Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

13-2082 Tax Preparers

Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses. Excludes "Accountants and Auditors" (13-2011).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
59,180 3.6 % $18.95 $39,410 1.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $8.91 $11.08 $15.54 $23.59 $34.35
Annual Wage (2) $18,540 $23,050 $32,320 $49,070 $71,450


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 57,820 6.97 $18.91 $39,320
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 350 0.03 $18.97 $39,450
Other Financial Investment Activities 330 0.09 $21.57 $44,870
Legal Services 100 0.01 $18.06 $37,560
Software Publishers 90 0.03 (8) (8)

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 57,820 6.97 $18.91 $39,320
Other Financial Investment Activities 330 0.09 $21.57 $44,870
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 350 0.03 $18.97 $39,450
Software Publishers 90 0.03 (8) (8)
Individual and Family Services 70 0.01 $17.03 $35,410

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Insurance Carriers 70 0.01 $28.07 $58,390
Management of Companies and Enterprises 80 (7) $25.04 $52,070
Other Financial Investment Activities 330 0.09 $21.57 $44,870
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 350 0.03 $18.97 $39,450
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 57,820 6.97 $18.91 $39,320


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 7,240 0.52 1.12 $22.10 $45,980
Texas 4,210 0.41 0.88 $18.21 $37,880
Florida 3,510 0.49 1.06 $11.32 $23,540
Ohio 2,530 0.51 1.10 $17.78 $36,980
Georgia 2,430 0.64 1.39 $21.18 $44,060




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Maryland 1,970 0.80 1.72 $16.65 $34,640
Arkansas 870 0.77 1.66 $13.41 $27,900
Louisiana 1,210 0.66 1.43 $17.08 $35,520
Georgia 2,430 0.64 1.39 $21.18 $44,060
Alaska 200 0.64 1.40 $25.49 $53,020




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 1,550 0.49 1.06 $28.36 $58,990
New Jersey 1,340 0.36 0.77 $27.42 $57,040
Alaska 200 0.64 1.40 $25.49 $53,020
District of Columbia 160 0.26 0.55 $25.40 $52,830
Arizona 1,010 0.43 0.92 $25.15 $52,310





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,600 0.42 0.90 $20.29 $42,200
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 1,530 0.69 1.49 $23.44 $48,750
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 1,410 0.39 0.85 $23.30 $48,450
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 1,110 0.66 1.44 (8) (8)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 1,010 0.44 0.94 $21.47 $44,660
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 950 0.37 0.81 $19.43 $40,420
Baltimore-Towson, MD 900 0.72 1.55 $15.55 $32,350
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 870 0.63 1.37 $19.15 $39,840
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 830 0.49 1.05 $19.37 $40,300
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 770 0.42 0.92 $19.47 $40,510




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 80 1.89 4.11 (8) (8)
Jonesboro, AR 80 1.74 3.77 $11.21 $23,310
Harrisonburg, VA 80 1.45 3.15 $28.62 $59,530
Port St. Lucie, FL 170 1.41 3.05 $11.91 $24,760
Farmington, NM 70 1.35 2.93 $13.25 $27,550
Hot Springs, AR 50 1.32 2.85 $11.97 $24,900
Shreveport-Bossier City, LA 210 1.23 2.66 $16.62 $34,580
Lubbock, TX 150 1.18 2.57 $17.61 $36,630
West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach, FL Metropolitan Division 580 1.17 2.54 $13.57 $28,220
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 170 1.13 2.44 $10.33 $21,490




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Edison-New Brunswick, NJ Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) $31.68 $65,890
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 60 0.64 1.39 $30.83 $64,130
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 280 0.29 0.63 $29.91 $62,200
Salinas, CA 100 0.65 1.40 $29.67 $61,710
Springfield, MA-CT 110 0.38 0.83 $29.65 $61,670
Newark-Union, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division 350 0.37 0.80 $29.27 $60,880
Reno-Sparks, NV 180 0.93 2.03 $28.86 $60,030
Harrisonburg, VA 80 1.45 3.15 $28.62 $59,530
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 660 0.39 0.85 $28.36 $59,000
Boulder, CO 120 0.75 1.63 $27.17 $56,520

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area 220 0.89 1.93 $10.79 $22,440
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 210 1.71 3.72 $11.91 $24,770
Central Texas nonmetropolitan area 170 1.26 2.73 $16.09 $33,460
Other Ohio nonmetropolitan area 140 0.51 1.11 $16.18 $33,660
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 130 0.64 1.38 $10.49 $21,830

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 210 1.71 3.72 $11.91 $24,770
Central Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 110 1.39 3.02 $12.92 $26,870
Central Texas nonmetropolitan area 170 1.26 2.73 $16.09 $33,460
Northwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area 60 1.19 2.59 (8) (8)
West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 70 1.05 2.27 $12.10 $25,170

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 50 0.64 1.39 $26.49 $55,090
Western New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 40 0.61 1.33 $23.26 $48,370
Hawaii / Maui / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 70 0.47 1.02 $22.52 $46,850
Southwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 30 0.35 0.76 $21.80 $45,340
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 80 0.75 1.62 $21.60 $44,930


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012