National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Accountants earn a national median of $79,880/year vs Cloud Engineers at $138,000/year. Cloud Engineers earn 73% more nationally. The gap is $58,120 per year — or $4,843 per month.
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Accountant
$79,880
national median/year
$6,657/mo • $38/hr
VS
Cloud Engineer
$138,000
national median/year
$11,500/mo • $66/hr
Annual salary gap
$58,120
Cloud Engineers earn 73% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $658,807.
Best states for Cloud Engineers
vs Accountants
Washington+$83,680
California+$79,680
Virginia+$75,680
Colorado+$69,680
Oregon+$69,680
Best states for Accountants
vs Cloud Engineers
Mississippi+$-31,680
North Dakota+$-33,680
West Virginia+$-33,680
Wyoming+$-33,680
Arkansas+$-37,680
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Cloud Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Accountants is $79,880 versus $138,000 for Cloud Engineers — a difference of $58,120 per year or $4,843 per month.
The national median salary gap between Accountants and Cloud Engineers is $58,120 per year. Cloud Engineers earn 73% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $658,807.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Accountants the highest median salary at $98,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Cloud Engineers the highest median salary at $178,000 per year.
Salary is one factor — Cloud Engineers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Accountants and Auditors and Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Accountants earn approximately $38 per hour nationally and Cloud Engineers earn approximately $66 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
