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Australia
Accountant salary guide Australia 2026
The median salary of Accountants in Australia is $95,000, with pay typically ranging from $62,000 at entry level to $114,000 for senior professionals.
Overview
What does an Accountant earn?
The median salary of Accountants in Australia is $95,000. Most positions sit within a range of $77,000–$114,000, moving from $62,000 for early-career roles up to $114,000 for experienced practitioners. Attaining a CPA Qualification or CA Qualification and developing specialist commercial skills will steadily elevate your earning potential.
Optional — pick a state first
Median for Accountant, nationally across Australia.
10th $77,000
25th $95,000
50th (median) $114,000
75th $132,000
90th
Figures above update by state/city. For a full breakdown by seniority, see the table below.
Location
Accountant salary by city
Location significantly shapes earning capacity, with major metropolitan centres such as Sydney and Melbourne often offering higher base packages. Regional hubs across Queensland and Western Australia also provide competitive pay to secure qualified talent.
What drives salary
Factors that affect Accountant pay
A range of distinct capabilities and credentials influence where your pay lands. Sharpening your technical expertise and commercial insight will help you negotiate towards the top of the band.
Attaining a CPA Qualification or CA Qualification confirms your technical rigour and consistently unlocks higher salary bands across practice and industry.
Background in public practice or large corporate environments attracts higher compensation than general bookkeeping or transactional accounting.
A thorough knowledge of Australian accounting standards enables you to lead complex statutory reporting, directly elevating your value.
Employers place a premium on professionals who interpret financial trends and transform variance analysis into clear business strategy.
The capacity to communicate financial insights to executive leaders helps position you for senior advisory remuneration.
Comparison
How Accountants compare to related roles
An Accountant typically earns well above operational roles like a Bookkeeper or Payroll Manager, while sitting on par with an Auditor or Financial Analyst due to shared compliance and analytical reporting demands.
| Role | Range | Relative | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Analyst | $97,000–$149,000 | $120,000 | |
| Payroll Manager | $102,000–$141,000 | $120,000 | |
| Accountant You are here | $77,000–$114,000 | $95,000 | |
| Auditor | $68,000–$97,000 | $79,000 | |
| Bookkeeper | $65,000–$85,000 | $76,000 |
Employment Hero Job Data
Salary figures are derived from Employment Hero proprietary data. All figures represent base salary only and exclude bonuses, superannuation and other benefits. Last updated October 2026.
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