Trying to account for where your future of number crunching and fast calculating is going to take you?
On average, accounting grads with between zero and three years of experience can expect to earn somewhere between $35,500 and $75,500 depending on your role, whether you’re working in public or corporate accounting, and whether you’re working for a large or midsize/small firm or company.
Want more accounting career insight?
Check out our Accounting Career Guide!
Entry level Tax Accountants at public firms stand to earn the most, but corporate Accountants experienced the greatest salary growth over last year.
Toronto is the best place to hatch your career in accounting, where salaries are 4.8% higher than the national average. New grads starting accounting careers in Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton and Ottawa can also expect to take home above-average pay cheques.
Keep reading to find out what the average entry level Public Accountant, Public Tax Accountant, corporate Accountant, corporate Analyst and corporate Internal Auditor salaries are for 2012:
Entry level Public Accountant salary
From 2011 to 2012, the average entry level Public Accountant (up to one year of experience) salary grew by 1.4% at large firms and 2.1% at midsize/small firms.
National averages:
- Large firms: $42,250 to $51,000
- Midsize/small firms: $37,750 to $48,500
Entry level Public Accountant salaries at large firms by location:
- Toronto: $44,278 to $53,448
- Calgary: $43,644 to $52,683
- Vancouver: $43,559 to $52,581
- Montreal: $43,475 to $52,479
- Edmonton: $42,926 to $51,816
- Ottawa: $42,461 to $51,255
- National average
- Kitchener-Waterloo: $40,348 to $48,705
- Victoria: $40,222 to $48,552
- Saskatoon: $40,095 to $48,399
- Regina: $39,377 to $47,532
- Winnipeg: $38,236 to $46,155
- Quebec City: $37,687 to $45,492
Entry level Public Tax Accountant salary
From 2011 to 2012, the average entry level Public Tax Accountant (one to three years of experience) salary grew by 1.5% at large firms and 2.1% at midsize/small firms.
National averages:
- Large firms: $60,000 to $75,500
- Midsize/small firms: $53,500 to $70,500
Entry level corporate Accountant salary
From 2011 to 2012, the average entry level corporate Accountant (up to one year of experience) salary grew by 2.8% at large companies and 5.1% at midsize/small companies.
National averages:
- Large companies: $37,500 to $45,750
- Mid-sized/small companies: $35,500 to $42,000
Entry level corporate Accountant salaries at large companies by location:
- Toronto: $39,300 to $47,946
- Calgary: $38,737 to $47,259
- Vancouver: $38,662 to $47,168
- Montreal: $38,587 to $47,076
- Edmonton: $38,100 to $46,482
- Ottawa: $37,687 to $45,978
- National average
- Kitchener-Waterloo: $35,812 to $43,691
- Victoria: $35,700 to $43,554
- Saskatoon:$35,587 to $43,416
- Regina: $34,950 to $42,639
- Winnipeg: $33,937 to $41,403
- Quebec City: $33,450 to $40,809
Entry level corporate Analyst salary
From 2011 to 2012, the average entry level corporate Analyst (one to three years of experience) salary grew by 3.1% at both large and midsize/small companies.
National averages:
- Large companies: $41,000 to $49,250
- Midsize/small companies: $37,000 to $46,000
Entry level corporate Internal Auditor salary
From 2011 to 2012, the average entry level corporate Internal Auditor (up to one year of experience) salary grew by 3.2% at large companies and 2.1% at midsize/small companies.
National averages:
- Large companies: $54,000 to $66,000
- Midsize/small companies: $47,250 to $59,750
Source: Robert Half’s 2012 Salary Guide, Accounting & Finance
With files from Ishani Nath