How much does a tax preparer make?

The median pay is $26.40 per hour — roughly $55,000 a year, with the real range running from about $16.23/hr (10th percentile) to $47.72/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a tax preparer?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

What does a tax preparer actually do all day?

Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum. Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables. Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.

Business & Finance

Tax Preparers

Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.

What it pays
Tax Preparers earn a median of $26.40/hr — about $55,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.23/hr; the top 10% earn $47.72/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns.
Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

The feel of the work

The work is mostly indoors; time pressure is a real part of the job; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 15.5% of tax preparers are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused and take-charge.

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Quick questions

How much does a tax preparer make?: The median pay is $26.40 per hour — roughly $55,000 a year, with the real range running from about $16.23/hr (10th percentile) to $47.72/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a tax preparer?: The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
What does a tax preparer actually do all day?: Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum. Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables. Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

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