Quick answer: Accountants and Auditors in the Los Angeles area earn a median $94,360 per year, above the national median of $83,680, and the metro employs about 70,640 of them (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Los Angeles metro | California | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $94,360 | $97,050 | $83,680 |
| 10th percentile | $60,310 | $61,770 | $56,020 |
| 25th percentile | $74,060 | $75,810 | $67,020 |
| 75th percentile | $122,290 | $125,850 | $109,810 |
| 90th percentile | $154,630 | $160,520 | $144,090 |
| Employment | 70,640 | 175,360 | 1,449,500 |
| Location quotient | 1.21 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan statistical area.
The Los Angeles median of $94,360 is above the national median of $83,680, and below the California statewide median of $97,050 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.21 means accountants and auditors are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Accounting employment follows the local concentration of corporate headquarters, public accounting firms and government offices.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $110,730 | 25,170 |
| San Diego | $96,340 | 13,450 |
| San Jose | $121,700 | 13,180 |
| Sacramento | $92,110 | 13,170 |
| Riverside | $83,920 | 9,240 |
| Fresno | $78,690 | 2,810 |
| Oxnard | $90,340 | 2,530 |
| Bakersfield | $79,620 | 1,870 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Accounting work does not require a license, but the CPA credential does: it is issued by a state board of accountancy, and the Uniform CPA Examination is administered through AICPA and NASBA. The education requirement commonly exceeds what a bachelor’s degree alone provides, and the exact rule is set by each state board and has been changing. Business programs may be accredited by AACSB, ACBSP or IACBE.
See the California licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state board of accountancy.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.
Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
The median annual wage for accountants and auditors in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area is $94,360, above the national median of $83,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area employs about 70,640 accountants and auditors (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Accounting work does not require a license, but the CPA credential does: it is issued by a state board of accountancy, and the Uniform CPA Examination is administered through AICPA and NASBA. The education requirement commonly exceeds what a bachelor's degree alone provides, and the exact rule is set by each state board and has been changing. Business programs may be accredited by AACSB, ACBSP or IACBE. Confirm current requirements with your state board of accountancy.
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state board of accountancy.
The Los Angeles metro median is $94,360 against a statewide median of $97,050 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
