Quick answer: The Johnson City metro employs about 510 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.
Compare forensic accounting programs enrolling now:
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 Tennessee licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state board of accountancy for current CPA requirements.
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.
This page lists 1 school within 93 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 1 of them carries a score.
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.
Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard
Accountants and Auditors in the Johnson City area earn a median $64,710 per year, below the national median of $83,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
| Metric | Johnson City metro | Tennessee | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wage | $64,710 | $76,840 | $83,680 |
| 10th percentile | $45,360 | $49,920 | $56,020 |
| 25th percentile | $50,930 | $62,430 | $67,020 |
| 75th percentile | $83,290 | $94,790 | $109,810 |
| 90th percentile | $100,420 | $122,160 | $144,090 |
| Employment | 510 | 27,340 | 1,449,500 |
| Location quotient | 0.67 | - | 1.00 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Johnson City, TN metropolitan statistical area.
The Johnson City median of $64,710 is below the national median of $83,680, and below the Tennessee statewide median of $76,840 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 0.67 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.
Investigation-adjacent accounting work concentrates where corporate headquarters, government agencies and large audit practices are based.
| Metro area | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville | $78,080 | 11,290 |
| Memphis | $76,960 | 4,390 |
| Knoxville | $75,380 | 3,240 |
| Chattanooga | $76,680 | 1,940 |
| Kingsport | $75,940 | 780 |
| Jackson | $71,980 | 520 |
| Clarksville | $72,760 | 510 |
| Morristown | $72,810 | 240 |
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
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.
The median annual wage for accountants and auditors in the Johnson City, TN metro area is $64,710, below the national median of $83,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The Johnson City, TN metro area employs about 510 accountants and auditors (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
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.
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.
The Johnson City metro median is $64,710 against a statewide median of $76,840 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
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/.
