How Much Does a Senior Financial Accountant Make in 2025?
Senior financial accountants are responsible for maintaining financial records and ensuring that financial transactions are properly recorded. The role ensures the accuracy of entries to ledger accounts, reconciles subsidiary ledger accounts to the general ledger, and prepares complex balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and other financial reporting.
Moreover, they analyze current costs, revenues, financial commitments, and obligations incurred to predict future revenues and expenses. They provide guidance to junior financial accountants or review the work of support staff.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for accountants and auditors, where senior financial accountants belong, is estimated to increase by 5% from 2024 to 2034, with a projected 124,200 job openings every year over the decade.
Below is an overview of the salary for senior financial accountants, including pay ranges, averages, and factors that affect their pay.
What is the Senior Financial Accountant Salary?
As of October 20, 2025, the average salary of senior financial accountants in the United States is $83,901 per year and $40 per hour, with rates ranging from $34 to $46.
2025 Senior Financial Accountant Average Salary: $83,901 per year ($40 per hour)
Meanwhile, the average monthly and weekly salaries for senior financial accountants are $6,992 and $1,613, respectively.
What is the Pay Range for a Senior Financial Accountant?
According to Salary.com report, the salary range for senior financial accountants starts at $70,528 and can reach as high as $95,555 per year, with most senior financial accountants earning between $76,901 and $90,001. The salary range is affected by factors like education, level of experience, skills, and geographic location.
Senior Financial Accountant Salary Range: $70,528 to $95,555 per year ($34 to $46 per hour)
| Percentile | By Hour | By Week | By Month | By Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $34 | $1,356 | $5,877 | $70,528 |
| 25th Percentile | $37 | $1,479 | $6,408 | $76,901 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $40 | $1,613 | $6,992 | $83,901 |
| 75th Percentile | $43 | $1,731 | $7,500 | $90,001 |
| 90th Percentile | $46 | $1,838 | $7,963 | $95,555 |
Senior Financial Accountant Salary Factors
Experience level, place of work, and skills needed are important factors that can affect the salary for senior financial accountants. Here are the effects of these factors:
Years of Experience
The earnings of senior financial accountants increase as the experience level advances. An entry-level senior financial accountant earns $80,822, while an expert-level accountant with over 8 years of experience gets paid $87,461 on average.
| Levels | Years of Experience | Average Salary per year |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level Senior Financial Accountant | <1 | $80,822 |
| Intermediate Level Senior Financial Accountant | 1-2 | $81,352 |
| Senior Level Senior Financial Accountant | 2-4 | $82,411 |
| Specialist Level Senior Financial Accountant | 5-8 | $85,822 |
| Expert Level Senior Financial Accountant | 8+ | $87,461 |
Place of Work
According to the BLS, senior financial accountants working in finance and insurance earn up to 9% more than those working in accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services in 2024.
| Place of Work | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Finance and insurance | $87,980 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | $86,010 |
| Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals | $81,120 |
| Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services | $80,510 |
Skill Set
Senior financial accountants with more acquired skills get higher pay. Data from Salary.com's Real-time Job Posting Salary Data Report suggests that internal audit skills can give the highest pay increase of 7.11%, followed by accounting software skills with 7.09%.
Some important skills with higher salary increase also include bank reconciliation, general ledger reconciliation and analysis, general ledger, forecasting, balance sheet analysis, and audit documentation.
| Skill | Demand | Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Audit | 10.50% | +7.11% |
| Accounting Software | 10.80% | +7.09% |
| Bank Reconciliation | 10.50% | +7.03% |
| General Ledger Reconciliation and Analysis | 10.90% | +6.83% |
| General Ledger | 10.70% | +6.59% |
| Forecasting | 10.70% | +6.37% |
Senior Financial Accountant Salary by City and State
The salary of senior financial accountants varies in individual cities and states of the US. This is because geographic location affects pay through the local economy, cost of living, and industry presence.
Highest Paying States for Senior Financial Accountant
Based on Salary.com's salary data, the District of Columbia offers the highest median annual wage for senior financial accountants in the United States, at $92,901 per year.
- District of Columbia: $92,901 (or $45 per hour)
- California: $92,601 (or $45 per hour)
- Massachusetts: $91,301 (or $44 per hour)
- Washington: $91,001 (or $44 per hour)
- New Jersey: $91,001 (or $44 per hour)
Senior Financial Accountant Salary by State
| State | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $90,801 |
| Alabama | $77,101 |
| Arkansas | $75,801 |
| Arizona | $81,801 |
| California | $92,601 |
| Colorado | $85,601 |
| Connecticut | $89,701 |
| District of Columbia | $92,901 |
| Delaware | $85,001 |
| Florida | $79,401 |
| Georgia | $80,901 |
| Hawaii | $87,701 |
| Iowa | $80,301 |
| Idaho | $78,301 |
| Illinois | $85,501 |
| Indiana | $80,601 |
| Kansas | $79,901 |
| Kentucky | $79,001 |
| Louisiana | $79,801 |
| Massachusetts | $91,301 |
| Maryland | $86,501 |
| Maine | $81,801 |
| Michigan | $82,601 |
| Minnesota | $85,901 |
| Missouri | $79,701 |
| Mississippi | $74,801 |
| Montana | $79,201 |
| North Carolina | $79,701 |
| North Dakota | $82,901 |
| Nebraska | $79,101 |
| New Hampshire | $84,801 |
| New Jersey | $91,001 |
| New Mexico | $77,701 |
| Nevada | $83,101 |
| New York | $89,201 |
| Ohio | $81,701 |
| Oklahoma | $77,601 |
| Oregon | $85,201 |
| Pennsylvania | $83,501 |
| Rhode Island | $87,001 |
| South Carolina | $78,601 |
| South Dakota | $76,301 |
| Tennessee | $78,401 |
| Texas | $81,901 |
| Utah | $80,401 |
| Virginia | $84,501 |
| Vermont | $82,401 |
| Washington | $91,001 |
| Wisconsin | $82,501 |
| West Virginia | $75,601 |
| Wyoming | $80,501 |
Highest Paying Cities for Senior Financial Accountants
Salary.com also reported that the city of San Jose, California is the highest-paying city for senior financial accountants with $105,801 per year or $51 per hour.
- San Jose, California: $105,801 (or $51 per hour)
- San Francisco, California: $104,801 (or $50 per hour)
- Oakland, California: $102,501 (or $49 per hour)
- New York, New York: $97,201 (or $47 per hour)
- Queens Village, New York: $96,601 (or $46 per hour)
Ways to Increase Your Salary as a Senior Financial Accountant
To get employed as a senior financial accountant, you are usually required to have a bachelor's degree focusing on accounting or finance. To get a senior position, it is preferable to have a master's degree in business administration or pursue certifications like the Certified Management Accountant.
The average total compensation for senior financial accountants in the US is $137,017. Here is a rundown of significant ways you can get a pay raise in this job:
- Enhancing more skills: Some in-demand skills that will help increase a senior financial accountant salary are general ledger reconciliation and analysis, accounting software, audit documentation, general ledger, balance sheet analysis, and forecasting.
- Advancing to higher roles: Since senior financial accountants have more depth in expertise and skills in the field, with a proven and excellent track record, they can apply for higher job positions, such as financial managers and top executives.
- Owning a firm: One of the ways to advance as a senior financial accountant is to establish your own public accounting firm that provides tax preparation, consultancy, and financial planning to clients. The growth in company size can lead to higher earning potential.
- Understanding market value: Salary of senior financial accountants varies depending on location, experience level, education, and skills. For example, if you are a senior financial accountant in Chicago, IL, your market value should be $86,701, while if you are expert-level, your salary should be $87,461 on average. If you want to receive more pay, you might want to work in top-paying states like the District of Columbia or California.
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Accessing top industries: For accountants and auditors, like senior financial accountants, workers in the following industries receive the highest pay according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports:
- Manufacturing and reproducing magnetic and optical media: $133,140
- Web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services: $132,450
- Software publishers: $126,250
- Media streaming distribution services, social networks, and other media networks and content providers: $122,720
- Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing: $118,090
Average National Salaries by Source
As of October 20, 2025, the following are the reported salaries for senior financial accountants from five top salary-reporting sites, averaging $101,036 (unweighted) across these sources.
SALARY.COM AVG. SALARY
$83,901/ year
INDEED AVG. SALARY
$90,274/ year
GLASSDOOR AVG. SALARY
$124,345/ year
COMPARABLY AVG. SALARY
$120,855/ year
ZIPRECRUITER AVG. SALARY
$85,805/ year
