Quick answer: The Cape Girardeau metro employs about 320 accountants and auditors (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state board of accountancy.
Licensing
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 AACSB-accredited, ACBSP or IACBE.
See the Missouri licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state board of accountancy.
Schools Near You
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.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 114 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
9 of them carry a score.
1 does not have enough federal
outcome data to score, and appears last rather than being hidden.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
What Accountants and Auditors Earn in Cape Girardeau
Accountants and Auditors in the Cape Girardeau area earn a median $64,010 per year, below the national median of $83,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Accounting Pay in Cape Girardeau, MO
Metric
Cape Girardeau metro
Missouri
National
Median annual wage
$64,010
$76,590
$83,680
10th percentile
$43,670
$49,290
$56,020
25th percentile
$50,660
$60,370
$67,020
75th percentile
$80,170
$99,580
$109,810
90th percentile
$103,030
$128,300
$144,090
Employment
320
28,000
1,449,500
Location quotient
0.77
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Cape Girardeau median of $64,010 is below the national median of $83,680, and below the Missouri statewide median of $76,590 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.77 means accountants and auditors are less 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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do accountants and auditors make in Cape Girardeau?
The median annual wage for accountants and auditors in the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area is $64,010, below the national median of $83,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many accountants and auditors work in the Cape Girardeau area?
The Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area employs about 320 accountants and auditors (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do accountants and auditors in Cape Girardeau need a license?
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 AACSB-accredited, ACBSP or IACBE. Confirm current requirements with your state board of accountancy.
Can I study accounting online from Cape Girardeau?
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.
Is Cape Girardeau a better market than the rest of Missouri?
The Cape Girardeau metro median is $64,010 against a statewide median of $76,590 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Accountants and Auditors (SOC 13-2011), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
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/.
