Internal Auditor Salary

Created by Henry Steele

By Henry Steele - January 8, 2018
Reading Time: 12 minutes
Reading Time: 12 minutes

The following article discusses the career path of Internal Auditor. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Internal Auditors.

Job Duties

Internal auditors ensure that everything in the companies is done appropriately. They monitor and investigate in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the organization. They report to various individuals depending on who they work for, although it is usually someone in senior management, such as members of the Board of Directors or the Audit Committee. If the company is publicly traded, then the internal auditor must, by law, report to the CEO.

Exactly what is analyzed and evaluated will depend on the company, as they will have the task of scrutinizing different parts of the business. Often, they have to focus on specific standards to determine they are applied appropriately within the organization. Typically, they work in accounting, ensuring that the Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) are followed, and that no fraud is committed. They may also work for risk management, internal structure, or corporate operations.

Other job duties of an internal auditor are:

  • To conduct SOX, financial, compliance, and operational audits in an organization
  • To be the spokesperson between internal departments about audits, and also with external auditors
  • To document and monitor proposed and existing controls and procedures
  • To recommend improvements in practices, procedures, and policies to upper management

Where We Work

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 1.4 million accountants and auditors in 2016. The largest employers of these professionals were:

  • Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services: 25%
  • Government: 8%
  • Finance and insurance: 8%
  • Management of companies and enterprises: 7%
  • Self-employed workers: 7%

How to Become

In order for someone to become an internal auditor, they must be highly educated. A bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or related field is the minimum starting point. They must also have an in-depth understanding of the GAAP. Many internal auditors are, or are training to be, CFEs or CPAs. Additionally, it is expected that an auditor has at least four years professional experience.

Education Requirements

A bachelor’s degree is usually the minimum requirement, with a major in accounting, finance, or related field. Those with a master’s degree are usually in higher demand, particularly those with a master in business administration (MBA) with an accounting concentration.

If internal auditors have to file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), they must be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). This means that they have to complete education beyond their bachelor’s degree and pass the CPA exam. Most internal auditors are expected to be a CPA, which is why most have the master’s degree as this enables them to meet and exceed the 150 semester hours of coursework requirement for the certification examination. The CPA examination is offered by the American Institute for Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). CPA certification must be maintained through continuous education.

Other certifications can also be beneficial for someone working as an internal auditor, including:

  • Certified Management Accountant (CMA) offered by the Institute of Management Accountants
  • Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) offered by the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)
  • Certified in Control Self-Assessment (CCSA) offered by the IIA
  • Certified Government Auditing Professional (CGAP) offered by the IIA
  • Certified Financial Services Auditor (CFSA) offered by the IIA
  • Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA) offered by the IIA
  • Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) offered by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA)
  • CPA Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) offered by AICPA
  • CPA Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP) offered by AICPA
  • CPA Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) offered by AICPA

Traits & Qualities

The most effective internal auditors have the following traits to some degree or other:

  • Strong analytical skills
  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
  • Detail oriented
  • Excellent mathematical skills
  • Strong organizational skills

Minimum Education

Bachelor’s Degree

National Salary

The national average salary estimate for Internal Auditor was $83,754. This number is estimated from over 2,308,024 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $43.62 and monthly of $6,980.

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$23,000

$182,000

Salary Distribution

Salary by State

The following section lists Internal Auditor salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, Arkansas had the largest quoted salary of $107,143 while Alaska had the smallest quoted salary of $27,916.

AlaskaIowaMississippiPennsylvania
AlabamaIllinoisMontanaRhode Island
ArkansasIndianaNorth CarolinaSouth Carolina
ArizonaKansasNebraskaSouth Dakota
CaliforniaKentuckyNew HampshireTennessee
ColoradoLouisianaNew JerseyTexas
ConnecticutMassachusettsNew MexicoUtah
DCMarylandNevadaVirginia
DelawareMaineNew YorkVermont
FloridaMichiganOhioWashington
GeorgiaMinnesotaOklahomaWisconsin
HawaiiMissouriOregon
Alaska$27,916Rank: 47th
The average salary ranks 47th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Personnel Plus Employment Agency, Inc..

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$7.25

$21.85

Salary Distribution
Alabama$59,980Rank: 43rd
The average salary ranks 43rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like PANGEATWO, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, and Accountemps.

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$16,000

$132,000

Salary Distribution
Arkansas$107,143Rank: 1st
The average salary ranks 1st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Arkansas Department Of Human Services, and Accounting Career Network.

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$18,000

$272,000

Salary Distribution
Arizona$77,151Rank: 18th
The average salary ranks 18th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Randstad, Aston Carter, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, and VincentBenjamin.

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$23,000

$163,000

Salary Distribution
California$99,024Rank: 3rd
The average salary ranks 3rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Oracle Recruiting, GQR Global Markets, Professional Recruiting Partners, LLC, and MJ Recruiters, LLC.

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$27,000

$215,000

Salary Distribution
Colorado$74,920Rank: 21st
The average salary ranks 21st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like City and County of Denver, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Navigator Recruiting, and Denver Health.

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$23,000

$156,000

Salary Distribution
Connecticut$85,296Rank: 10th
The average salary ranks 10th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Kforce Finance and Accounting, Execu|Search, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, and SNI Financial.

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$24,000

$184,000

Salary Distribution
DC$94,328Rank: 4th
The average salary ranks 4th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Walters, TalentSource360, Parker and Lynch, and SNI Financial.

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$28,000

$199,000

Salary Distribution
Delaware$74,403Rank: 23rd
The average salary ranks 23rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Penn Technical Staffing, and Accountemps.

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$20,000

$161,000

Salary Distribution
Florida$79,561Rank: 14th
The average salary ranks 14th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like South Florida Recruiters, Capital Finance Recruiters Inc., 3coast, and Tru-Bridge, Inc..

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$26,000

$161,000

Salary Distribution
Georgia$90,232Rank: 6th
The average salary ranks 6th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Phillips Staffing Solutions, PMG Employment Consultants, The Pursell Group, and MedExec International.

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$32,000

$176,000

Salary Distribution
Hawaii$67,572Rank: 37th
The average salary ranks 37th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting and Staffing Solutions of Hawaii.

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$28,000

$123,000

Salary Distribution
Iowa$68,682Rank: 34th
The average salary ranks 34th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Accountemps, Robert Half, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, and Aureus Group.

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$28,000

$127,000

Salary Distribution
Illinois$91,158Rank: 5th
The average salary ranks 5th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CFS, Inc., Infinity Consulting Solutions (ICS), Rayco Technical Solutions, LLC, and The Pursell Group.

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$30,000

$184,000

Salary Distribution
Indiana$67,256Rank: 38th
The average salary ranks 38th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Crossfire, Creative Financial Staffing, Vaco, LLC, and Robert Half Finance & Accounting.

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$25,000

$128,000

Salary Distribution
Kansas$61,279Rank: 41st
The average salary ranks 41st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Kforce Finance and Accounting, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, and Associated Wholesale Grocers.

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$19,000

$126,000

Salary Distribution
Kentucky$60,344Rank: 42nd
The average salary ranks 42nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Goodwin Recruiting, and Vaco, LLC.

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$19,000

$124,000

Salary Distribution
Louisiana$61,942Rank: 40th
The average salary ranks 40th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Personnel Consulting Group, State of Louisiana, and Accountemps.

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$19,000

$128,000

Salary Distribution
Massachusetts$89,104Rank: 7th
The average salary ranks 7th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Kforce Finance and Accounting, Fenway Search Group, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, and Liberty Mutual.

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$23,000

$197,000

Salary Distribution
Maryland$73,041Rank: 26th
The average salary ranks 26th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half, Randstad Professionals, Kforce Finance and Accounting, and Robert Half Finance & Accounting.

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$23,000

$151,000

Salary Distribution
Maine$68,981Rank: 30th
The average salary ranks 30th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Sheshunoff Consulting, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, and Department of Human Services.

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$30,000

$124,000

Salary Distribution
Michigan$86,838Rank: 9th
The average salary ranks 9th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Masco, Venteon, Affinity Executive Search, and Cameron Craig Group.

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$29,000

$175,000

Salary Distribution
Minnesota$69,595Rank: 29th
The average salary ranks 29th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like SALO, LLC, Watson Barron, Baker Tilly Search & Staffing, LLC, and Robert Half Finance & Accounting.

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$24,000

$138,000

Salary Distribution
Missouri$81,404Rank: 12th
The average salary ranks 12th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Accounting Career Consultants, Accelerate Financial Staffing, Kforce Finance and Accounting, and Burchard & Associates, Inc..

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$23,000

$175,000

Salary Distribution
Mississippi$56,759Rank: 44th
The average salary ranks 44th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Vaco, LLC.

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$16,000

$121,000

Salary Distribution
Montana$31,756Rank: 46th
The average salary ranks 46th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like LC Staffing, Montana State University, and G.C. AUDITOR.

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$7.25

$34.00

Salary Distribution
North Carolina$80,110Rank: 13th
The average salary ranks 13th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like CIG, Accounting Career Network, Sherpa LLC, and Banyan Search.

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$20,000

$180,000

Salary Distribution
Nebraska$78,343Rank: 16th
The average salary ranks 16th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like $75-90k + International Travel! ** Hemphill Exclusive!, Lutz, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, and Oracle Recruiting.

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$26,000

$158,000

Salary Distribution
New Hampshire$82,792Rank: 11th
The average salary ranks 11th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Kforce Finance and Accounting, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, International Search Consultants, and Staff Hunters.

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$20,000

$188,000

Salary Distribution
New Jersey$88,565Rank: 8th
The average salary ranks 8th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Experis, Selby Jennings, LP Search Partners, and Green Key Resources.

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$27,000

$185,000

Salary Distribution
New Mexico$68,970Rank: 31st
The average salary ranks 31st among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Sabio Systems, Parker and Lynch, and UNM Medical Group, Inc..

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$24,000

$137,000

Salary Distribution
Nevada$62,643Rank: 39th
The average salary ranks 39th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Randstad, Randstad Professionals, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, and Caesars Entertainment.

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$20,000

$128,000

Salary Distribution
New York$106,028Rank: 2nd
The average salary ranks 2nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like The Pursell Group, Phillips Staffing Solutions, MedExec International, and Military4Hire.

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$31,000

$224,000

Salary Distribution
Ohio$68,443Rank: 35th
The average salary ranks 35th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like General Employment, Inc., Accounting Career Network, Cameron Craig Group, and Robert Half Finance & Accounting.

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$23,000

$136,000

Salary Distribution
Oklahoma$68,798Rank: 33rd
The average salary ranks 33rd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Seres Smith Consulting, Fuse3 Solutions, and Parker and Lynch.

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$18,000

$153,000

Salary Distribution
Oregon$74,571Rank: 22nd
The average salary ranks 22nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Portland Community College, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Parker and Lynch, and Dominionstaff Inc.

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$29,000

$141,000

Salary Distribution
Pennsylvania$78,265Rank: 17th
The average salary ranks 17th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Basilone Executive Search, The Hershey Company, Xplora Search Group, and Technology Recruiting Solutions,Inc..

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$22,000

$168,000

Salary Distribution
Rhode Island$70,840Rank: 28th
The average salary ranks 28th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Kforce Finance and Accounting, Experis, and Rhode Island Department of Administration.

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$25,000

$138,000

Salary Distribution
South Carolina$67,717Rank: 36th
The average salary ranks 36th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting, AppleOne, American Personnel, and Medical University of South Carolina.

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$29,000

$122,000

Salary Distribution
South Dakota$75,017Rank: 20th
The average salary ranks 20th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Black Hills Corporation.

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$23,000

$156,000

Salary Distribution
Tennessee$78,699Rank: 15th
The average salary ranks 15th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Accounting Career Network, Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County, ARG Financial Staffing, and Robert Half Finance & Accounting.

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$18,000

$180,000

Salary Distribution
Texas$73,867Rank: 24th
The average salary ranks 24th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Staff Perm, True North Inc., NextStep Recruiting, and Robert Half Management Resources.

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$23,000

$153,000

Salary Distribution
Utah$68,969Rank: 32nd
The average salary ranks 32nd among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Utah Valley University, University of Utah, and Salt Lake Community College.

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$19,000

$149,000

Salary Distribution
Virginia$76,118Rank: 19th
The average salary ranks 19th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Gilder Search Group, Search Pro Group, PMG Employment Consultants, and Cameron Craig Group.

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$25,000

$154,000

Salary Distribution
Vermont$45,638Rank: 45th
The average salary ranks 45th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like State of Vermont.

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$11.35

$40.60

Salary Distribution
Washington$73,712Rank: 25th
The average salary ranks 25th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Matrix Finance and Accounting, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, State of Washington, and Parker and Lynch.

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$25,000

$146,000

Salary Distribution
Wisconsin$72,514Rank: 27th
The average salary ranks 27th among states in the country. There were also job openings from employers like Baker Tilly Search & Staffing, LLC, Northpoint Financial Search, Parker and Lynch, and fulltimeGiGS.

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$25,000

$143,000

Salary Distribution

Top 20 National Employers

According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Internal Auditor. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.

Employer NameLocationAverage Salary

Learn More

Related Careers

Career NameAverage Salary

Henry Steele
Managing Editor
Henry is Managing Editor of BusinessStudent.com. He is a seasoned business professional who regularly consults with local business's throughout Southern California. Henry pursued his undergrad in Business and Economics at the University of San Diego and gained valuable life changing experience through a unique internship upon graduation.

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