Tax Preparer Salary
Tax Preparers earn a median $54,920 a year nationally. Business and Financial Operations Occupations
U.S. median
$54,920
$26.40 per hour
Range
$33,760 – $99,270
10th to 90th percentile
Employed
76,480
across the U.S.
Tax Preparer take-home pay calculator
Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.
Your take-home pay
$46,308
per year · effective tax rate 15.7%
$3,859Monthly
$1,930Twice a month
$1,781Every 2 weeks
$22.26Hourly
- Federal income tax$4,410
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,405
- Medicare (1.45%)$796
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$46,308
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state
Pay by experience
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home (no state tax) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $33,760 | $16.23 | $29,306 |
| 25th percentile | $38,910 | $18.71 | $33,444 |
| Median (50th) | $54,920 | $26.40 | $46,308 |
| 75th percentile | $76,300 | $36.68 | $62,507 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $99,270 | $47.73 | $78,666 |
Best cities for tax preparers (after tax & cost of living)
| # | Metro area | Median | Take-home | Real value* | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas City, MO | $78,920 | $61,578 | $66,540 | 560 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $81,180 | $61,565 | $55,753 | 760 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $84,240 | $63,393 | $54,832 | 1,410 |
| 4 | Salt Lake City, UT | $66,920 | $53,863 | $53,399 | 670 |
| 5 | Las Vegas, NV | $60,170 | $50,527 | $50,418 | 1,130 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $71,300 | $55,736 | $49,516 | 8,100 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $65,150 | $52,370 | $49,507 | 970 |
| 8 | San Diego, CA | $70,170 | $54,881 | $49,050 | 690 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $62,010 | $50,101 | $48,854 | 1,150 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $60,650 | $48,311 | $46,089 | 650 |
| 11 | Los Angeles, CA | $65,120 | $51,660 | $45,489 | 3,250 |
| 12 | Sacramento, CA | $60,430 | $48,275 | $45,256 | 740 |
| 13 | Portland, OR | $61,350 | $46,936 | $44,523 | 870 |
| 14 | Oklahoma City, OK | $49,450 | $40,233 | $44,502 | 590 |
| 15 | Boston, MA | $59,630 | $47,331 | $43,718 | 1,110 |
| 16 | Baltimore, MD | $56,160 | $45,001 | $43,068 | 660 |
| 17 | Washington, DC | $57,890 | $46,378 | $42,594 | 1,150 |
| 18 | Milwaukee, WI | $50,430 | $41,263 | $42,566 | 440 |
| 19 | Charlotte, NC | $50,350 | $41,136 | $42,257 | 850 |
| 20 | Austin, TX | $48,150 | $40,869 | $41,675 | 490 |
| 21 | Tampa, FL | $48,550 | $41,190 | $40,827 | 1,060 |
| 22 | Houston, TX | $47,320 | $40,202 | $40,760 | 1,280 |
| 23 | Indianapolis, IN | $45,780 | $37,643 | $39,336 | 700 |
| 24 | Dallas, TX | $47,020 | $39,961 | $38,763 | 1,780 |
| 25 | Chicago, IL | $48,670 | $39,022 | $37,668 | 1,020 |
*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Highest-paying cities
- San Francisco, CA — $84,240
- San Jose, CA — $81,180
- Kansas City, MO — $78,920
- New York, NY — $71,300
- San Diego, CA — $70,170
- Salt Lake City, UT — $66,920
- Denver, CO — $65,150
- Los Angeles, CA — $65,120
- Philadelphia, PA — $62,010
- Portland, OR — $61,350
- Minneapolis, MN — $60,650
- Sacramento, CA — $60,430
- Las Vegas, NV — $60,170
- Boston, MA — $59,630
- Washington, DC — $57,890
Tax Preparer salary by state
| State | Median | Take-home | Range | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $71,850 | $56,094 | $39,010 – $125,070 | 7,620 |
| California | $70,030 | $54,795 | $38,910 – $104,000 | 10,270 |
| Utah | $66,720 | $53,731 | $38,430 – $102,840 | 1,190 |
| Montana | $63,080 | $50,657 | $44,300 – $100,060 | 360 |
| Missouri | $62,780 | $50,610 | $31,400 – $124,300 | 1,330 |
| Colorado | $62,620 | $50,448 | $37,790 – $97,980 | 1,540 |
| Alaska | $62,360 | $52,286 | $40,340 – $117,890 | 70 |
| New Hampshire | $61,370 | $51,491 | $36,100 – $97,020 | 420 |
| Oregon | $61,370 | $46,951 | $43,640 – $96,550 | 1,590 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,270 | $49,529 | $31,200 – $103,570 | 2,010 |
| Nevada | $60,000 | $50,390 | $41,900 – $99,500 | 1,410 |
| Minnesota | $59,200 | $47,245 | $36,520 – $95,520 | 1,040 |
| Virginia | $58,520 | $46,650 | $36,330 – $98,700 | 1,960 |
| Massachusetts | $58,400 | $46,404 | $37,560 – $82,700 | 1,500 |
| Wyoming | $57,990 | $48,775 | $37,830 – $92,380 | 90 |
| Rhode Island | $57,680 | $46,980 | $52,000 – $62,580 | — |
| North Dakota | $57,060 | $48,028 | $37,080 – $89,310 | 220 |
| Illinois | $54,480 | $43,403 | $33,030 – $76,150 | 1,310 |
| Iowa | $53,660 | $43,909 | $33,520 – $84,700 | 780 |
| South Dakota | $52,530 | $44,388 | $39,080 – $77,480 | 280 |
| Delaware | $51,960 | $41,723 | $37,910 – $74,650 | 240 |
| Mississippi | $50,670 | $41,599 | $29,140 – $88,790 | 580 |
| Georgia | $49,330 | $39,879 | $30,780 – $97,020 | 1,670 |
| Florida | $49,020 | $41,568 | $30,380 – $94,330 | — |
| Ohio | $49,020 | $41,002 | $36,190 – $74,850 | 1,590 |
| North Carolina | $48,130 | $39,441 | $35,480 – $97,720 | 2,710 |
| Texas | $47,460 | $40,314 | $31,110 – $86,950 | 6,010 |
| Kansas | $47,300 | $38,346 | $30,980 – $99,090 | 450 |
| Maine | $47,150 | $38,064 | $38,800 – $63,260 | 250 |
| Maryland | $47,020 | $38,091 | $37,700 – $69,790 | 1,240 |
| Michigan | $46,400 | $37,741 | $29,600 – $77,950 | 1,660 |
| Indiana | $45,710 | $37,589 | $27,190 – $86,360 | 1,820 |
| Washington | $45,370 | $38,635 | $38,260 – $71,480 | 1,360 |
| Arizona | $44,770 | $37,242 | $36,970 – $104,740 | 2,240 |
| Wisconsin | $44,340 | $36,637 | $34,920 – $73,130 | 1,550 |
| New Jersey | $43,420 | $36,217 | $34,250 – $77,640 | 3,220 |
| Nebraska | $43,010 | $35,661 | $30,920 – $71,580 | 420 |
| Oklahoma | $42,700 | $35,113 | $26,720 – $82,210 | 1,300 |
| Connecticut | $41,130 | $34,302 | $35,740 – $81,750 | 700 |
| South Carolina | $39,220 | $32,497 | $28,040 – $80,880 | 1,360 |
| Louisiana | $38,740 | $32,532 | $24,920 – $61,880 | 650 |
| New Mexico | $38,060 | $32,092 | $27,250 – $60,000 | 340 |
| Kentucky | $36,620 | $30,440 | $21,750 – $80,690 | 1,080 |
| Tennessee | $36,600 | $31,588 | $27,770 – $77,270 | 1,260 |
| West Virginia | $35,880 | $30,048 | $21,880 – $63,760 | 330 |
| Arkansas | $35,040 | $29,181 | $28,990 – $66,420 | 550 |
| Hawaii | $34,720 | $28,866 | $29,120 – $69,270 | — |
| Alabama | $33,280 | $27,521 | $23,290 – $48,020 | 290 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a tax preparer make?
The national median salary for tax preparers is $54,920 a year ($26.40 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $33,760 and the top 10% earn over $99,270. Source: BLS, May 2025.
Which state pays tax preparers the most?
New York has the highest median pay at $71,850. After taxes and local prices, Kansas City, MO offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.
How many tax preparers are there in the U.S.?
About 76,480 people work as tax preparers nationwide.
All 28 cities
- Austin, TX
- Baltimore, MD
- Boston, MA
- Charlotte, NC
- Chicago, IL
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Detroit, MI
- Houston, TX
- Indianapolis, IN
- Kansas City, MO
- Las Vegas, NV
- Los Angeles, CA
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- New York, NY
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Portland, OR
- Sacramento, CA
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Tampa, FL
- Washington, DC