Side-by-side distribution
Accountant
$87,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 28.4%
- Live roles
- 3,535
Tax Specialist
$144,600
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 36.3%
- Live roles
- 1,859
Highest-paying jobs
Corporate / Controllership Accountant
Accountant / Finance (Senior/Lead)
Senior Accountant Expert
Senior Accountant (Contract to Hire)
Senior Accountant
Senior Technical Accountant
Sr. Accountant
Sr. Accountant, AI Operations
Sr. Accountant, AI Operations
Senior Accountant
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Tax Manager, International
Senior Tax Manager, International
Tax Manager - Real Estate
Tax Manager - Not for Profit
Tax Manager - Private Wealth (NorCal Tax)
Tax Manager - Corporate Tax (TCL)
Tax Manager - Private Wealth/PCS
Tax Manager - Partnerships - PE Portfolio Company Tax
Tax Manager, Private Wealth
International Tax Services, Experienced Manager (Bilingual FR/EN)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
BDO Canada
|
$65,000 | 29 |
Cushman & Wakefield
|
$62,900 | 15 |
Hunt St
|
$25,300 | 13 |
| TS Tempur Sealy | $76,000 | 12 |
Supporting Strategies
|
$67,600 | 10 |
Colliers International
|
$66,401 | 9 |
|
SpaceX
|
$147,500 | 7 |
U.S. Bank
|
$88,523 | 7 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
RSM
|
$153,550 | 79 |
|
PwC
|
$182,500 | 78 |
| BT Baker Tilly | $143,710 | 58 |
Cherry Bekaert
|
$139,450 | 25 |
Ascend Partner Firms
|
$162,750 | 24 |
Plante Moran
|
$125,000 | 19 |
|
BDO Canada
|
$111,000 | 18 |
EisnerAmper
|
$140,000 | 11 |
Accountant salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore | $140,400 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $120,375 | 38 |
| Austin | $110,500 | 10 |
| Atlanta | $100,500 | 7 |
| New York | $99,800 | 100 |
| Boston | $97,000 | 25 |
| Los Angeles | $95,000 | 21 |
| Seattle | $94,875 | 4 |
| Chicago | $91,675 | 49 |
| Denver | $91,200 | 18 |
Tax Specialist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $182,500 | 152 |
| San Francisco | $182,500 | 85 |
| Los Angeles | $182,500 | 66 |
| Seattle | $182,500 | 42 |
| Chicago | $182,500 | 122 |
| Boston | $182,500 | 74 |
| Atlanta | $182,500 | 54 |
| Denver | $172,500 | 51 |
| Austin | $159,625 | 30 |
| Toronto | $115,000 | 33 |
Accountant vs Tax Specialist: which pays more?
The median for Accountant is $87,500 per year (typically $70,000–$105,000), versus $144,600 for Tax Specialist ($110,250–$182,500). That puts Tax Specialist about 65% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Accountant and Tax Specialist are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.