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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

13-2082 Tax Preparers

Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses. Excludes “Accountants and Auditors” (13-2011).


National estimates for Tax Preparers
Industry profile for Tax Preparers
Geographic profile for Tax Preparers

National estimates for Tax Preparers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Tax Preparers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
82,370 3.3 % $ 26.85 $ 55,840 1.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for Tax Preparers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 13.31 $ 16.52 $ 23.20 $ 35.82 $ 46.45
Annual Wage (2) $ 27,680 $ 34,350 $ 48,250 $ 74,500 $ 96,610


Industry profile for Tax Preparers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Tax Preparers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Tax Preparers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Tax Preparers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 78,340 7.43 $ 26.61 $ 55,360
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 1,680 0.10 $ 31.95 $ 66,450
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 720 0.07 $ 38.92 $ 80,950
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) 250 0.01 $ 26.96 $ 56,080
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 160 0.01 $ 23.22 $ 48,300

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Tax Preparers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 78,340 7.43 $ 26.61 $ 55,360
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 1,680 0.10 $ 31.95 $ 66,450
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 720 0.07 $ 38.92 $ 80,950
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) 250 0.01 $ 26.96 $ 56,080
Computer Systems Design and Related Services 160 0.01 $ 23.22 $ 48,300

Top paying industries for Tax Preparers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 720 0.07 $ 38.92 $ 80,950
Management of Companies and Enterprises 70 (7) $ 32.38 $ 67,350
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 1,680 0.10 $ 31.95 $ 66,450
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) 250 0.01 $ 26.96 $ 56,080
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 78,340 7.43 $ 26.61 $ 55,360


Geographic profile for Tax Preparers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Tax Preparers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Tax Preparers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of tax preparers by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Tax Preparers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 12,610 0.72 1.28 $ 28.91 $ 60,130
Texas 9,980 0.77 1.38 $ 29.15 $ 60,640
New York 7,590 0.83 1.50 $ 33.70 $ 70,090
Florida 5,030 0.55 0.98 $ 22.50 $ 46,810
Pennsylvania 2,590 0.45 0.80 $ 26.73 $ 55,600


Map of location quotient of tax preparers by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Tax Preparers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Utah 1,400 0.86 1.55 $ 32.70 $ 68,020
New York 7,590 0.83 1.50 $ 33.70 $ 70,090
Nevada 1,130 0.80 1.44 $ 26.97 $ 56,090
Texas 9,980 0.77 1.38 $ 29.15 $ 60,640
California 12,610 0.72 1.28 $ 28.91 $ 60,130


Map of annual mean wages of tax preparers by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Tax Preparers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Colorado 1,850 0.67 1.20 $ 37.59 $ 78,190
New York 7,590 0.83 1.50 $ 33.70 $ 70,090
Utah 1,400 0.86 1.55 $ 32.70 $ 68,020
Minnesota 1,430 0.51 0.91 $ 30.52 $ 63,490
Oregon 1,230 0.65 1.16 $ 29.53 $ 61,420



Map of employment of tax preparers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Tax Preparers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 7,590 0.83 1.48 $ 34.00 $ 70,730
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,000 0.82 1.47 $ 28.51 $ 59,290
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 3,590 0.94 1.69 $ 31.72 $ 65,970
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,120 1.02 1.83 $ 31.73 $ 66,000
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,230 0.85 1.52 $ 23.32 $ 48,500
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 1,930 0.64 1.14 $ 26.07 $ 54,220
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 1,630 0.68 1.22 $ 32.79 $ 68,200
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 1,460 0.66 1.18 $ 29.43 $ 61,210
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 1,400 0.32 0.57 $ 26.02 $ 54,120
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,360 0.50 0.90 $ 29.62 $ 61,620


Map of location quotient of tax preparers by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Tax Preparers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Grants Pass, OR 50 1.73 3.10 $ 24.38 $ 50,700
Sumter, SC 60 1.56 2.81 $ 13.96 $ 29,030
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC 120 1.54 2.77 $ 26.46 $ 55,050
Medford, OR 130 1.45 2.61 $ 35.85 $ 74,570
Fort Collins, CO 200 1.20 2.15 $ 34.23 $ 71,200
Billings, MT 100 1.14 2.04 $ 23.64 $ 49,160
Salt Lake City, UT 850 1.09 1.97 $ 33.39 $ 69,460
Jacksonville, NC 50 1.09 1.95 (8) (8)
Rapid City, SD 80 1.08 1.93 $ 21.82 $ 45,380
San Angelo, TX 50 1.06 1.90 $ 23.05 $ 47,930


Map of annual mean wages of tax preparers by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Tax Preparers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 950 0.61 1.09 $ 41.29 $ 85,880
Ogden-Clearfield, UT 170 0.60 1.07 $ 39.05 $ 81,220
Bend-Redmond, OR (8) (8) (8) $ 37.43 $ 77,850
Medford, OR 130 1.45 2.61 $ 35.85 $ 74,570
Fort Collins, CO 200 1.20 2.15 $ 34.23 $ 71,200
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 970 0.86 1.55 $ 34.14 $ 71,010
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 7,590 0.83 1.48 $ 34.00 $ 70,730
Idaho Falls, ID 40 0.52 0.94 $ 33.98 $ 70,670
Boulder, CO 130 0.70 1.25 $ 33.95 $ 70,620
Albany, OR 40 0.75 1.35 $ 33.59 $ 69,870

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Tax Preparers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 150 0.57 1.03 $ 21.40 $ 44,520
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 140 0.76 1.36 $ 21.35 $ 44,420
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 140 0.66 1.18 $ 19.08 $ 39,680
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 140 0.50 0.90 $ 22.32 $ 46,420
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 130 0.34 0.61 $ 13.91 $ 28,930

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Tax Preparers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 40 0.97 1.74 $ 17.91 $ 37,260
Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area 60 0.90 1.62 $ 23.70 $ 49,290
South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 80 0.86 1.54 $ 16.46 $ 34,240
Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area 70 0.80 1.44 $ 23.78 $ 49,470
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 80 0.79 1.42 $ 26.22 $ 54,530

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Tax Preparers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 50 0.43 0.78 $ 35.85 $ 74,560
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area 60 0.48 0.86 $ 32.21 $ 66,990
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 40 0.33 0.58 $ 28.59 $ 59,470
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area 40 0.65 1.16 $ 27.68 $ 57,570
Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $ 27.58 $ 57,370


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023