54121/Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
1.30M
employees, 2023
1.30M
employees, 2023
In 2023, 137,069 US Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services business locations employed 1.30 million people and paid $99.8 billion in annual payroll, $76,876 per employee on average. Employment was up 5.4% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
137,069
+0.8% vs 2022
Employees
1,297,995
+5.4% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$99.8B
+7.2% vs 2022
Average pay
$76,876
+1.7% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 18,655 | 168,466 | $76,663 | 1.03% |
| Texas | 11,224 | 110,048 | $77,949 | 0.92% |
| New York | 9,056 | 109,178 | $101,471 | 1.25% |
| Florida | 12,917 | 79,969 | $71,259 | 0.80% |
| Illinois | 5,146 | 65,514 | $95,794 | 1.16% |
| North Carolina | 3,809 | 61,733 | $46,415 | 1.44% |
| Pennsylvania | 4,111 | 49,283 | $80,102 | 0.86% |
| Georgia | 4,638 | 47,433 | $78,965 | 1.08% |
| New Jersey | 3,754 | 42,575 | $104,116 | 1.08% |
| Ohio | 3,750 | 38,209 | $71,905 | 0.75% |
| Virginia | 3,037 | 35,883 | $92,118 | 1.00% |
| Michigan | 3,472 | 33,006 | $69,998 | 0.82% |
| Massachusetts | 2,555 | 29,090 | $103,963 | 0.83% |
| Colorado | 3,735 | 27,772 | $70,185 | 1.08% |
| Minnesota | 2,094 | 27,461 | $59,930 | 0.98% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 9,905 | 107,316 | $118,667 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 7,984 | 59,538 | $88,631 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 4,171 | 44,446 | $100,559 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,263 | 36,172 | $91,481 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 2,857 | 31,289 | $86,838 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 2,491 | 30,880 | $115,682 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 3,125 | 29,218 | $95,012 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 5,446 | 27,030 | $78,963 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,222 | 25,365 | $94,679 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,863 | 24,022 | $108,824 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 2,094 | 20,220 | $116,647 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,407 | 18,719 | $71,661 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 1,929 | 15,900 | $85,971 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 2,254 | 15,434 | $72,209 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 1,777 | 15,319 | $81,172 |
Business size
US Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 95,534 | 69.7% |
| 5 to 9 | 23,330 | 17.0% |
| 10 to 19 | 10,233 | 7.5% |
| 20 to 49 | 4,853 | 3.5% |
| 50 to 99 | 1,609 | 1.2% |
| 100 to 249 | 959 | 0.7% |
| 250 to 499 | 310 | 0.2% |
| 500 to 999 | 139 | 0.1% |
| 1,000 or more | 102 | 0.1% |
Related industries
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services and the 4 industries directly below it
Part of Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 54Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 541Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 5412
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 541211 | Offices of Certified Public Accountants | 604,209 | $100,691 |
| 541214 | Payroll Services | 309,518 | $66,265 |
| 541219 | Other Accounting Services | 250,400 | $60,307 |
| 541213 | Tax Preparation Services | 133,868 | $24,908 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services in the US?
1.30 million people worked at 137,069 US Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services business locations in 2023, up 5.4% from 2022. That is 0.93% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services?
$76,876 a year per employee in 2023, from $99.8 billion in annual payroll (up 1.7% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services jobs?
California had the most, with 168,466 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (110,048) and New York (109,178).
Which metro areas have the most Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (107,316), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (59,538), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (44,446) had the most Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services employees in 2023.
Are most Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services businesses small?
94.2% of the 137,069 Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 241 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.