Finance, Legal and Risk Salaries by State
Compare accounting, FP&A, banking, legal, compliance, risk, insurance, tax, treasury, and audit salary ranges by U.S. state and metro. Choose a role and market to see employer-posted base salary ranges. See methodology.
Role Salaries by State
Each cell shows the mid listed salary for a selected role in a state or metro when enough postings include salary ranges.
Role Salary Range
Bars show lower to higher listed salary ranges. The marker shows the mid listed salary.
Top Salary Markets
States by median salary
| Market | Salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $140K |
| New Hampshire | $129K |
| California | $117K |
| New Jersey | $114K |
| Massachusetts | $114K |
| District of Columbia | $113K |
| Georgia | $109K |
| Illinois | $109K |
States after cost of living adjustment
| Market | Adjusted |
|---|---|
| New York | $130K |
| New Hampshire | $124K |
| Arkansas | $116K |
| Georgia | $114K |
| Texas | $112K |
| Illinois | $109K |
| North Carolina | $108K |
| Massachusetts | $108K |
Metros by median salary
| Market | Salary |
|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $147K |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $143K |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $142K |
| San Francisco Bay Area | $141K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | $141K |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $134K |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $127K |
| Racine, WI | $122K |
Role Salary Highlights
| Role | Lower | Mid | Higher | Top state shown | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Governance Salaries Roles focused on corporate governance, legal counsel, and global corporate services management. |
$130K | $189K | $230K | New York ($220K) | 479 |
| Legal Counsel Salaries Professionals providing legal advice and services within an organization, ensuring compliance and managing legal risks. |
$124K | $175K | $222K | New York ($195K) | 2,447 |
| Quantitative Trading Salaries Roles focused on quantitative analysis, research, and trading within financial markets, often involving digital assets and derivatives. |
$136K | $175K | $211K | New Jersey ($191K) | 718 |
| Regulatory Compliance Salaries Professionals ensuring adherence to laws and regulations within financial and card network sectors. |
$106K | $149K | $205K | Michigan ($192K) | 1,788 |
| Venture Capital Salaries Roles focused on investment, strategy, and leadership within venture capital and entrepreneurial environments. |
$83K | $148K | $189K | California ($164K) | 194 |
| Investment Banking Salaries Roles focused on investment banking, corporate finance, and capital markets, involving mergers and acquisitions, business valuation, and strategic financial management. |
$98K | $140K | $188K | New York ($160K) | 6,207 |
| Risk Management Salaries Professionals responsible for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks across financial, operational, and strategic domains. |
$104K | $137K | $177K | New York ($160K) | 1,829 |
| FP&A Analyst Salaries Roles focused on budgeting, forecasting, and financial strategy to support business decision-making. |
$103K | $134K | $170K | North Carolina ($160K) | 2,931 |
| Investment Finance Salaries Roles focused on managing, analyzing, and strategizing investments across various financial sectors. |
$98K | $130K | $175K | Limited state coverage | 3,280 |
| Finance Systems Salaries Professionals specializing in the management, analysis, and optimization of financial systems and processes within organizations. |
$106K | $130K | $157K | Limited state coverage | 671 |
| Commodities Trading Salaries Roles focused on trading, analysis, and management within the energy and commodities sectors. |
$98K | $129K | $165K | Limited state coverage | 903 |
| Actuarial Science Salaries A field focused on using mathematical and statistical methods to assess risk in insurance, finance, and other industries. |
$98K | $127K | $159K | Limited state coverage | 541 |
| Controller Finance Manager Salaries | $93K | $121K | $160K | Limited state coverage | 4,717 |
| Treasury Management Salaries Treasury management involves overseeing an organization's financial assets, ensuring liquidity, and managing risks associated with financial activities. |
$82K | $120K | $173K | Limited state coverage | 639 |
| Contract Management Salaries Professionals responsible for overseeing, negotiating, and managing contracts and agreements within organizations. |
$90K | $116K | $150K | Limited state coverage | 2,400 |
| Fund Accounting Salaries Professionals managing and overseeing financial operations, reporting, and administration for investment funds. |
$86K | $116K | $157K | Limited state coverage | 760 |
| Internal Audit Salaries This category encompasses roles focused on evaluating and improving the effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes within an organization. |
$91K | $115K | $150K | Limited state coverage | 900 |
| Financial Analyst Salaries Professionals who evaluate financial data to guide business decisions and strategies. |
$92K | $115K | $145K | Limited state coverage | 3,932 |
| Tax Management Salaries Professionals specializing in managing and optimizing tax strategies, compliance, and operations for organizations. |
$34K | $103K | $151K | Limited state coverage | 1,934 |
| Accounting & Finance Salaries Accounting And Finance |
$70K | $95K | $128K | Limited state coverage | 2,812 |
How to Read Salary Ranges
Salary ranges show what employers are currently advertising for a role. Start with the exact role or closest role group, compare pay across states and metros, and treat lower, mid, and higher values as market anchors rather than a strict experience ladder. Role scope, location, seniority, contract type, travel work, industry demand, and sample size can all move the numbers.
Using Salary Ranges in a Salary Conversation
- Lower salary range
- Useful for early-career roles, narrower scope, or stretch opportunities.
- Mid listed salary
- A practical anchor when your background closely matches the posting.
- Higher salary range
- Stronger anchor for scarce skills, senior experience, management responsibility, specialized expertise, or competing offers.
- Location salary gap
- Useful for discussing local market pay, relocation, remote compensation, or cost-of-living adjustments.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How should I use this salary tool?
- Compare pay across states and cities, then set a realistic target before applying or negotiating. State views show broad regional differences; metro views compare specific cities.
- What do lower, mid, and higher salaries mean?
- They show how advertised pay is distributed for a role. Lower is near the bottom of listed ranges, mid is around the middle, and higher is toward the top.
- Where does the salary data come from?
- Current U.S. job postings where employers list pay. The data is grouped by job type, state, metro area, and pay level; it does not use Bureau of Labor Statistics wage estimates.
- Does the salary data include bonuses, equity, or benefits?
- No. It reflects listed base pay. Tips, bonuses, commissions, equity, benefits, and other compensation are excluded when listed separately.
- Why do salaries differ by state and city?
- Markets differ by employer mix, industry, labor demand, competition, and cost of living. Higher pay in one city may not mean higher purchasing power.
How the Salary Numbers Are Calculated
Figures reflect base pay listed in job postings, not guaranteed pay, actual total earnings, Bureau of Labor Statistics wage estimates, or official wage statistics. Salaries are converted to yearly U.S. dollars where possible and grouped by role, location, and pay level. Lower is the lower listed range, mid is the middle listed salary, and higher is the higher listed range. Hourly wages are annualized using a 2,080-hour work year; cost-of-living adjustment uses Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, or BEA RPP. Tips, bonuses, equity, commissions, and benefits are excluded when listed separately from base pay.
Important Notes About the Data
Only postings that list salary information are included, so coverage is stronger in some states than others. Current role mix can affect results, including contract work, travel work, senior roles, junior roles, specialized jobs, and industry-specific demand. On mobile, regional charts may default to areas with the most available data so the view stays readable.