Accountants and Auditor Salary
The median pay for a accountants and auditors in Decatur, AL is $72,030/year ($34.63/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $116K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.21), which stretches that salary to about $82,594 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $961/month, or 20.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $72K actually covers in Decatur, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Decatur’s Regional Price Parity (87.21). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About accountants and auditors
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What this looks like in Decatur
Pay for accountants and auditors in Decatur runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $84K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $961/month, 20.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Decatur can be a reasonable trade-off for accountants and auditors who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for accountants and auditors in metros near Decatur, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $79K | $86K |
| Huntsville | $79K | $85K |
| Montgomery | $75K | $84K |
| Mobile | $72K | $82K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Decatur, AL
Entry-level accountants and auditors (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $72K. Top earners bring in $116K or more, a $66K spread from bottom to top.
Accountants and Auditors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Accountants and Auditors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $112K | +33% | 9,810 |
| New York | $103K | +23% | 109,830 |
| New Jersey | $101K | +20% | 42,250 |
| Massachusetts | $99K | +19% | 46,230 |
| Connecticut | $98K | +17% | 16,770 |
| California | $97K | +16% | 175,360 |
| Colorado | $97K | +16% | 35,410 |
| Washington | $97K | +15% | 34,740 |
| Rhode Island | $96K | +15% | 6,570 |
| Delaware | $95K | +14% | 6,570 |
| Virginia | $93K | +11% | 47,100 |
| Maryland | $89K | +7% | 26,170 |
| Oregon | $86K | +3% | 14,920 |
| New Hampshire | $83K | -0% | 7,000 |
| Alaska | $83K | -0% | 2,190 |
| North Carolina | $82K | -2% | 49,270 |
| Georgia | $82K | -2% | 44,020 |
| Minnesota | $82K | -2% | 30,530 |
| Nevada | $82K | -2% | 6,930 |
| Texas | $81K | -3% | 116,470 |
| Illinois | $80K | -4% | 54,930 |
| Utah | $80K | -4% | 15,490 |
| Arizona | $80K | -4% | 27,410 |
| Wisconsin | $79K | -5% | 25,100 |
| Oklahoma | $79K | -5% | 16,720 |
| Ohio | $79K | -5% | 50,440 |
| Florida | $79K | -5% | 91,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $79K | -6% | 54,290 |
| Kansas | $79K | -6% | 13,610 |
| Vermont | $79K | -6% | 2,630 |
| South Dakota | $79K | -6% | 5,820 |
| Michigan | $79K | -6% | 41,460 |
| New Mexico | $79K | -6% | 6,300 |
| Indiana | $78K | -7% | 25,660 |
| Wyoming | $78K | -7% | 2,670 |
| Maine | $77K | -7% | 3,860 |
| Iowa | $77K | -7% | 13,210 |
| Tennessee | $77K | -8% | 27,340 |
| Missouri | $77K | -8% | 28,000 |
| South Carolina | $77K | -9% | 15,270 |
| Montana | $76K | -9% | 4,730 |
| North Dakota | $76K | -10% | 4,430 |
| Kentucky | $75K | -10% | 11,930 |
| Alabama | $75K | -11% | 24,300 |
| Idaho | $75K | -11% | 5,570 |
| Hawaii | $75K | -11% | 4,670 |
| Louisiana | $74K | -12% | 14,050 |
| West Virginia | $73K | -12% | 4,900 |
| Nebraska | $72K | -14% | 10,340 |
| Mississippi | $68K | -19% | 7,350 |
| Arkansas | $66K | -21% | 7,870 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a accountants and auditor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Decatur?
Yes — at the median salary of $72K, rent takes 20.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $961/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for accountants and auditors in Decatur?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new accountants and auditors typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,340/month. At HUD’s $961/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is accountants and auditor a high-paying job in Decatur?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $72K here vs. $84K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Decatur compare to the national average for accountants and auditors?
Decatur pays $72K median vs. the U.S. average of $84K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $83K — below the national median.
How much do accountants and auditors make in Decatur, AL?
The median is $72,030 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,270, and experienced accountants and auditors can clear $116,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $72K enough to live in Decatur?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,635/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $961/month, which eats 20.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a accountants and auditors salary go in Decatur?
Decatur has a Regional Price Parity of 87.21 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median accountants and auditors salary is worth about $82,594 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do accountants and auditors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.