SOC 13-2082 · Business and Financial Operations Occupations

Tax Preparers wages by metro

National median annual wage

$54,920

10th percentile: $33,760
25th percentile: $38,910
Median: $54,920
75th percentile: $76,300
90th percentile: $99,270
Mean: $60,930

Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.

National employment in May 2025: 76,480.

That median is 7.7% higher than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.

The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.

Two cooks working in a commercial kitchen in 1930 — Cooks in a Washington state kitchen, 1930. Seattle Municipal Archives. Photograph by Seattle Municipal Archives. Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Highest published medians

Metros with the highest published annual medians for Tax Preparers.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	1,410	$47,420	$84,240	$105,230
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	760	$48,390	$81,180	$113,530
Kansas City, MO-KS	560	$35,380	$78,920	$141,520
Jefferson City, MO	30	$49,910	$75,990	$122,360
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	60	$43,530	$71,800	$93,730
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	8,100	$39,010	$71,300	$124,950
Amarillo, TX	60	$35,300	$70,980	$89,690
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	690	$38,700	$70,170	$99,120
St. Louis, MO-IL	380	$35,500	$69,210	$123,230
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	670	$48,300	$66,920	$103,050
Billings, MT	80	$46,810	$65,930	$92,890
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	130	$45,670	$65,930	$97,300
Boulder, CO	110	$39,260	$65,410	$94,060
Fargo, ND-MN	110	$39,540	$65,320	$101,960
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	970	$39,070	$65,150	$107,130
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	3,250	$37,790	$65,120	$106,740
Waco, TX	40	$43,850	$65,020	$124,960
Modesto, CA	170	$38,080	$64,630	$96,270
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT	250	$37,410	$64,240	$98,640
Florence, SC	60	$27,450	$63,600	$102,380

Where employment is largest

Metros with the most Tax Preparers jobs in the May 2025 tables.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	8,100	$39,010	$71,300	$124,950
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	3,250	$37,790	$65,120	$106,740
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	1,780	$34,110	$47,020	$89,950
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	1,580	$39,760	$44,770	$115,700
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	1,410	$47,420	$84,240	$105,230
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	1,280	$35,070	$47,320	$90,330
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	1,150	$34,150	$62,010	$103,570
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	1,150	$39,640	$57,890	$98,700
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	1,130	$41,900	$60,170	$99,500
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	1,110	$37,690	$59,630	$87,820
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	1,060	$37,920	$48,550	$97,910
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	1,020	$34,750	$48,670	$83,980
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	970	$39,070	$65,150	$107,130
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	870	$41,870	$61,350	$97,030
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	850	$34,750	$50,350	$109,990
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	830	$30,000	$46,450	$81,740
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	780	$40,330	$47,860	$71,480
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	760	$48,390	$81,180	$113,530
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	740	$39,430	$60,430	$92,890
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	700	$26,230	$45,780	$78,700

States and territories

State estimates for Tax Preparers, May 2025.
Occupation	Employment	10th	Median	90th
New York	7,620	$39,010	$71,850	$125,070
California	10,270	$38,910	$70,030	$104,000
Utah	1,190	$38,430	$66,720	$102,840
Montana	360	$44,300	$63,080	$100,060
Missouri	1,330	$31,400	$62,780	$124,300
Colorado	1,540	$37,790	$62,620	$97,980
Alaska	70	$40,340	$62,360	$117,890
New Hampshire	420	$36,100	$61,370	$97,020
Oregon	1,590	$43,640	$61,370	$96,550
Pennsylvania	2,010	$31,200	$61,270	$103,570
Nevada	1,410	$41,900	$60,000	$99,500
Minnesota	1,040	$36,520	$59,200	$95,520
Virginia	1,960	$36,330	$58,520	$98,700
Massachusetts	1,500	$37,560	$58,400	$82,700
Wyoming	90	$37,830	$57,990	$92,380
Rhode Island	Not available	$52,000	$57,680	$62,580
North Dakota	220	$37,080	$57,060	$89,310
Illinois	1,310	$33,030	$54,480	$76,150
Iowa	780	$33,520	$53,660	$84,700
South Dakota	280	$39,080	$52,530	$77,480
Delaware	240	$37,910	$51,960	$74,650
Mississippi	580	$29,140	$50,670	$88,790
Georgia	1,670	$30,780	$49,330	$97,020
Florida	Not available	$30,380	$49,020	$94,330
Ohio	1,590	$36,190	$49,020	$74,850
North Carolina	2,710	$35,480	$48,130	$97,720
Texas	6,010	$31,110	$47,460	$86,950
Kansas	450	$30,980	$47,300	$99,090
Maine	250	$38,800	$47,150	$63,260
Maryland	1,240	$37,700	$47,020	$69,790
Puerto Rico	340	$29,830	$46,730	$96,360
Michigan	1,660	$29,600	$46,400	$77,950
Indiana	1,820	$27,190	$45,710	$86,360
Washington	1,360	$38,260	$45,370	$71,480
Arizona	2,240	$36,970	$44,770	$104,740
Wisconsin	1,550	$34,920	$44,340	$73,130
New Jersey	3,220	$34,250	$43,420	$77,640
Nebraska	420	$30,920	$43,010	$71,580
Oklahoma	1,300	$26,720	$42,700	$82,210
Connecticut	700	$35,740	$41,130	$81,750
South Carolina	1,360	$28,040	$39,220	$80,880
Louisiana	650	$24,920	$38,740	$61,880
New Mexico	340	$27,250	$38,060	$60,000
Kentucky	1,080	$21,750	$36,620	$80,690
Tennessee	1,260	$27,770	$36,600	$77,270
West Virginia	330	$21,880	$35,880	$63,760
Arkansas	550	$28,990	$35,040	$66,420
Hawaii	Not available	$29,120	$34,720	$69,270
Alabama	290	$23,290	$33,280	$48,020

Other business and financial operations occupations

Questions this page answers

What is the national median wage for Tax Preparers?

In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Tax Preparers is $54,920. Employment is 76,480.

How does Tax Preparers pay compare with all occupations?

The national median for Tax Preparers is 7.7% higher than the all-occupations median of $50,980.

Which metro has the highest published median for Tax Preparers?

Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA is highest on this page's list at $84,240.