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According to Institute of Management Accountants (IMA®), the median total compensation for a CMA® in the U.S. is $135,000. Globally, CMAs earn 21% more in annual compensation compared to their non-certified peers, with CMAs averaging about $87,000 annually. Additional sources, like Payscale, Opens in new window indicate that the mean CMA base salary in the U.S. is $107,000.
CMA salaries are representative of the value that CMAs bring and the exciting opportunities they can explore.
Keep reading to get in-depth CMA salary information or jump to the benefits of becoming a CMA.
IMA periodically conducts a global salary survey Opens in new window to discover trends in compensation and other useful information for members. IMA is the largest management accounting association in the world, and its certification branch, the Institute of Certified Management Accountants (ICMA®), is responsible for the development, administration, and grading of the CMA exam.
IMA’s latest Global Salary Survey was conducted in 2023, and it collected data from over 2,500 IMA members in 69 different countries. This table represents the median CMA salary for countries that made up at least 1% of survey responses.
You can also read previous surveys’ CMA salary statistics and trends to learn how they’ve changed over time.
| CMA Salary by Country | ||
|---|---|---|
| Country | Median Salary | Median Total Compensation |
| USA | $122,000 | $135,000 |
| Canada | $74,351 | $81,251 |
| Netherlands | $95,461 | $108,495 |
| Egypt | $4,884 | $6,007 |
| Jordan | $16,000 | $20,200 |
| Saudi Arabia | $31,000 | $38,667 |
| Qatar | $25,167 | $31,061 |
| India | $7,918 | $9,704 |
| UAE | $32,675 | $35,398 |
| China | $26,092 | $30,000 |
| Vietnam | $27,000 | $30,000 |
| Philippines | $14,106 | $15,556 |
Source: Institute of Management Accountants Global Salary Survey
CMA salaries can vary due to many factors, and the region you live in plays a large role. In general, salaries in the Americas (primarily the U.S. and Canada) offer the highest CMA salaries globally, with total compensation reaching as high as $163,932. European CMAs earn around $136,000, while CMAs in Asia and the Middle East & Africa earn less in absolute terms but still out-earn non-certified peers by a considerable margin in their respective regions.
See the table below for a comparison of CMA vs. Non-CMA mean base salaries across the different regions surveyed.
| CMA vs. Non-CMA Base Salary by Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Region | CMA | Non-CMA | CMA Premium |
| Americas | $163,932 | $131,770 | 24% |
| AsiaPac | $45,475 | $39,893 | 14% |
| Europe | $136,277 | $95,093 | 43% |
| Middle East/Africa/India | $44,803 | $32,209 | 39% |
| All | $86,855 | $72,102 | 21% |
Source: Institute of Management Accountants Global Salary Survey
Becoming a CMA not only offers great salary benefits but also improves other aspects of your life and career. Don’t underestimate the importance of these factors. There’s more to your career than simply what you make.
CMAs who responded to IMA’s Salary Survey shared some helpful insights into the benefits of being a CMA.
Certified Management Accountants specialize in managerial accounting. They provide the “why” behind the numbers, manage project proposals, and advise on the potential for future profits.
Becoming a CMA advances your career by opening up new, upper-level positions. After all, making cost-minded decisions is a valuable asset in any industry.
See how CMA salaries have changed over time with information from IMA’s previous salary surveys.
The 2021 IMA Global Salary Survey collected data from over 3,000 IMA members in 79 different countries. In 2021, 29.5% of the responses came from China, 39.2% from the U.S., 3.6% from the United Arab Emirates, and the remaining 27.7% were split among the remaining countries.
The figure below represents the median 2020 CMA salary for countries with at least 1% of survey responses. This is the simplest and most recent CMA salary breakdown you’ll find.
Across all management levels, CMAs earn more than their peers, especially in senior management positions, where they make as much as 58% more in total compensation.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic had a serious impact on the global economy, many IMA respondents indicated their compensation wasn’t negatively impacted. Overall, 64% of respondents said there was either an increase or no change in their compensation during the pandemic. The remaining 36% said they had their salary decreased, received a lower bonus or none at all, or were placed on unpaid leave (furloughed).
Candidates in the Middle East, Africa, and India were impacted the most (54%), while respondents in Europe and the Americas had the least impact (33% and 30%, respectively). Those with a CMA certification were less likely to experience a salary cut than non-CMAs (35% vs. 38%).
Comparing the impact of COVID-19 on CMAs vs. non-CMAs for the 107 unemployed respondents, CMAs were less likely to say their job had been impacted by COVID-19 than non-CMAs (21% vs. 33%), less likely to be working on improving their skill sets (26% vs. 44%), and less likely to be making a career change due to COVID-19 (9% vs. 21%).
These results suggest CMAs are more confident in their skill set and are valued at their organizations. For CMAs in the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East, Africa, and India regions, high numbers of respondents agreed that the certification gave them more confidence to perform their job at a high level (87%, 86%, and 90%, respectively). Respondents from Asia and the Pacific agreed most often the CMA certification strengthens their ability to move across all areas of the business (88%).