Occupations · Business and Financial Operations
Tax Preparers
Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 13-2082.00
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 91% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $71,990 | 6,870 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $74,670 | 4,240 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $67,360 | 1,850 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $43,710 | 1,800 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $83,240 | 1,590 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $68,160 | 1,500 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $57,130 | 1,480 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $60,150 | 1,250 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $57,410 | 1,140 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $46,890 | 1,130 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $66,560 | 1,000 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $65,240 | 980 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
- Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
- 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.
- Consult tax law handbooks or bulletins to determine procedures for preparation of atypical returns.
- Answer questions and provide future tax planning to clients.
- Calculate form preparation fees according to return complexity and processing time required.
- Schedule appointments with clients.
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 2025-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2025-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Schedule appointments with clients.
O*NET 24.3 emerging tasks
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. 6 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 6
No longer listed 6
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 advisor | 2411.1.12 | exact |
| accountant | 2411.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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