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How Much Does a Tax Preparer Make?
A tax preparer in the US earns a median salary of $54,920 a year, or $26.40 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $60,930, and the middle half earn between $38,910 and $76,300.
Tax preparer pay range
What tax preparers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $33,760 | $16.23 | |
| 25th | $38,910 | $18.71 | |
| Median (50th) | $54,920 | $26.40 | |
| 75th | $76,300 | $36.68 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $99,270 | $47.72 |
The median is 8% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 76,480 people work as tax preparers in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $1,056
- Every two weeks
- $2,112
- Twice a month
- $2,288
- A month
- $4,577
At the median salary, before tax.
Tax preparer salary by state
Sorted by average pay. New York pays tax preparers the most, at $79,160 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $79,160 | $71,850 | 7,620 | After tax |
| Alaska | $77,490 | $62,360 | 70 | After tax |
| Missouri | $72,120 | $62,780 | 1,330 | After tax |
| California | $71,540 | $70,030 | 10,270 | After tax |
| Nevada | $69,450 | $60,000 | 1,410 | After tax |
| Montana | $68,980 | $63,080 | 360 | After tax |
| Utah | $67,520 | $66,720 | 1,190 | After tax |
| Colorado | $67,090 | $62,620 | 1,540 | After tax |
| Wyoming | $67,030 | $57,990 | 90 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $66,780 | $61,270 | 2,010 | After tax |
| Oregon | $65,980 | $61,370 | 1,590 | After tax |
| New Hampshire | $64,780 | $61,370 | 420 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $62,780 | $59,200 | 1,040 | After tax |
| Arizona | $62,650 | $44,770 | 2,240 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $62,070 | $57,060 | 220 | After tax |
| Virginia | $61,160 | $58,520 | 1,960 | After tax |
| Iowa | $59,590 | $53,660 | 780 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $58,230 | $58,400 | 1,500 | After tax |
| North Carolina | $57,820 | $48,130 | 2,710 | After tax |
| Rhode Island | $57,010 | $57,680 | – | After tax |
| Texas | $56,670 | $47,460 | 6,010 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $56,640 | $50,670 | 580 | After tax |
| Kansas | $55,950 | $47,300 | 450 | After tax |
| South Dakota | $55,710 | $52,530 | 280 | After tax |
| Georgia | $55,400 | $49,330 | 1,670 | After tax |
| Florida | $54,670 | $49,020 | – | After tax |
| Illinois | $54,530 | $54,480 | 1,310 | After tax |
| Maryland | $54,350 | $47,020 | 1,240 | After tax |
| Michigan | $54,160 | $46,400 | 1,660 | After tax |
| Delaware | $54,020 | $51,960 | 240 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $52,870 | $43,420 | 3,220 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $52,350 | $41,130 | 700 | After tax |
| Ohio | $52,310 | $49,020 | 1,590 | After tax |
| Puerto Rico | $52,280 | $46,730 | 340 | |
| Indiana | $51,820 | $45,710 | 1,820 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $51,220 | $39,220 | 1,360 | After tax |
| Maine | $49,600 | $47,150 | 250 | After tax |
| Washington | $49,380 | $45,370 | 1,360 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $49,300 | $44,340 | 1,550 | After tax |
| Oklahoma | $48,910 | $42,700 | 1,300 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $46,910 | $43,010 | 420 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $45,970 | $36,620 | 1,080 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $45,740 | $36,600 | 1,260 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $44,340 | $38,740 | 650 | After tax |
| Arkansas | $43,350 | $35,040 | 550 | After tax |
| Hawaii | $40,820 | $34,720 | – | After tax |
| New Mexico | $40,770 | $38,060 | 340 | After tax |
| West Virginia | $40,320 | $35,880 | 330 | After tax |
| Alabama | $34,070 | $33,280 | 290 | After tax |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other business and financial jobs
- Accountant $83,680 median
- Project management specialist $102,320 median
- Human resources specialist $75,940 median
- Market research analyst and marketing specialist $78,760 median
- Management analyst $101,860 median
- Buyer and purchasing agent $77,710 median
- Training and development specialist $69,280 median
- Compliance officer $80,730 median
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Tax Preparers” (SOC 13-2082). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a tax preparer make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a tax preparer is $26.40, and the average is $29.30. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $16.23 an hour and the top 10% over $47.72.
How much does a tax preparer make a month?
At the median salary of $54,920, a tax preparer earns about $4,577 a month before tax, or $2,112 every two weeks.
Which state pays tax preparers the most?
New York has the highest average pay for a tax preparer, at $79,160 a year. Next are Alaska and Missouri. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a tax preparer?
The lowest-paid 10% of tax preparers earn less than $33,760 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $38,910. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid tax preparers make?
The top 10% earn more than $99,270 a year, and the top 25% more than $76,300.
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