Tax Preparers
Tax Preparers earn an average annual salary of $71,278, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Tax Preparers workforce.
Employment Over Time
10,700 Workforce in 2023
The Tax Preparers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Tax Preparers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$71,278 Average Wage
In 2023, Tax Preparers earned an average of $71,278.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Tax Preparers.
Salary distribution for Tax Preparers.
Employment Growth Projections
4.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
49,492 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 22.5%
60,630 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 50.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 4.1% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Tax Preparers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Tax Preparers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Tax Preparers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Tax Preparers.
Wage Trends by Industry
0.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Tax Preparers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Tax Preparers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 9,380 employees, $71,668 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Tax Preparers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 2,670 employees, $74,214 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 1,570 employees, $74,168 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 1,060 employees, $86,731 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 870 employees, $63,506 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 770 employees, $81,860 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 560 employees, $63,710 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 520 employees, $51,110 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 470 employees, $68,856 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 170 employees, $60,430 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 170 employees, $58,413 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Tax Preparers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Tax Preparers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Tax Preparers in 2023 was 10,700 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Tax Preparers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Tax Preparers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Tax Preparers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Tax Preparers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Tax Preparers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Tax Preparers workers.
Education level distribution for Tax Preparers.
Skills
Tax Preparers need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Learning.
Required skills for Tax Preparers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Tax Preparers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Tax Preparers include Customer and Personal Service, Economics and Accounting, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Law and Government.
Knowledge areas required for Tax Preparers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Tax Preparers include Near Vision, Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Tax Preparers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Tax Preparers.
Daily Activities
Tax Preparers spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Getting Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Processing Information, Documenting/Recording Information.
Most important work activities for Tax Preparers.
About
Tax Preparers
The average yearly wage for Tax Preparers was $71,278 in 2023.
SOC Code
13-2082 - Tax Preparers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Tax Preparers reports an average salary of $71,278.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 10,700 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 4.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.