Pay by state · 49 states
Tax Preparer Salary by State (2026)
Tax Preparers earn the most in New York at $71,850 a year and the least in Alabama at $33,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $54,920. All 49 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $71,850New York
- National median
- $54,920BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $33,280Alabama
- States reporting
- 49of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Tax Preparer salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of tax preparers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NYNew York | $71,850 | $57,030 | $101,070 | 7,620 | $66,576 |
| 2 | CACalifornia | $70,030 | $47,420 | $84,890 | 10,270 | $63,250 |
| 3 | UTUtah | $66,720 | $48,210 | $80,550 | 1,190 | $67,487 |
| 4 | MTMontana | $63,080 | $47,470 | $82,850 | 360 | $66,649 |
| 5 | MOMissouri | $62,780 | $35,580 | $98,630 | 1,330 | $69,128 |
| 6 | COColorado | $62,620 | $43,380 | $75,260 | 1,540 | $60,765 |
| 7 | AKAlaska | $62,360 | $40,430 | $116,170 | 70 | $60,923 |
| 8 | NHNew Hampshire | $61,370 | $43,520 | $80,230 | 420 | $58,916 |
| 9 | OROregon | $61,370 | $48,830 | $78,090 | 1,590 | $59,374 |
| 10 | PAPennsylvania | $61,270 | $39,020 | $81,450 | 2,010 | $62,795 |
| 11 | NVNevada | $60,000 | $46,630 | $99,500 | 1,410 | $60,013 |
| 12 | MNMinnesota | $59,200 | $44,250 | $76,870 | 1,040 | $60,028 |
| 13 | VAVirginia | $58,520 | $40,960 | $70,480 | 1,960 | $57,881 |
| 14 | MAMassachusetts | $58,400 | $38,730 | $68,710 | 1,500 | $55,221 |
| 15 | WYWyoming | $57,990 | $47,470 | $87,240 | 90 | $62,563 |
| 16 | RIRhode Island | $57,680 | $52,000 | $59,790 | N/A | $56,394 |
| 17 | NDNorth Dakota | $57,060 | $43,870 | $78,460 | 220 | $64,142 |
| 18 | ILIllinois | $54,480 | $38,120 | $62,910 | 1,310 | $54,503 |
| 19 | IAIowa | $53,660 | $38,970 | $73,660 | 780 | $61,143 |
| 20 | SDSouth Dakota | $52,530 | $44,100 | $63,850 | 280 | $59,298 |
| 21 | DEDelaware | $51,960 | $39,320 | $58,470 | 240 | $52,060 |
| 22 | MSMississippi | $50,670 | $34,360 | $76,670 | 580 | $58,273 |
| 23 | GAGeorgia | $49,330 | $37,050 | $63,800 | 1,670 | $51,229 |
| 24 | FLFlorida | $49,020 | $35,770 | $63,490 | N/A | $47,402 |
| 25 | OHOhio | $49,020 | $37,930 | $57,180 | 1,590 | $52,838 |
| 26 | NCNorth Carolina | $48,130 | $43,820 | $72,840 | 2,710 | $51,025 |
| 27 | TXTexas | $47,460 | $35,440 | $74,060 | 6,010 | $48,899 |
| 28 | KSKansas | $47,300 | $35,950 | $66,710 | 450 | $52,516 |
| 29 | MEMaine | $47,150 | $44,190 | $52,370 | 250 | $48,583 |
| 30 | MDMaryland | $47,020 | $42,190 | $61,570 | 1,240 | $44,798 |
| 31 | PRPuerto Rico | $46,730 | $31,380 | $61,100 | 340 | N/A |
| 32 | MIMichigan | $46,400 | $40,220 | $61,660 | 1,660 | $48,224 |
| 33 | INIndiana | $45,710 | $38,250 | $61,660 | 1,820 | $48,977 |
| 34 | WAWashington | $45,370 | $41,590 | $48,830 | 1,360 | $42,397 |
| 35 | AZArizona | $44,770 | $41,690 | $77,320 | 2,240 | $44,469 |
| 36 | WIWisconsin | $44,340 | $36,260 | $55,660 | 1,550 | $47,123 |
| 37 | NJNew Jersey | $43,420 | $37,790 | $63,050 | 3,220 | $39,906 |
| 38 | NENebraska | $43,010 | $37,040 | $51,310 | 420 | $47,734 |
| 39 | OKOklahoma | $42,700 | $29,530 | $50,840 | 1,300 | $48,609 |
| 40 | CTConnecticut | $41,130 | $36,840 | $60,660 | 700 | $39,697 |
| 41 | SCSouth Carolina | $39,220 | $30,930 | $71,810 | 1,360 | $41,835 |
| 42 | LALouisiana | $38,740 | $28,210 | $56,300 | 650 | $43,919 |
| 43 | NMNew Mexico | $38,060 | $28,900 | $46,450 | 340 | $41,274 |
| 44 | KYKentucky | $36,620 | $27,900 | $61,240 | 1,080 | $40,617 |
| 45 | TNTennessee | $36,600 | $29,500 | $59,120 | 1,260 | $39,839 |
| 46 | WVWest Virginia | $35,880 | $29,840 | $40,240 | 330 | $40,091 |
| 47 | ARArkansas | $35,040 | $29,530 | $41,600 | 550 | $40,305 |
| 48 | HIHawaii | $34,720 | $29,990 | $44,710 | N/A | $31,578 |
| 49 | ALAlabama | $33,280 | $25,080 | $36,540 | 290 | $37,468 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Tax Preparers, that changes the ranking: New York leads on raw pay at $71,850, while Missouri leads once prices are taken into account at $69,128.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Tax Preparer pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Tax Preparers the most?
New York reports the highest median wage for Tax Preparers at $71,850 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by California ($70,030) and Utah ($66,720).
Which state pays Tax Preparers the least?
Alabama reports the lowest median for Tax Preparers at $33,280 a year, $38,570 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Tax Preparers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Missouri first at $69,128 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $62,780. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.