Side-by-side distribution
Accountant
$96,013
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 35.5%
- Live roles
- 1,376
Tax Specialist
$137,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 39.3%
- Live roles
- 507
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Accountant
Accountant & Financial Analyst
Senior Accountant
Senior Accountant
Senior Accountant
Senior Accountant (Management Accounting)
SEC Accountant
Accountant / Finance (Senior/Lead)
Accountant (TV)
Senior Accountant (Contract to Hire)
Highest-paying jobs
Engineering Manager, Tax Platform
Tax Manager
Senior Manager, Tax - VAT
Senior Manager, Tax - Provisions
Manager, Indirect Tax
Senior Tax Manager
Senior Manager, Tax Operations
Senior Manager, Tax Technology
Tax, Senior Manager
Senior Manager, Tax Technology
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Remote Raven
|
$20,800 | 13 |
HireHawk
|
$19,200 | 9 |
Oscar Health
|
$100,811 | 8 |
| LP Lincoln Property Company through LinkedIn | $130,000 | 7 |
Focus Financial Partners
|
$96,750 | 6 |
Metropolis
|
$82,500 | 6 |
Anduril Industries
|
$114,500 | 5 |
Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, Focus Partners Business Management
|
$103,500 | 5 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Ascend Partner Firms
|
$160,000 | 23 |
|
Focus Financial Partners
|
$103,500 | 10 |
|
Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman, Focus Partners Business Management
|
$107,500 | 9 |
| MA Mercer Advisors | $122,500 | 8 |
|
Oscar Health
|
$100,811 | 8 |
Remote
|
$72,090 | 6 |
| AX Axon | $203,814 | 4 |
SpaceX
|
$152,500 | 4 |
Accountant salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | $117,500 | 11 |
| San Francisco | $113,450 | 34 |
| Austin | $111,750 | 4 |
| Atlanta | $109,906 | 4 |
| Los Angeles | $102,500 | 17 |
| Chicago | $102,500 | 41 |
| New York | $100,811 | 70 |
| Seattle | $100,000 | 7 |
| Denver | $95,500 | 11 |
| Toronto | $76,000 | 5 |
Tax Specialist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $169,950 | 21 |
| Boston | $169,845 | 11 |
| Chicago | $155,000 | 11 |
| New York | $150,000 | 49 |
| Denver | $143,000 | 5 |
| Seattle | $142,500 | 7 |
| Los Angeles | $139,391 | 3 |
| Atlanta | $106,375 | 5 |
Accountant vs Tax Specialist: which pays more?
The median for Accountant is $96,013 per year (typically $75,000–$110,655), versus $137,500 for Tax Specialist ($104,395–$162,665). That puts Tax Specialist about 43% 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.