Quick answer: The Raleigh metro employs about 9,190 accountants and auditors (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state board of accountancy for current CPA requirements.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Forensic accounting is practiced under the accounting profession’s credentials. CPA licensure is state-regulated and the degree alone does not confer it; widely recognized industry certifications in fraud examination exist alongside it and employers genuinely vary in the weight they give them.
See the North Carolina licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state board of accountancy for current CPA requirements.
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 1 school
within 95 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
1 of them carries a score.
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.
Accountants and Auditors in the Raleigh area earn a median $81,950 per year, below the national median of $83,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Forensic Accounting Pay in Raleigh, NC
Metric
Raleigh metro
North Carolina
National
Median annual wage
$81,950
$82,050
$83,680
10th percentile
$57,120
$53,610
$56,020
25th percentile
$67,050
$65,120
$67,020
75th percentile
$105,160
$108,090
$109,810
90th percentile
$134,220
$146,100
$144,090
Employment
9,190
49,270
1,449,500
Location quotient
1.33
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Raleigh-Cary, NC metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Raleigh median of $81,950 is below the national median of $83,680, and below the North Carolina statewide median of $82,050 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.33 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.
Investigation-adjacent accounting work concentrates where corporate headquarters, government agencies and large audit practices are based.
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 Raleigh?
The median annual wage for accountants and auditors in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area is $81,950, below the national median of $83,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many accountants and auditors work in the Raleigh area?
The Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area employs about 9,190 accountants and auditors (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do accountants and auditors in Raleigh need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Forensic accounting is practiced under the accounting profession's credentials. CPA licensure is state-regulated and the degree alone does not confer it; widely recognized industry certifications in fraud examination exist alongside it and employers genuinely vary in the weight they give them. Confirm current requirements with your state board of accountancy for current CPA requirements.
Can I study forensic accounting online from Raleigh?
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 for current CPA requirements.
Is Raleigh a better market than the rest of North Carolina?
The Raleigh metro median is $81,950 against a statewide median of $82,050 (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/.
