Why Accountants in Cheaper Cities Are Happier

Someone recently asked me for a geographic breakdown of where accountants were happiest, theorizing that bigger cities would be better because of the abundance of opportunities - turns out it’s actually the opposite, and we’re going to dig into the differences below.

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We all know those downtown $19 salads can be frustrating, but could that be why smaller cities tend to translate into bigger smiles for accountants?

We crunched the numbers. Here’s what jumped out:

• U.S. accountants are happier than Canadian ones. (6.72 vs. 6.59 out of 10 job satisfaction). This was no surprise, given that salaries for accounting professionals are much higher in the US, even factoring in cost of living and currency conversion (Roughly 20% higher in local currencies for a Tax Senior at the 50th percentile for example).

• Low and medium cost-of-living areas beat high-cost metros. Broken down into more detail below 👇

In Canada:

• Low/medium cost areas: 6.76

• High/very high cost areas: 6.55

In the U.S.:

• Low/medium cost areas: 6.75

• High/very high cost areas: 6.66

Now these aren’t massive gaps, but in survey data, tenths of a point add up, especially when spread across tens of thousands of responses. Translation: accountants in affordable cities are consistently happier than peers grinding it out in Toronto, New York, or San Francisco.

The surprise twist

We figured this happiness boost was all about remote salary arbitrage: people landing big-city pay while living in lower-cost areas. That’s happening, sure.

But here’s the kicker: in-office accountants in smaller markets are just as happy as their remote counterparts.

So it’s not just a “remote work hack.” Something about living and working in a place where life costs less - shorter commutes, smaller mortgages, cheaper tacos - really does improve the day-to-day.

Why this might be happening

Let’s be honest: accounting is already demanding. Long hours, deadlines, client expectations. The stress baseline is high no matter where you live.

Now add the big city multiplier:

• Expensive housing that keeps you on a financial treadmill

• Brutal commutes that drain time and energy

• Higher day-to-day costs (I just paid $28 for an açaí bowl in San Diego and am still bitter about it)

The result? Instead of making life better, the big city just piles extra weight on top of an already heavy career.

In smaller markets, those stressors don’t stack up as much. Lower costs and easier logistics mean accountants have a little more breathing room, and that seems to make a noticeable difference in how they feel about their work.

The accountant’s takeaway

• Geography matters. Don’t assume moving to a big-city firm is a ticket to career bliss. The data suggests the opposite.

• Remote isn’t everything. You don’t need to arbitrage New York pay from Boise to feel satisfied. Local in-office roles in cheaper areas score just as well.

• Money ≠ happiness if expenses eat it alive. That $120K in New York often feels worse than $90K in Kansas City.

The big picture

The accounting profession, and of course Big 4 Transparency talks a lot about salaries, but it’s really important that you factor in geography to the total picture. Our job satisfaction data shows what really counts is the combo of salary and the lifestyle your job can provide you.

If you’re making career moves this year, ask yourself: Am I chasing prestige, or am I chasing peace of mind?

I’m getting married this weekend!

And I’m going to very shamelessly ask you for a wedding gift. No, nothing from a registry, or even cash (although….)

I’m going to ask you to share your most recent salary on Big 4 Transparency.

Thousands of accountants read this newsletter, and the insights we can share are only as strong as the data shared with us. The more submissions we collect, the sharper our trends, the stronger our analysis, and the clearer the story we can tell about compensation in accounting.

Your entry is 100% anonymous, takes less than 2 minutes, and instantly unlocks access to the full database so you can see where you stack up.

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