Key Factors That Influence Tax Return Preparer Salaries
A Tax Return Preparer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Tax Return Preparer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Tax Return Preparer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $81,515
San Francisco: $80,622
Oakland: $78,923
San Jose, CA$81,515
San Francisco, CA$80,622
Oakland, CA$78,923
New York, NY$74,411
Paramus, NJ$73,507
Queens Village, NY$73,503
Passaic, NJ$73,442
Bergenfield, NJ$73,436
Stamford, CT$73,294
Huntington, NY$73,268
Newark, NJ$72,790
Bridgeport, CT$72,654
Vallejo, CA$72,525
New Brunswick, NJ$72,499
Petaluma, CA$72,460
Middlesex, NJ$72,338
Somerset, NJ$72,292
Santa Cruz, CA$72,208
Boston, MA$71,814
Monterey, CA$71,587
Seattle, WA$71,439
Santa Rosa, CA$71,426
Los Angeles, CA$71,407
Juneau, AK$71,239
Washington, DC$71,168
Orange, CA$70,938
Santa Ana, CA$70,767
Long Beach, CA$70,702
Anaheim, CA$70,690
Anchorage, AK$70,657
Santa Maria, CA$70,463
Everett, WA$70,450
Danbury, CT$70,223
Bremerton, WA$70,134
Tacoma, WA$69,901
New Suffolk, NY$69,900
Sacramento, CA$69,882
Santa Barbara, CA$69,811
Trenton, NJ$69,740
San Diego, CA$69,740
Brockton, MA$69,668
Fairbanks, AK$69,510
Lompoc, CA$69,345
Lowell, MA$69,293
Ventura, CA$69,281
Nashua, NH$69,268
Stockton, CA$69,261
Modesto, CA$68,790
Poughkeepsie, NY$68,647
Olympia, WA$68,525
Kennewick, WA$68,525
New Haven, CT$68,499
Lawrence, MA$68,266
Hartford, CT$68,201
Riverside, CA$68,188
New Bedford, MA$68,124
Richland, WA$68,124
Bakersfield, CA$68,033
San Bernardino, CA$68,008
New Britain, CT$68,001
Atlantic City, NJ$68,001
New London, CT$67,975
Norwich, CT$67,956
Portsmouth, NH$67,943
Boulder, CO$67,806
Portland, OR$67,717
Worcester, MA$67,710
Minneapolis, MN$67,510
Philadelphia, PA$67,419
Honolulu, HI$67,206
Saint Paul, MN$67,175
Vineland, NJ$67,161
Providence, RI$66,973
Chicago, IL$66,786
Bellingham, WA$66,709
Springfield, MA$66,657
Baltimore, MD$66,637
Chico, CA$66,476
Pittsfield, MA$66,301
Manchester, NH$66,179
Spokane, WA$65,894
Denver, CO$65,888
Albany, NY$65,584
Troy, NY$65,558
Nassau, NY$65,489
Schenectady, NY$65,422
Wilmington, DE$65,371
Burlington, VT$65,280
Salem, OR$65,254
Portland, ME$65,054
Yakima, WA$64,989
Rochester, MN$64,789
Reno, NV$64,757
Fresno, CA$64,757
Milwaukee, WI$64,699
Detroit, MI$64,634
Ann Arbor, MI$64,623
Allentown, PA$64,615
Colorado Springs, CO$64,505
Syracuse, NY$64,472
Carson City, NV$64,472
Houston, TX$64,382
Eugene, OR$64,350
Gary, IN$64,272
Springfield, OR$64,220
Bismarck, ND$64,207
Galveston, TX$64,162
Medford, OR$64,065
Fort Collins, CO$64,039
Concord, NH$64,007
Austin, TX$63,988
Mesa, AZ$63,852
Reading, PA$63,846
Phoenix, AZ$63,839
Dallas, TX$63,820
Saint Cloud, MN$63,758
Madison, WI$63,671
Utica, NY$63,497
Rochester, NY$63,393
Des Moines, IA$63,387
Raleigh, NC$63,380
Atlanta, GA$63,283
Battle Creek, MI$63,264
Salt Lake City, UT$63,244
Lancaster, PA$63,148
Harrisburg, PA$63,057
Kansas City, MO$62,992
Champaign, IL$62,979
Kansas City, KS$62,979
Fort Worth, TX$62,973
Columbus, OH$62,962
Boca Raton, FL$62,947
Pittsburgh, PA$62,921
Richmond, VA$62,895
Indianapolis, IN$62,883
Cleveland, OH$62,876
Las Vegas, NV$62,799
Cincinnati, OH$62,799
Petersburg, VA$62,702
Huntsville, AL$62,605
Lansing, MI$62,561
Lebanon, PA$62,553
Pueblo, CO$62,546
Appleton, WI$62,527
Buffalo, NY$62,501
Dayton, OH$62,482
Racine, WI$62,469
Charlotte, NC$62,462
Saint Louis, MO$62,443
York, PA$62,404
Elkhart, IN$62,404
Gastonia, NC$62,392
Billings, MT$62,377
Beaumont, TX$62,359
Lorain, OH$62,346
Benton Harbor, MI$62,333
Toledo, OH$62,320
Binghamton, NY$62,288
Rock Hill, SC$62,282
Rockford, IL$62,249
Springfield, IL$62,223
Elyria, OH$62,217
Fargo, ND$62,217
Flagstaff, AZ$62,172
Fort Lauderdale, FL$62,133
Duluth, MN$62,094
Miami, FL$62,094
Cheyenne, WY$62,049
Grand Forks, ND$62,049
Bangor, ME$61,907
Cedar Rapids, IA$61,836
Durham, NC$61,808
Louisville, KY$61,803
Grand Rapids, MI$61,790
Hialeah, FL$61,784
Casper, WY$61,693
Scranton, PA$61,616
New Orleans, LA$61,596
Virginia Beach, VA$61,590
Akron, OH$61,558
Peoria, IL$61,474
Sarasota, FL$61,461
Nashville, TN$61,416
Omaha, NE$61,416
Green Bay, WI$61,416
Baton Rouge, LA$61,383
Charleston, SC$61,370
Jamestown, NY$61,338
Davenport, IA$61,338
Tucson, AZ$61,306
Saint Petersburg, FL$61,267
Tampa, FL$61,254
Evansville, IN$61,215
Port Arthur, TX$61,215
Bradenton, FL$61,189
Santa Fe, NM$61,073
Orlando, FL$60,957
Clearwater, FL$60,937
Canton, OH$60,802
La Crosse, WI$60,802
Albuquerque, NM$60,763
Newport News, VA$60,756
High Point, NC$60,737
Ogden, UT$60,711
Corpus Christi, TX$60,659
Norfolk, VA$60,621
Laramie, WY$60,621
Rock Island, IL$60,582
Saginaw, MI$60,569
Jacksonville, FL$60,562
Salisbury, NC$60,550
Boise, ID$60,537
Moline, IL$60,504
Fort Myers, FL$60,485
Memphis, TN$60,472
Tulsa, OK$60,440
Waterloo, IA$60,401
Spartanburg, SC$60,336
Lincoln, NE$60,304
Fort Wayne, IN$60,291
Provo, UT$60,285
Cedar Falls, IA$60,207
San Antonio, TX$60,181
Greensboro, NC$60,155
South Bend, IN$60,149
Savannah, GA$60,078
Muskegon, MI$60,052
Birmingham, AL$60,045
Winston Salem, NC$60,014
Lake Charles, LA$59,858
Anderson, IN$59,845
Lexington, KY$59,826
Augusta, GA$59,806
Greenville, SC$59,806
Lima, OH$59,755
Wichita, KS$59,748
Tuscaloosa, AL$59,748
Columbia, SC$59,690
Springfield, OH$59,677
Asheville, NC$59,574
Bloomington, IN$59,528
Knoxville, TN$59,296
Shreveport, LA$59,289
Wilmington, NC$59,205
Roanoke, VA$59,205
Topeka, KS$59,089
Frankfort, KY$59,082
Oklahoma City, OK$59,037
Chillicothe, OH$59,011
Longview, TX$59,005
Melbourne, FL$58,998
Sioux Falls, SD$58,895
Mobile, AL$58,889
Terre Haute, IN$58,863
Altoona, PA$58,824
Amarillo, TX$58,779
Killeen, TX$58,759
Fayetteville, AR$58,708
Chattanooga, TN$58,688
Sioux City, IA$58,630
Idaho Falls, ID$58,617
Lynchburg, VA$58,565
Gainesville, FL$58,481
Portsmouth, OH$58,449
Little Rock, AR$58,436
Lafayette, LA$58,410
Youngstown, OH$58,410
Daytona Beach, FL$58,372
Clarksville, TN$58,365
Pensacola, FL$58,359
Temple, TX$58,354
Hopkinsville, KY$58,165
Erie, PA$58,152
Florence, SC$58,126
Charleston, WV$58,023
Great Falls, MT$57,990
Macon, GA$57,900
Tallahassee, FL$57,893
Fayetteville, NC$57,880
Waco, TX$57,867
Helena, MT$57,822
Pine Bluff, AR$57,798
Vincennes, IN$57,719
Lubbock, TX$57,693
Alamogordo, NM$57,654
Twin Falls, ID$57,596
Rapid City, SD$57,577
Jackson, MS$57,460
Huntington, WV$57,456
Greenville, MS$57,454
Parkersburg, WV$57,388
Montgomery, AL$57,376
Wichita Falls, TX$57,312
Springfield, MO$57,312
Biloxi, MS$57,279
Monroe, LA$57,215
Johnstown, PA$57,169
Sumter, SC$57,144
Columbus, GA$57,137
Pascagoula, MS$57,014
Abilene, TX$57,014
Kingsport, TN$56,846
Albany, GA$56,846
Gulfport, MS$56,827
Alexandria, LA$56,614
Fort Smith, AR$56,452
El Paso, TX$56,278
Las Cruces, NM$55,987
Harlingen, TX$55,823
Pocatello, ID$55,812
Florence, AL$55,728
Brownsville, TX$55,715
Mcallen, TX$55,580
Dothan, AL$55,489
Columbus, MS$55,105
Altus, OK$54,804
Lawton, OK$54,681
Pierre, SD$54,449
What Skills Can Increase a Tax Return Preparer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 5.08% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Tax Planning (Mentioned in 3.25% Job Postings): Tax planning refers to financial planning for tax efficiency. It aims to reduce one's tax liabilities and optimally utilize tax exemptions, tax rebates, and benefits as much as possible. Tax planning includes making financial and business decisions to minimise the incidence of tax.
Call Center (Mentioned in 2.29% Job Postings): A call centre or call center is a managed capability that can be centralised or remote that is used for receiving or transmitting a large volume of enquiries by telephone.
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Tax Return Preparer's salary.
Communicates Effectively: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Tax Compliance: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Tax Return Preparer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Tax Return Preparer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 45% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Internet
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average.
In contrast, Tax Return Preparer positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Tax Return Preparer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Tax Return Preparer
Understanding how a Tax Return Preparer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
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Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources.
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