskaState	1.02	$47,110	$51,486	27%
41	New YorkState	1.02	$58,160	$51,698	38%
42	WyomingState	1.02	$47,910	$51,516	25%
43	AlabamaState	1.01	$44,640	$51,251	26%
44	ColoradoState	1.01	$54,000	$51,233	41%
45	DelawareState	1.01	$51,780	$51,267	31%
46	South DakotaState	1.01	$46,340	$51,035	25%
47	TexasState	1.01	$48,910	$51,161	34%
48	West VirginiaState	1.01	$42,890	$50,938	23%
49	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	1.01	$52,710	$50,928	36%
50	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.01	$47,250	$51,081	30%
51	IllinoisState	1.00	$49,560	$50,883	32%
52	MaineState	1.00	$50,510	$50,611	31%
53	MississippiState	1.00	$42,840	$50,519	25%
54	North CarolinaState	1.00	$47,930	$50,773	33%
55	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	1.00	$53,570	$50,633	38%
56	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	1.00	$50,090	$50,853	41%
57	ArizonaState	0.99	$50,590	$50,139	36%
58	IdahoState	0.99	$48,310	$50,062	30%
59	NevadaState	0.99	$50,380	$50,279	35%
60	PennsylvaniaState	0.99	$48,440	$49,938	32%
61	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.99	$58,590	$50,292	46%
62	ArkansasState	0.98	$42,840	$49,641	25%
63	LouisianaState	0.98	$44,890	$49,822	28%
64	New HampshireState	0.98	$52,450	$49,481	36%
65	VirginiaState	0.98	$51,620	$49,874	37%
66	MarylandState	0.97	$53,540	$49,029	38%
67	MontanaState	0.97	$47,270	$49,035	29%
68	UtahState	0.97	$49,440	$49,341	36%
69	FloridaState	0.96	$49,330	$48,601	42%
70	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.91	$50,300	$46,359	49%
71	HawaiiState	0.87	$48,730	$44,300	59%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).