Occupations · Business and Financial Operations
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
Determine tax liability or collect taxes from individuals or business firms according to prescribed laws and regulations.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 13-2081.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 40% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA | $65,650 | 3,590 |
| Ogden-Clearfield, UT | $47,050 | 3,020 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $79,300 | 2,850 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $57,750 | 2,090 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $47,780 | 1,990 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $53,520 | 1,710 |
| Fresno, CA | $54,080 | 1,530 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $44,120 | 1,490 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $97,150 | 1,290 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $71,990 | 1,150 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $59,570 | 1,140 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $64,680 | 1,090 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Collect taxes from individuals or businesses according to prescribed laws and regulations.
- Send notices to taxpayers when accounts are delinquent.
- Determine appropriate methods of debt settlement, such as offers of compromise, wage garnishment, or seizure and sale of property.
- Check tax forms to verify that names and taxpayer identification numbers are correct, that computations have been performed correctly, or that amounts match those on supporting documentation.
- Examine and analyze tax assets and liabilities to determine resolution of delinquent tax problems.
- Impose payment deadlines on delinquent taxpayers and monitor payments to ensure that deadlines are met.
- Confer with taxpayers or their representatives to discuss the issues, laws, and regulations involved in returns, and to resolve problems with returns.
- Notify taxpayers of any overpayment or underpayment, and either issue a refund or request further payment.
- Maintain records for each case, including contacts, telephone numbers, and actions taken.
- Direct service of legal documents, such as subpoenas, warrants, notices of assessment, and garnishments.
- Contact taxpayers by mail or telephone to address discrepancies and to request supporting documentation.
- Review filed tax returns to determine whether claimed tax credits and deductions are allowed by law.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2022-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2022-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 8
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| tax compliance officer | 3352.1 | exact |
| tax clerk | 4312.7 | broader |
| tax inspector | 3352.2 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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