Tax Preparers

Median salary

$54,920

Average salary

$60,930

Employment

76,480

Projected growth

4.5% growth

Annual openings

10,400

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Tax Preparers Do

Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 15.5%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Economics and Accountingimportance 3.9/5
English Languageimportance 3.8/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.7/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.6/5
Law and Governmentimportance 3.6/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.5/5
Administrativeimportance 3.2/5
Education and Trainingimportance 2.6/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.9/5
Spend Time Sitting4.5/5
E-Mail4.4/5
Telephone Conversations4.4/5
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks4.2/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.1/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents98% skill match
Credit Counselors98% skill match
Tutors97% skill match
Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary97% skill match
Dermatologists97% skill match
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School97% skill match
Correspondence Clerks97% skill match
Loan Officers97% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.0/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
Coordinationimportance 2.8/5
Instructingimportance 2.8/5
Persuasionimportance 2.6/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

In-Demand Technologies

Tax compliance property tax management software
Tax software

Other Software Used

ACI TaskTracker
ATX Total Accounting Office
ATX Total Tax Office
CCH ProSystem fx TAX
Creative Solutions CPA Depreciation
Creative Solutions UltraTax CS
Datagroup ElectroFile 1040
Datagroup ElectroFile ELF

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cautiousness
Integrity
Achievement Orientation
Cooperation
Self-Control

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

ConventionalHigh
EnterprisingMedium
InvestigativeLow
SocialLow
RealisticLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.