how much does an accountant make annually
Employers. Most accountants worked for accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services in 2011, the BLS reports. These businesses accounted for 286,110 of the total of 1.13 million jobs listed by the bureau. The average salary here was $72,270 per year. The highest paying businesses were shoe stores at a mean $88,300 per year, although this sector employed only 160 accountants as of May 2011. The Federal Executive branch, which employed nearly 22,000 accountants, ranked second in average earnings at $84,520 a year.