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Concentration of tax preparers and accountants and auditors in 2015
April 06, 2016
It’s April and that means it’s time to file your taxes! Did you hire a tax preparer or accountant this year? In May 2015, Georgia had the highest concentration of tax preparers among states and Washington, DC, had the highest concentration of accountants and auditors. We measure this concentration with the location quotient. A location quotient greater than 1.00 means the occupation has a higher share of state employment than the national average. Georgia had a location quotient of 1.74 for tax preparers and Washington, DC, had a location quotient of 1.81 for accountants and auditors.
Location quotients of tax preparers by state, 2015
1.18 and higher
0.99 to 1.17
0.89 to 0.98
0.72 to 0.88
0.71 and lower
1.18
Arizona
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Hover over legend items to see states in a category.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In May 2015, there were 1,226,910 people employed as accountants and auditors and 72,060 employed as tax preparers nationwide. After Georgia, tax preparers were most concentrated in Oregon (location quotient of 1.62), Alaska (1.41), and Michigan (1.35). In the United States, the average annual wage for tax preparers was $44,730, compared to $75,280 for accountants and auditors. Wages were higher for accountants and auditors than for tax preparers in every state for which data are available.
Location quotients of accountants and auditors by state, 2015
1.08 and higher
0.98 to 1.07
0.87 to 0.97
0.74 to 0.86
0.73 and lower
0.77
Montana
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Hover over legend items to see states in a category.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Location quotients of accountants and auditors by state, 2015
State
Location quotient
Employment
Annual mean wage
District of Columbia
1.81
10,860
$93,000
Colorado
1.55
33,830
74,700
Delaware
1.44
5,580
78,560
New York
1.27
101,920
91,630
Virginia
1.21
39,670
80,580
Maryland
1.18
27,330
80,580
South Dakota
1.18
4,360
61,990
Massachusetts
1.16
35,020
82,540
Texas
1.14
117,130
78,490
Minnesota
1.08
26,550
69,840
New Jersey
1.08
37,430
86,770
Pennsylvania
1.08
55,110
72,000
Florida
1.07
75,280
68,750
Nebraska
1.07
9,100
66,630
Vermont
1.07
2,890
71,790
Oklahoma
1.06
15,000
64,260
Rhode Island
1.06
4,450
79,110
California
1.05
144,540
80,860
Connecticut
1.05
15,460
78,450
Georgia
1.03
37,590
76,850
United States
1.00
1,226,910
75,280
North Dakota
0.98
3,890
56,000
Washington
0.98
26,030
73,890
Kansas
0.95
11,560
63,240
Illinois
0.94
48,910
72,550
Missouri
0.94
22,680
71,480
New Mexico
0.90
6,360
64,340
Alabama
0.89
14,840
67,040
Hawaii
0.89
4,920
59,630
Utah
0.89
10,540
70,140
Arizona
0.87
20,040
66,540
Ohio
0.87
40,780
69,760
South Carolina
0.84
14,470
60,900
North Carolina
0.83
30,390
73,060
Wisconsin
0.82
20,180
67,420
Alaska
0.81
2,350
80,980
Maine
0.81
4,280
60,200
New Hampshire
0.79
4,480
70,320
Indiana
0.78
20,380
65,210
Montana
0.77
3,050
62,820
Oregon
0.76
11,760
65,110
Michigan
0.75
27,570
71,420
Wyoming
0.73
1,830
66,650
Iowa
0.71
9,620
62,910
Kentucky
0.71
11,670
63,200
Nevada
0.71
7,810
64,010
Idaho
0.68
3,890
71,300
Louisiana
0.67
11,600
63,100
Tennessee
0.67
16,820
66,270
West Virginia
0.64
4,020
62,600
Mississippi
0.55
5,420
55,610
Arkansas
0.54
5,680
62,430
After Washington, DC, accountants and auditors were most concentrated in Colorado (location quotient of 1.55), Delaware (1.44), and New York (1.27). In each of these states, wages for accountants and auditors averaged more than $74,000 per year.