Occupation salary profile

Tax Preparers

SOC 13-2082 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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

National median · BLS
$54,920
▲ +8.62% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$61,750
▼ -8.52% YoY · 10 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$60,930
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
76,480
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Tax Preparers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 10 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$33,760$44,030
25th$38,910$52,562
Median (50th)$54,920$61,750
75th$76,300$73,254
90th — top pay$99,270$85,163
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $61,750 for Tax Preparers — 12.4% above the BLS national median of $54,920.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Tax Preparers

BLS projects employment of tax preparers to grow 4.7% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 9,400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
95,800 → 100,300
+4,500 jobs
Projected change
+4.7%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
9,400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
17.6% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $61,750
Change vs prior year -8.52%
After inflation (CPI-U) -11.3%
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Tax Preparers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Reading Comprehension4.0
  • Active Listening3.9
  • Critical Thinking3.5
  • Active Learning3.1
  • Speaking3.1
  • Time Management3.1
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.0
  • Mathematics3.0
  • Monitoring3.0
  • Service Orientation3.0
Top knowledge areas
  • Economics and Accounting3.9
  • English Language3.8
  • Customer and Personal Service3.7
  • Mathematics3.6
  • Law and Government3.6
  • Computers and Electronics3.5
  • Administrative3.2
  • Education and Training2.6
Software and technology used
Intuit TurboTaxMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareTax compliance property tax management softwareTax softwareIntuit QuickBooksMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordACI TaskTrackerATX Total Accounting OfficeATX Total Tax OfficeCCH ProSystem fx TAXCreative Solutions CPA DepreciationCreative Solutions UltraTax CSDatagroup ElectroFile 1040Datagroup ElectroFile ELFDatagroup ElectroFile ST

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What tax preparers do

  • Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
  • Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
  • Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
  • Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
  • Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
  • Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns.
  • Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures.
  • Explain federal and state tax laws to individuals and companies.
Also called
CPA (Certified Public Accountant)Enrolled AgentTax AdvisorTax PreparerIncome Tax PreparerTax AccountantTax AssociateTax ConsultantTax ProfessionalTax Specialist
More job titles for this occupation (12)
Corporate Tax PreparerCredentialed Tax ExpertCredentialed Tax ProfessionalIncome Tax AdvisorIncome Tax ConsultantIncome Tax ExpertLicensed Tax ConsultantPreseason Tax ProfessionalState and Local Tax Associate (SALT Associate)Tax EvaluatorTax ExpertTax Preparer Assistant

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.