The average salary for a Accountant in Los Angeles is 99,171 $ per year on a 40-hour full-time equivalent, or 8,264 $ gross per month and 47.68 $ gross per hour. The reported full-time salary range is 51,429 $ to 193,333 $. The analysis is based on 43 salary reports from workers and employers in Los Angeles. Part-time salaries are proportionally converted to 40 weekly hours so the values are comparable.
| Date | Job title | Weekly hours | Reported gross/year | Normalized to 40h/year | Gross/month 40h | Gross/hour 40h | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/27/2026 | Senior Management Accountant | 40.0 h | 138,000 $ | 138,000 $ | 11,500 $ | 66.35 $ | I work full-time in a senior management accounting role for a large retailer, handling forecasting and margin analysis. I have over ten years experience and lead cross-functional projects. |
| 06/25/2026 | Accounting Consultant (Contract) | 35.0 h | 98,000 $ | 112,000 $ | 9,333 $ | 53.85 $ | I'm an independent accounting consultant contracted by midsize businesses for software implementations and process improvements. I typically work full-time hours on contract engagements. |
| 06/10/2026 | Corporate Tax Manager | 42.0 h | 155,000 $ | 147,619 $ | 12,302 $ | 70.97 $ | I'm a corporate tax manager at a national company overseeing tax provision and planning. It's a full-time leadership role and I've been here five years. |
| 05/30/2026 | Senior Financial Reporting Accountant | 40.0 h | 127,000 $ | 127,000 $ | 10,583 $ | 61.06 $ | I work full-time in financial reporting at a public company preparing quarterly and annual filings. I have nine years of experience and handle complex technical accounting issues. |
| 04/21/2026 | Head of Accounting | 45.0 h | 180,000 $ | 160,000 $ | 13,333 $ | 76.92 $ | I'm the head of accounting for a large private company. I manage the accounting department, set policies, and report to the CFO. This is a senior leadership, full-time role with long hours. |
| 02/06/2026 | Tax Specialist (Part-time) | 24.0 h | 54,000 $ | 90,000 $ | 7,500 $ | 43.27 $ | I work part-time as a tax specialist preparing returns and advising small business clients. I balance this with other consulting work and have been doing it for two years. |
| 11/25/2025 | Senior Audit Manager | 44.0 h | 165,000 $ | 150,000 $ | 12,500 $ | 72.12 $ | I work full-time as a senior audit manager at a large firm leading audit engagements and client relationships. It's a high-responsibility leadership role with significant travel. |
| 09/09/2025 | Accounting Lead - Entertainment | 40.0 h | 132,000 $ | 132,000 $ | 11,000 $ | 63.46 $ | I'm the accounting lead for a production company, full-time, overseeing contract accounting and royalties. I've been in this role three years and manage two analysts. |
| 06/18/2025 | Fractional CFO / Controller (Self-employed) | 30.0 h | 145,000 $ | 193,333 $ | 16,111 $ | 92.95 $ | I'm self-employed offering fractional CFO and controller services to startups. I average about 30 billable hours per week across multiple clients and set my own rates. |
| 04/02/2025 | Senior Corporate Accountant | 40.0 h | 118,000 $ | 118,000 $ | 9,833 $ | 56.73 $ | I work full-time in corporate accounting at a large studio and handle complex revenue recognition and intercompany accounting; I have eight years in the industry. |
| 01/17/2025 | Tax Director | 44.0 h | 175,000 $ | 159,091 $ | 13,258 $ | 76.49 $ | I'm the tax director at a midsize corporation overseeing compliance and strategic tax planning. I lead a team and coordinate with external advisors; this is a senior leadership, full-time role. |
| 09/01/2024 | Controller (Start-up) | 45.0 h | 160,000 $ | 142,222 $ | 11,852 $ | 68.38 $ | I'm the controller at a venture-backed startup. I run finance operations, CFO-level reporting at times, and manage a small finance team. It's a demanding leadership role and I work extended hours. |
| 06/14/2024 | Accounting Manager - Tech | 42.0 h | 140,000 $ | 133,333 $ | 11,111 $ | 64.10 $ | I'm an accounting manager at a fast-growing tech company. I manage a team of four, oversee financial close, and participate in strategic planning; it's a full-time leadership position. |
| 03/22/2024 | Senior Cost Accountant | 40.0 h | 125,000 $ | 125,000 $ | 10,417 $ | 60.10 $ | I work full-time in a senior cost accounting role at a large manufacturing firm. I lead continuous improvement projects and mentor junior staff and have a decade of experience. |
| 01/03/2024 | Part-time Bookkeeper | 25.0 h | 38,000 $ | 60,800 $ | 5,067 $ | 29.23 $ | I work part-time as a bookkeeper for a local café, handling bookkeeping, payroll, and POS reconciliations. I've been with them two years and it's intentionally a reduced-hours role. |
| 10/11/2023 | Tax Accountant (in-house) | 40.0 h | 88,000 $ | 88,000 $ | 7,333 $ | 42.31 $ | I'm an in-house tax accountant at a consumer products company handling compliance and planning, full-time with five years experience. |
| 07/28/2023 | Accounting Supervisor | 40.0 h | 108,000 $ | 108,000 $ | 9,000 $ | 51.92 $ | I'm an accounting supervisor at a healthcare organization, managing a small team and overseeing accounts payable/receivable. It's a full-time supervisory role and I've been here four years. |
| 05/05/2023 | Senior Financial Accountant | 40.0 h | 115,000 $ | 115,000 $ | 9,583 $ | 55.29 $ | I am a senior financial accountant at a public company. I prepare SEC filings and complex technical accounting research; I'm full-time and have eight years experience. |
| 02/20/2023 | Freelance Accountant / Consultant | 30.0 h | 92,000 $ | 122,667 $ | 10,222 $ | 58.97 $ | I'm self-employed and work as a freelance accountant and consultant for multiple small businesses. I bill hourly and take on contract work, averaging around 30 hours a week. |
| 11/16/2022 | Staff Accountant | 40.0 h | 78,000 $ | 78,000 $ | 6,500 $ | 37.50 $ | I work full-time as a staff accountant for a tech startup with three years of experience. I handle revenue recognition and billing and have seen salary increases with each funding round. |
| 09/08/2022 | Tax Senior Manager | 44.0 h | 150,000 $ | 136,364 $ | 11,364 $ | 65.56 $ | I'm a tax senior manager at a large accounting firm leading client engagements and a small team. It's a demanding, full-time leadership role and I've been here six years. |
| 04/30/2022 | Controller - Private Company | 45.0 h | 135,000 $ | 120,000 $ | 10,000 $ | 57.69 $ | I'm the controller at a privately held company overseeing all accounting, treasury, and financial reporting. I manage a team of five and regularly work extended hours in this leadership role. |
| 01/19/2022 | Corporate Accounting Lead | 40.0 h | 105,000 $ | 105,000 $ | 8,750 $ | 50.48 $ | I'm a corporate accounting lead at a large media company. I oversee technical accounting and month-end close processes and have been in this role three years. |
| 10/06/2021 | Senior Auditor | 40.0 h | 94,000 $ | 94,000 $ | 7,833 $ | 45.19 $ | I worked as a senior auditor in an audit practice and was full-time with significant travel. I had five years of experience and supervised fieldwork teams. |
| 07/14/2021 | Staff Accountant (Part-time) | 30.0 h | 42,000 $ | 56,000 $ | 4,667 $ | 26.92 $ | I'm part-time staff accountant at a boutique law firm doing billing, trust accounting, and monthly reconciliations. I've been here four years. |
| 03/29/2021 | Accounting Manager | 42.0 h | 98,000 $ | 93,333 $ | 7,778 $ | 44.87 $ | I'm an accounting manager at a mid-size e-commerce company. I manage a team of three staff accountants and work full-time with occasional long days during close. |
| 12/18/2020 | Senior Cost Accountant | 40.0 h | 83,000 $ | 83,000 $ | 6,917 $ | 39.90 $ | I work full-time in cost accounting for a manufacturing plant. I have seven years experience and lead costing projects and process improvements but don't have direct managerial duties. |
| 09/02/2020 | Tax Accountant (Remote hybrid) | 40.0 h | 70,000 $ | 70,000 $ | 5,833 $ | 33.65 $ | I'm a tax accountant at a national firm with a hybrid schedule. I've been here two years, full-time, focusing on state and local tax issues. |
| 06/09/2020 | Senior Bookkeeper (Part-time) | 28.0 h | 40,000 $ | 57,143 $ | 4,762 $ | 27.47 $ | I work part-time as a senior bookkeeper for a nonprofit, handling monthly reporting and grant reconciliations. I've been in this role three years to balance family commitments. |
| 04/15/2020 | Small Business Controller | 42.0 h | 90,000 $ | 85,714 $ | 7,143 $ | 41.21 $ | I am the controller for a small family-owned business. I manage two bookkeepers and oversee accounting operations. This is a leadership position and I'm working extended hours regularly. |
| 11/21/2019 | Financial Accountant | 40.0 h | 76,000 $ | 76,000 $ | 6,333 $ | 36.54 $ | I work full-time in financial reporting at a medium-sized entertainment company. I've been here three years and prepare quarterly statements and internal analysis. |
| 06/04/2019 | Senior Accountant - Nonprofit | 38.5 h | 65,000 $ | 67,532 $ | 5,628 $ | 32.47 $ | I work full-time for a nonprofit handling grant accounting and donor reporting. I've been here five years and am the senior accountant but do not have formal direct reports. |
| 03/27/2019 | Assistant Controller | 40.0 h | 112,000 $ | 112,000 $ | 9,333 $ | 53.85 $ | I am the assistant controller at a regional retailer assisting with month-end close and audits. I'm full-time and have five years of supervisory experience. |
| 02/14/2019 | Tax Senior | 40.0 h | 82,000 $ | 82,000 $ | 6,833 $ | 39.42 $ | I'm a senior tax accountant at a medium-size CPA firm with six years of experience, full-time, and I supervise two junior staff during the busy season. |
| 10/30/2018 | Payroll Accountant (Part-time) | 28.0 h | 36,000 $ | 51,429 $ | 4,286 $ | 24.73 $ | I work part-time handling payroll for a small hospitality business. I've done payroll and benefits administration for five years alongside other bookkeeping duties. |
| 07/11/2018 | Corporate Accountant | 40.0 h | 72,000 $ | 72,000 $ | 6,000 $ | 34.62 $ | I work full-time in corporate accounting for a growing consumer goods company. I've been here four years and handle consolidations and budgeting. |
| 03/22/2018 | Senior Staff Accountant | 40.0 h | 68,000 $ | 68,000 $ | 5,667 $ | 32.69 $ | I'm a senior staff accountant at a small tech startup; I've been here three years and I lead month-end close tasks though I don't manage direct reports. |
| 01/15/2018 | Bookkeeper / Office Accountant | 34.0 h | 45,000 $ | 52,941 $ | 4,412 $ | 25.45 $ | I work near full-time as an office bookkeeper for a small landscape company, managing payroll, vendor invoices, and monthly bookkeeping. It's a hands-on role and I've been here four years. |
| 12/07/2017 | Tax Associate | 38.0 h | 57,000 $ | 60,000 $ | 5,000 $ | 28.85 $ | I'm a tax associate at a regional accounting firm, full-time for two years, primarily preparing corporate and partnership returns. |
| 08/28/2017 | Cost Accountant | 40.0 h | 60,000 $ | 60,000 $ | 5,000 $ | 28.85 $ | I worked full-time at a mid-size manufacturing firm for four years focusing on inventory costing and variance analysis; I was not in a management role. |
| 04/19/2017 | Bookkeeper / Accountant | 32.0 h | 43,000 $ | 53,750 $ | 4,479 $ | 25.84 $ | I work part-time for a small retail business handling bookkeeping, payroll, and sales tax. I've been doing this for three years and it's a reduced-hours role. |
| 11/03/2016 | Junior Tax Accountant | 36.0 h | 48,000 $ | 53,333 $ | 4,444 $ | 25.64 $ | I started here fresh out of college in a boutique tax firm and have been working full-time for one year preparing individual returns and basic corporate filings. |
| 09/12/2016 | Staff Accountant | 38.0 h | 52,000 $ | 54,737 $ | 4,561 $ | 26.32 $ | I'm an entry-level staff accountant and have been here two years at a small advertising agency in Los Angeles. I'm full-time and handle AP/AR and monthly reconciliations. |
Los Angeles is one of the countrys most diverse and resilient metro economies, and accountants play a key role across its core industries. From entertainment and media to aerospace, healthcare, logistics, and real estate, companies in the Los Angeles area rely on accounting professionals to manage financial reporting, controls, compliance, and decision support. Nationally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics describes employment for accountants and auditors as growing about as fast as the average for all occupations; locally, demand in Los Angeles is often bolstered by the region19s scale, project-driven production work, and an active market for private equity and venture-backed firms.
Hiring in Los Angeles typically reflects both seasonal patterns and steady year-round needs. Public accounting firms ramp up recruiting during audit and tax busy seasons, studios and production services add project accountants as shows greenlight, and large public companies maintain ongoing demand for SEC reporting, SOX compliance, and technical accounting talent. Many employers offer hybrid schedules, though roles tied to studio production, inventory, facilities, or government operations can require more on-site presence.
The Greater Los Angeles region encompasses major industry clusters that create consistent openings for accountants. Entertainment and streaming continue to generate roles in production accounting, participations and residuals, revenue recognition, and royalties. Aerospace and defense companies in El Segundo, Hawthorne, and across the South Bay hire cost accountants and government contract specialists familiar with FAR/DFARS, indirect rates, and audit readiness. Healthcare systems and research institutions need accountants for grants, fund accounting, revenue cycle, and compliance. The twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach support a large logistics ecosystem where companies value inventory, cost, and freight accounting skills, as well as experience with high-volume reconciliations.
Employers in the metro often seek candidates with strong GAAP knowledge, internal controls, and ERP experience (such as SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, or Deltek Costpoint in government contracting). Tools like Excel, Power BI, and Tableau are common, and entertainment production teams may use industry platforms like Entertainment Partners/SmartAccounting or Cast & Crew systems. Interest is also rising around ESG reporting and data governance, which can create opportunities for accountants with auditing and controls backgrounds.
Accountants in Los Angeles can find opportunities at a wide range of organizations, including:
Career paths for accountants in Los Angeles range from public accounting (audit, tax, and advisory) to corporate roles such as staff and senior accountant, GL and consolidation specialist, cost or revenue accountant, production accountant, internal auditor, and SEC reporting analyst. With experience, many professionals advance into accounting manager, controller, and finance leadership positions.
Credentials that can help in the market include the CPA license through the California Board of Accountancy, as well as CMA, CIA, or CISA depending on specialization. Exposure to ASC 606 (revenue), ASC 842 (leases), SOX compliance, and government or fund accounting is valued by many Los Angeles employers. Local talent pipelines from programs at USC Leventhal, UCLA, Loyola Marymount, and CSU campuses, combined with networking through CalCPA and other professional associations, support ongoing entry-level and mid-career hiring.
Overall, the accountant job outlook in Los Angeles is generally steady, with strong industry diversity providing resilience through business cycles. Professionals who pair technical accounting skills with industry-specific knowledge, modern ERP and analytics tools, and clear communication abilities will typically find a wide variety of opportunities across the metro area.
The average salary for a Accountant in Los Angeles is 99,171 $ per year on a 40-hour basis, or 8,264 $ gross per month.
Part-time and full-time reports are normalized to a 40-hour workweek so salary reports can be compared fairly.
You can find more comparisons on the profession overview for Accountant and the city overview for Los Angeles. They show reported cities or jobs with their difference from the average.
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