Tax Preparers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for tax preparerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $60,930 ≈ $29/hr
National median salary $54,920
Total employment 76,480 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +4.5%
Faster than average
Annual openings 10,400 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 90,600 → 94,700 (+4,100)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- New York$79,160
- Alaska$77,490
- Missouri$72,120
- California$71,540
- Nevada$69,450
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Alabama$34,070
- West Virginia$40,320
- New Mexico$40,770
- Hawaii$40,820
- Arkansas$43,350
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $79,160 | $71,850 | $38 | +29.9% | 7,620 |
| 2 | Alaska | $77,490 | $62,360 | $37 | +27.2% | 70 |
| 3 | Missouri | $72,120 | $62,780 | $35 | +18.4% | 1,330 |
| 4 | California | $71,540 | $70,030 | $34 | +17.4% | 10,270 |
| 5 | Nevada | $69,450 | $60,000 | $33 | +14% | 1,410 |
| 6 | Montana | $68,980 | $63,080 | $33 | +13.2% | 360 |
| 7 | Utah | $67,520 | $66,720 | $32 | +10.8% | 1,190 |
| 8 | Colorado | $67,090 | $62,620 | $32 | +10.1% | 1,540 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $67,030 | $57,990 | $32 | +10% | 90 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $66,780 | $61,270 | $32 | +9.6% | 2,010 |
| 11 | Oregon | $65,980 | $61,370 | $32 | +8.3% | 1,590 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $64,780 | $61,370 | $31 | +6.3% | 420 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $62,780 | $59,200 | $30 | +3% | 1,040 |
| 14 | Arizona | $62,650 | $44,770 | $30 | +2.8% | 2,240 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $62,070 | $57,060 | $30 | +1.9% | 220 |
| 16 | Virginia | $61,160 | $58,520 | $29 | +0.4% | 1,960 |
| 17 | Iowa | $59,590 | $53,660 | $29 | -2.2% | 780 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $58,230 | $58,400 | $28 | -4.4% | 1,500 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $57,820 | $48,130 | $28 | -5.1% | 2,710 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $57,010 | $57,680 | $27 | -6.4% | — |
| 21 | Texas | $56,670 | $47,460 | $27 | -7% | 6,010 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $56,640 | $50,670 | $27 | -7% | 580 |
| 23 | Kansas | $55,950 | $47,300 | $27 | -8.2% | 450 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $55,710 | $52,530 | $27 | -8.6% | 280 |
| 25 | Georgia | $55,400 | $49,330 | $27 | -9.1% | 1,670 |
| 26 | Florida | $54,670 | $49,020 | $26 | -10.3% | — |
| 27 | Illinois | $54,530 | $54,480 | $26 | -10.5% | 1,310 |
| 28 | Maryland | $54,350 | $47,020 | $26 | -10.8% | 1,240 |
| 29 | Michigan | $54,160 | $46,400 | $26 | -11.1% | 1,660 |
| 30 | Delaware | $54,020 | $51,960 | $26 | -11.3% | 240 |
| 31 | New Jersey | $52,870 | $43,420 | $25 | -13.2% | 3,220 |
| 32 | Connecticut | $52,350 | $41,130 | $25 | -14.1% | 700 |
| 33 | Ohio | $52,310 | $49,020 | $25 | -14.1% | 1,590 |
| 34 | Indiana | $51,820 | $45,710 | $25 | -15% | 1,820 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $51,220 | $39,220 | $25 | -15.9% | 1,360 |
| 36 | Maine | $49,600 | $47,150 | $24 | -18.6% | 250 |
| 37 | Washington | $49,380 | $45,370 | $24 | -19% | 1,360 |
| 38 | Wisconsin | $49,300 | $44,340 | $24 | -19.1% | 1,550 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $48,910 | $42,700 | $24 | -19.7% | 1,300 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $46,910 | $43,010 | $23 | -23% | 420 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $45,970 | $36,620 | $22 | -24.6% | 1,080 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $45,740 | $36,600 | $22 | -24.9% | 1,260 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $44,340 | $38,740 | $21 | -27.2% | 650 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $43,350 | $35,040 | $21 | -28.9% | 550 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $40,820 | $34,720 | $20 | -33% | — |
| 46 | New Mexico | $40,770 | $38,060 | $20 | -33.1% | 340 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $40,320 | $35,880 | $19 | -33.8% | 330 |
| 48 | Alabama | $34,070 | $33,280 | $16 | -44.1% | 290 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 259 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $84,240 | $84,300 | 1,410 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $81,180 | $83,550 | 760 |
| 3 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $78,920 | $82,540 | 560 |
| 4 | Jefferson City, MO | $75,990 | $77,180 | 30 |
| 5 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $71,800 | $66,290 | 60 |
| 6 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $71,300 | $75,620 | 8,100 |
| 7 | Amarillo, TX | $70,980 | $66,640 | 60 |
| 8 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $70,170 | $69,700 | 690 |
| 9 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $69,210 | $74,870 | 380 |
| 10 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $66,920 | $72,230 | 670 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing tax preparerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $119,310 | $113,180 | — |
| 2 | Sector 42 - Wholesale Trade | $119,310 | $110,300 | — |
| 3 | Nondepository Credit Intermediation | $84,230 | $95,830 | 40 |
| 4 | Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation | $84,230 | $95,830 | 40 |
| 5 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $82,520 | $85,980 | 40 |
| 6 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $82,520 | $85,980 | 40 |
| 7 | Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises | $82,520 | $85,980 | 40 |
| 8 | Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $79,040 | $74,730 | — |
| 9 | Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | $76,640 | $76,020 | — |
| 10 | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | $76,640 | $75,470 | — |
| 11 | Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $75,850 | $73,460 | — |
| 12 | Sector 52 - Finance and Insurance | $74,660 | $80,660 | 550 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do tax preparers make in the U.S.?
The median tax preparers salary in the United States is $54,920 per year (mean $60,930), and about 80% earn between $33,760 and $99,270.
How much do tax preparers make per hour?
Roughly $29 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $60,930 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays tax preparers the most?
New York has the highest average pay for tax preparers at $79,160 per year (median $71,850).
What is the job outlook for tax preparers?
Employment is projected to change +4.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 10,400 openings per year.
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Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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