Intuit® rate survey: Average rates by region, state, credential, and more

Heather Satterley here again with more valuable info from the 2021 Intuit® Rate Survey conducted in November 2021!

In our last article, we highlighted some of the initial survey results, including how practitioners billed their clients for various service offerings in 2021. We also covered some interesting trends involving average hourly rates for QuickBooks®-related services. Based on those initial results, it appeared as though we had given ourselves a raise since 2019.

In this article, we wanted to dive deeper into our average rates by analyzing them by category. Specifically, we looked at average billing rates by region, state, professional designation, and ProAdvisor status.

Average hourly rates by region

The first category we looked at was overall average hourly rates by region. Per our data, the highest average hourly rates belonged to the Northeast ($85) and the Southwest ($82). The survey results indicated that both the Mid Pacific and Mid Atlantic shared the lowest average hourly rate of $67.

Average hourly rates by state

Based on the data provided, the states with the highest average hourly rates were Oklahoma ($200) and New Jersey ($123). States with the lowest average hourly rates were Indiana ($45) and Michigan ($49).

The survey results did not provide data for certain states, as you will notice on the map below.

Average hourly rates by professional designation

Survey results show that CPAs have the highest overall average hourly rate ($126), followed by tax accountants ($112). It is interesting to note that the average hourly rates for bookkeepers and certified bookkeepers are the same at $66. This might suggest that acquiring a bookkeeping certification has no significant impact on hourly rate increases.

Another interesting data point is the difference in rates reported between those that identify as a tax CPA, accountant, tax accountant, and enrolled agents (EAs). The data shows that EAs charge lower fees than their CPA and degreed accountant counterparts. This may be indicative of the difference in educational requirements to become a CPA or EA. The EA designation currently does not require minimum educational requirements to sit for the exam, while CPA candidates must have at least a bachelor’s degree in accounting, or even the equivalence of a master’s degree in many states. The continuing education requirements are different for CPAs and EAs, too. CPAs must complete 40 hours of CPE each year in a variety of accounting topics, while EAs must complete 24 hours of tax-only CE.

Average hourly rates by ProAdvisor status

The data collected from the survey imply that QuickBooks ProAdvisor® certifications have a significant impact on overall hourly rates charged by accounting practitioners. Those who are not certified reported an overall average hourly rate of $68, while those who are QuickBooks Online-certified reported an overall average hourly rate of $82, a 21% increase just by getting your certification! The QuickBooks Product training and certification course combined only takes about 13 hours to complete, not including the time to take the test. Clearly, the investment in time upfront in your certification can pay dividends for years to come! The average hourly rates increase as you add more certifications to your belt:

• QuickBooks Desktop Certified: $85
• QuickBooks Point of Sale Certified: $91
• Advanced Certified – QBO: $98
• QuickBooks Enterprise Certified: $108

Intuit rate survey app!

All the survey data provided in this article (and much more!) can be found in this Intuit Rate Survey app we created. You can search for data by Region, State, Professional Designation, and ProAdvisor status! Check it out to see how your rates compare with other professionals like you. Click on the image below or access it through the link above.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on Firm of the Future.