Offices of Certified Public Accountants Revenue Benchmarks
The average offices of certified public accountants business in the United States generates $1.9M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 51,839 offices of certified public accountants businesses in the U.S., employing 535,309 workers with an average profit margin of 22.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $113K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Offices of Certified Public Accountants Business Actually Do?
Public accounting firms providing tax preparation, tax planning, bookkeeping, audit, advisory, and outsourced CFO services. All CPAs are licensed at the state level and must maintain continuing education.
Who buys: Individuals (tax prep + planning), small businesses (compliance + advisory), larger businesses (audit + advisory).
How this is different: Different from non-CPA tax prep chains (H&R Block, etc.) — CPAs can represent clients before the IRS and perform audits.
Average Revenue
$1.9M
per year
Profit Margin
22.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$185K
per year
Total Businesses
51,839
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$420K
small business avg
Labor Cost
50.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$113K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
15.6
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Offices of Certified Public Accountants Charge?
CPAs charge hourly for advisory work and flat fees for tax preparation.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Individual tax return (1040 + Sch A) | $275–650 |
Individual with Schedule C/E | $400–1,200 |
Business tax return (S-corp, LLC) | $700–2,500 |
Bookkeeping (monthly retainer) | $400–2,500/month |
Tax planning / consulting | $200–500/hour |
Audit representation | $150–400/hour |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete offices of certified public accountants business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a offices of certified public accountants business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the offices of certified public accountants industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Client-related expenses | $4 | $80K | Software licenses, subscriptions, printing, filing fees, travel billed to clients. |
Wages & benefits | $50 | $955K | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $6 | $107K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $4 | $80K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $14 | $267K | Professional liability insurance, continuing education, tech, admin support. |
Net profit | $22 | $420K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
9.66%
openings/year
Closure Rate
9.23%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
+4.24%
annual
Businesses Closed
8,967
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Offices of Certified Public Accountants Business?
Startup Cost
$10K – $50K
Break-Even
1 months
5-Year Survival Rate
70.0%
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a offices of certified public accountants business do?
- Public accounting firms providing tax preparation, tax planning, bookkeeping, audit, advisory, and outsourced CFO services. All CPAs are licensed at the state level and must maintain continuing education. Individuals (tax prep + planning), small businesses (compliance + advisory), larger businesses (audit + advisory).
- How much do offices of certified public accountants charge?
- CPAs charge hourly for advisory work and flat fees for tax preparation. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average offices of certified public accountants make per year?
- The average offices of certified public accountants business generates $1.9M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $420K per year at a 22.0% profit margin.
- How many offices of certified public accountants businesses are there in the US?
- There are 51,839 offices of certified public accountants businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 535,309 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a offices of certified public accountants business?
- Startup costs for a offices of certified public accountants business typically range from $10K to $50K, with a 5-year survival rate of 70.0%.
- What is the average salary in the offices of certified public accountants industry?
- The average employee in the offices of certified public accountants industry earns $113K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The offices of certified public accountants industry is actively growing — adding jobs at a net rate of 4.2% per year. New establishments are opening faster than existing ones close (9.7% entry vs 9.2% exit), indicating healthy demand.
Approximately 62% of offices of certified public accountants businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 8,967 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the offices of certified public accountants industry earns $113,117/year. This is significantly above the national average of ~$65K, reflecting the skilled nature of this work. With 62,346 establishments employing 548,165 people, the typical business has about 9 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The offices of certified public accountants industry has grown 22% since 2000 (from 85,299 to 104,020 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Offices of Certified Public Accountants revenue with other industries: