The Cost of Going In-House

Hiring an in-house accountant can make sense as a business grows. But the true cost is more than salary.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, wages and salaries make up only part of total employee compensation, with benefits accounting for a significant share as well. And that’s before considering recruiting, training, software, payroll taxes and other overhead.

Accounting talent is also a significant investment.

The median annual wage for accountants and auditors was $83,680 in 2025—before those additional costs are factored in.

Another thing to consider—one hire may not cover every need. Accounting needs can span several levels of expertise.

Day-to-day bookkeeping is different from financial reporting, forecasting, sales tax support, process improvement or controller and CFO-level guidance. As a business becomes more complex, one internal hire may not have the time or experience to handle all of it.

That can mean adding more people or asking one employee to cover responsibilities that would normally sit across several roles.

Look at the Full Picture

The right structure depends on the business.

For some companies, building an internal accounting team makes sense. For others, Customer Accounting & Advisory Services can serve as an extension of the business, providing access to different levels of accounting and advisory support without building every function in-house.

Before making the decision, consider the full cost, the range of expertise you need and how those needs may change as your business grows.

The question isn’t simply what one employee costs. It’s what level of financial support your business actually needs.