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Top 10 Cities for Accountants

The Windy City looks up only to New York when it comes to major financial centers, with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and several financial and futures exchanges within city limits. Chicago is also second only to Gotham in terms of accounting jobs, with over 80,000 people working as accountants, auditors or bookkeeping clerks. While New York may lead the way in terms of large accounting firms, the sixth and seventh largest firms (Grant Thornton and BDO Seidman, respectively) are headquartered in the Second City.

Average Salaries for Accounting Jobs:
Accountant/Auditor: $70,730
Bookkeeper: $36,800

Population: 2,700,000
Unemployment rate (Nov. 09): 10.3%
High School Graduates: 78%
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: 29%
Mean Travel Time to Work (in minutes): 34
Homeownership Rate: 49%