Is this a competitive Tax Preparers salary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$34K
P25$39K
P50$55K
P75$76K
P90$99K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- finance & insurance openings are at 4.3% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in financial activities are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $54,912 to $76,294 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Tax Preparers pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 8.6% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.1% wage growth of Finance & Insurance (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
Finance & Insurance is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 0.9% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 6.1% to 4.3% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.9 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings whipsawed up to 4.3%, but quits fell to 0.9%, the lowest of any sector. Workers are staying put.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.1% per year, a sharp slowdown from 4.1% the prior quarter.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Tax Preparers is $54,912 per year ($26.40/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $38,917 and $76,294 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $99,258 per year. There are approximately 76,480 tax preparers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.5%
Faster than average
Annual openings
10K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
91K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services
NAICS 541200
72K
$52,000
Software Publishers
NAICS 513200
1K
$58,050
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services
NAICS 541600
1K
$73,110
Legal Services
NAICS 541100
640
$59,990
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities
NAICS 523000
310
$74,250
Wage range across top 5 industries: $52,000 to $74,250 (43% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$16.23
$33,758
P25
$18.71
$38,917
P50MEDIAN
$26.40
$54,912
P75
$36.68
$76,294
P90
$47.72
$99,258
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · finance sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.3%
Quits Rate
0.9%
Finance and Insurance openings rebounded 43K to 303K in June, rate up from 3.7% to 4.3% -- a volatile series this year. Quits fell to 0.9%, the lowest of any major sector, so workers are staying put and wage pressure stays muted despite the openings pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average tax preparers salary?
The national median salary for Tax Preparers is $54,912 per year ($26.40/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $38,917 and $76,294 annually.
How much do top-earning tax preparers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Tax Preparers is $99,258 per year ($47.72/hr). The 75th percentile is $76,294 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for tax preparers?
Entry-level Tax Preparers (10th percentile) earn approximately $33,758 per year ($16.23/hr). The 25th percentile is $38,917 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
