Tax Preparers Career, Salary and Skills
Tax Preparers have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $54,920 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 76,480. Wage data is published for 235 locations.
Occupation description
Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
O*NET code
13-2082.00
Job zone
3
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$54,920
Hourly median
$26.40
Employment
76,480
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
$33,760
10th
$38,910
25th
$54,920
Median
$76,300
75th
$99,270
90th
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Speaking | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Time Management | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Active Learning | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Writing | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Mathematics | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | 3.00 | 3.00 |
Typical tasks
- Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
- Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
- Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
- Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
- Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
- Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns.
- Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures.
- Explain federal and state tax laws to individuals and companies.
Technology
- Datagroup ElectroFile ST
- ACI TaskTracker
- ATX Total Accounting Office
- ATX Total Tax Office
- CCH ProSystem fx TAX
- Creative Solutions CPA Depreciation
- Creative Solutions UltraTax CS
- Datagroup ElectroFile 1040
- Datagroup ElectroFile ELF
- Datair Employee Benefits Systems
- Electronic ToolKit for Tax Preparers
- Email software
- ExacTax PackageEX
- Greatland Corporation Winfiler
Tax Preparers salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Tax Preparers Salary in CAMedian $70,030 · Employment 10,270
- Tax Preparers Salary in New York, NYMedian $71,300 · Employment 8,100
- Tax Preparers Salary in NYMedian $71,850 · Employment 7,620
- Tax Preparers Salary in TXMedian $47,460 · Employment 6,010
- Tax Preparers Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $65,120 · Employment 3,250
- Tax Preparers Salary in NJMedian $43,420 · Employment 3,220
- Tax Preparers Salary in NCMedian $48,130 · Employment 2,710
- Tax Preparers Salary in AZMedian $44,770 · Employment 2,240
- Tax Preparers Salary in PAMedian $61,270 · Employment 2,010
- Tax Preparers Salary in VAMedian $58,520 · Employment 1,960
- Tax Preparers Salary in INMedian $45,710 · Employment 1,820
- Tax Preparers Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $47,020 · Employment 1,780
Related careers
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing ClerksNational median $49,230
- Loan Interviewers and ClerksNational median $50,020
- Paralegals and Legal AssistantsNational median $62,890
- Legal Secretaries and Administrative AssistantsNational median $55,570
- Financial ManagersNational median $166,570
- Billing and Posting ClerksNational median $48,500
- Loan OfficersNational median $76,690
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government ProgramsNational median $54,210
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.