Tax Preparers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for tax preparers is $54,920, or $26.40 per hour. About 76,480 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $71,850 in New York to $33,280 in Alabama.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 48 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $71,850 | $34.54 | 7,620 | 1.60 |
| 2 | California | $70,030 | $33.67 | 10,270 | 1.15 |
| 3 | Utah | $66,720 | $32.08 | 1,190 | 1.40 |
| 4 | Montana | $63,080 | $30.33 | 360 | 1.42 |
| 5 | Missouri | $62,780 | $30.18 | 1,330 | 0.92 |
| 6 | Colorado | $62,620 | $30.11 | 1,540 | 1.09 |
| 7 | Alaska | $62,360 | $29.98 | 70 | 0.46 |
| 8 | Oregon | $61,370 | $29.51 | 1,590 | 1.64 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $61,370 | $29.51 | 420 | 1.24 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $61,270 | $29.46 | 2,010 | 0.67 |
| 11 | Nevada | $60,000 | $28.85 | 1,410 | 1.85 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $59,200 | $28.46 | 1,040 | 0.72 |
| 13 | Virginia | $58,520 | $28.13 | 1,960 | 0.97 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $58,400 | $28.08 | 1,500 | 0.84 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $57,990 | $27.88 | 90 | 0.68 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $57,680 | $27.73 | — | — |
| 17 | North Dakota | $57,060 | $27.43 | 220 | 1.06 |
| 18 | Illinois | $54,480 | $26.19 | 1,310 | 0.44 |
| 19 | Iowa | $53,660 | $25.80 | 780 | 1.01 |
| 20 | South Dakota | $52,530 | $25.26 | 280 | 1.26 |
| 21 | Delaware | $51,960 | $24.98 | 240 | 1.01 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $50,670 | $24.36 | 580 | 1.02 |
| 23 | Georgia | $49,330 | $23.72 | 1,670 | 0.70 |
| 24 | Ohio | $49,020 | $23.57 | 1,590 | 0.58 |
| 25 | Florida | $49,020 | $23.57 | — | — |
| 26 | North Carolina | $48,130 | $23.14 | 2,710 | 1.11 |
| 27 | Texas | $47,460 | $22.82 | 6,010 | 0.87 |
| 28 | Kansas | $47,300 | $22.74 | 450 | 0.63 |
| 29 | Maine | $47,150 | $22.67 | 250 | 0.79 |
| 30 | Maryland | $47,020 | $22.61 | 1,240 | 0.91 |
| 31 | Michigan | $46,400 | $22.31 | 1,660 | 0.77 |
| 32 | Indiana | $45,710 | $21.98 | 1,820 | 1.16 |
| 33 | Washington | $45,370 | $21.81 | 1,360 | 0.78 |
| 34 | Arizona | $44,770 | $21.52 | 2,240 | 1.41 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $44,340 | $21.32 | 1,550 | 1.07 |
| 36 | New Jersey | $43,420 | $20.88 | 3,220 | 1.53 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $43,010 | $20.68 | 420 | 0.83 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $42,700 | $20.53 | 1,300 | 1.54 |
| 39 | Connecticut | $41,130 | $19.77 | 700 | 0.84 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $39,220 | $18.86 | 1,360 | 1.20 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $38,740 | $18.63 | 650 | 0.68 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $38,060 | $18.30 | 340 | 0.80 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $36,620 | $17.60 | 1,080 | 1.09 |
| 44 | Tennessee | $36,600 | $17.59 | 1,260 | 0.78 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $35,880 | $17.25 | 330 | 0.96 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $35,040 | $16.85 | 550 | 0.86 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $34,720 | $16.69 | — | — |
| 48 | Alabama | $33,280 | $16.00 | 290 | 0.28 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do tax preparers make?
The median annual wage for tax preparers in the United States is $54,920, or $26.40 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $33,760, and the top 10% earn $99,270.
How many tax preparers are employed in the U.S.?
About 76,480 people work as tax preparers nationwide.
Which state pays tax preparers the most?
New York pays the most at a median of $71,850, followed by California ($70,030) and Utah ($66,720).
Which state pays tax preparers the least?
Alabama has the lowest median at $33,280.
Where are tax preparers jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Nevada at 1.85×.