San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does an accountant or auditor make in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA?

In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan area, accountants or auditors earned a median of $121,700 a year ($58.51 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 13,180 of these jobs there. That is 45% above the $84,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $78,440 and $196,890; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $87,373 in take-home pay.

Accountant or auditor pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA at a glance

Median salary

$121,700$58.51 per hour · $10,142 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$78,440$37.71/hr
25th percentile$96,430$46.36/hr
75th percentile$156,700$75.34/hr
90th percentile$196,890$94.66/hr
Jobs in this metro13,180Location quotient 1.25 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here45% aboveAll-jobs median $84,050
Against California25% aboveStatewide median $97,050
Against the U.S.45% aboveNational median $83,680

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Accountant or auditor salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA after taxes

$121,700
$45,000$245,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$121,700
Net 72%
Fed 15%
CA 6%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$87,373After all taxes
Monthly deposit$7,281Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$3,361Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate28.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$17,944 / yr
California state income tax$7,073 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$9,310 / yr

Accountants or auditors pay range in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What accountants or auditors earned in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$37.71/hr$6,537$78,440$60,963
25th percentile$46.36/hr$8,036$96,430$71,946
MedianMedian$58.51/hr$10,142$121,700$87,373
75th percentile$75.34/hr$13,058$156,700$108,042
90th percentile$94.66/hr$16,408$196,890$132,543

Is $121,700 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for accountants or auditors next to both.

Median household income$162,111Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)110.410.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household75.1%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Accountant or auditor pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for accountants or auditors in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for accountants or auditors in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area was $121,700 in May 2025, about $10,142 a month or $58.51 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $97,050, so the metro pays 25% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for accountants or auditors in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

The median hourly wage for accountants or auditors in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA was $58.51 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $37.71 an hour and one in ten earned more than $94.66.

How many accountants or auditors work in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

BLS estimated 13,180 jobs for accountants or auditors in the metro in May 2025, or 11.6 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.25 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for accountants or auditors in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

BLS wage estimates for accountants or auditors in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA run from $78,440 at the 10th percentile to $96,430 at the 25th, $156,700 at the 75th, and $196,890 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do accountants or auditors take home after taxes in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

On a median gross salary of $121,700, an estimated $87,373 lands in net take-home pay per year ($3,361 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $34,327 (an effective rate of 28.2%).

How much do accountants or auditors make per month in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

On the median annual salary of $121,700, gross monthly income is $10,142. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $7,281 per month (or $3,361 every two weeks).

Is $121,700 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

At $121,700, the median salary for accountants or auditors is 75.1% of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA median household income ($162,111). It is 45% above the $84,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 110.4, so prices here run 10.4% above the U.S. average.