Tax Preparers
Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
- O*NET-SOC code
13-2082.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$54,920
Employment, U.S.76,480
Median hourly wage$26.40
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $33,760 | $38,910 | $54,920 | $76,300 | $99,270 |
By state (48)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 290 | $33,280 | 0.28 |
| Alaska | 70 | $62,360 | 0.46 |
| Arizona | 2,240 | $44,770 | 1.41 |
| Arkansas | 550 | $35,040 | 0.86 |
| California | 10,270 | $70,030 | 1.15 |
| Colorado | 1,540 | $62,620 | 1.09 |
| Connecticut | 700 | $41,130 | 0.84 |
| Delaware | 240 | $51,960 | 1.01 |
| Florida | $49,020 | ||
| Georgia | 1,670 | $49,330 | 0.70 |
| Hawaii | $34,720 | ||
| Illinois | 1,310 | $54,480 | 0.44 |
| Indiana | 1,820 | $45,710 | 1.16 |
| Iowa | 780 | $53,660 | 1.01 |
| Kansas | 450 | $47,300 | 0.63 |
| Kentucky | 1,080 | $36,620 | 1.09 |
| Louisiana | 650 | $38,740 | 0.68 |
| Maine | 250 | $47,150 | 0.79 |
| Maryland | 1,240 | $47,020 | 0.91 |
| Massachusetts | 1,500 | $58,400 | 0.84 |
| Michigan | 1,660 | $46,400 | 0.77 |
| Minnesota | 1,040 | $59,200 | 0.72 |
| Mississippi | 580 | $50,670 | 1.02 |
| Missouri | 1,330 | $62,780 | 0.92 |
| Montana | 360 | $63,080 | 1.42 |
| Nebraska | 420 | $43,010 | 0.83 |
| Nevada | 1,410 | $60,000 | 1.85 |
| New Hampshire | 420 | $61,370 | 1.24 |
| New Jersey | 3,220 | $43,420 | 1.53 |
| New Mexico | 340 | $38,060 | 0.80 |
| New York | 7,620 | $71,850 | 1.60 |
| North Carolina | 2,710 | $48,130 | 1.11 |
| North Dakota | 220 | $57,060 | 1.06 |
| Ohio | 1,590 | $49,020 | 0.58 |
| Oklahoma | 1,300 | $42,700 | 1.54 |
| Oregon | 1,590 | $61,370 | 1.64 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,010 | $61,270 | 0.67 |
| Rhode Island | $57,680 | ||
| South Carolina | 1,360 | $39,220 | 1.20 |
| South Dakota | 280 | $52,530 | 1.26 |
| Tennessee | 1,260 | $36,600 | 0.78 |
| Texas | 6,010 | $47,460 | 0.87 |
| Utah | 1,190 | $66,720 | 1.40 |
| Virginia | 1,960 | $58,520 | 0.97 |
| Washington | 1,360 | $45,370 | 0.78 |
| West Virginia | 330 | $35,880 | 0.96 |
| Wisconsin | 1,550 | $44,340 | 1.07 |
| Wyoming | 90 | $57,990 | 0.68 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents | 3 | 0.968 |
| 2 | Loan Interviewers and Clerks | 3 | 0.967 |
| 3 | Accountants and Auditors | 4 | 0.967 |
| 4 | Correspondence Clerks | 1-2 | 0.964 |
| 5 | Bill and Account Collectors | 1-2 | 0.961 |
| 6 | Brokerage Clerks | 3 | 0.960 |
| 7 | Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks | 1-2 | 0.958 |
| 8 | Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators | 4 | 0.957 |
| 9 | Loan Officers | 4 | 0.957 |
| 10 | Credit Counselors | 4 | 0.956 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Tax Preparers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loan Interviewers and Clerks | Writing | 0.88 | 0.967 |
| Correspondence Clerks | Writing | 1.12 | 0.964 |
| Bill and Account Collectors | Persuasion | 1.00 | 0.961 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | Writing | 0.88 | 0.945 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | Persuasion | 0.88 | 0.939 |
| Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | Writing | 0.88 | 0.929 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Tax Preparers, excluding software Tax Preparers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Dynamics | 13 of 20 | 5.1x |
| Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS | 8 of 20 | 9.2x |
| Document management system software | 6 of 20 | 17.3x |
| Fund accounting software | 7 of 20 | 9.0x |
| LexisNexis | 8 of 20 | 6.5x |
| Oracle PeopleSoft Financials | 7 of 20 | 7.9x |
| Oracle E-Business Suite Financials | 7 of 20 | 7.2x |
| Microsoft Dynamics GP | 7 of 20 | 6.6x |
| Oracle PeopleSoft | 8 of 20 | 4.7x |
| Medical condition coding software | 6 of 20 | 6.9x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.75 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.50 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Economics and Accounting | 3.90 | 4.43 |
| English Language | 3.76 | 4.24 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.70 | 4.62 |
| Mathematics | 3.58 | 4.40 |
| Law and Government | 3.57 | 4.10 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.48 | 4.67 |
| Administrative | 3.24 | 4.76 |
| Education and Training | 2.62 | 3.38 |
| Telecommunications | 2.55 | 2.35 |
| Communications and Media | 2.52 | 2.86 |
| Administration and Management | 2.48 | 3.10 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.14 | 2.38 |
| Psychology | 2.05 | 1.95 |
| Public Safety and Security | 1.90 | 1.75 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.86 | 2.00 |
| Production and Processing | 1.57 | 1.38 |
| Foreign Language | 1.48 | 1.14 |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.45 | 0.80 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.43 | 1.00 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.38 | 0.86 |
| Geography | 1.33 | not rated |
| Transportation | 1.19 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.15 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.15 | not rated |
| Design | 1.10 | not rated |
| Mechanical | 1.10 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.10 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.05 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.05 | not rated |
| Physics | 1.05 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.00 | not rated |
| Chemistry | 1.00 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Oral Expression | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Near Vision | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Number Facility | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Information Ordering | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Written Expression | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 2.50 |
| Originality | 2.62 | 3.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Memorization | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Time Sharing | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Far Vision | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Visualization | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.00 | 1.12 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Finger Dexterity | 1.75 | 1.25 |
| Auditory Attention | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Trunk Strength | 1.38 | 0.62 |
| Manual Dexterity | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Control Precision | 1.12 | not rated |
| Depth Perception | 1.00 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Explosive Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.00 | not rated |
| Multilimb Coordination | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Rate Control | 1.00 | not rated |
| Reaction Time | 1.00 | not rated |
| Response Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
| Stamina | 1.00 | not rated |
| Static Strength | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Intuit TurboTax in demand
- Microsoft Excel in demand
- Microsoft Office software in demand
- Tax compliance property tax management software in demand
- Tax software in demand
- Intuit QuickBooks hot
- Microsoft Access hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- ACI TaskTracker
- ATX Total Accounting Office
- ATX Total Tax Office
- CCH ProSystem fx TAX
- Creative Solutions CPA Depreciation
- Creative Solutions UltraTax CS
- Datagroup ElectroFile 1040
- Datagroup ElectroFile ELF
- Datagroup ElectroFile ST
- Datair Employee Benefits Systems
- Electronic ToolKit for Tax Preparers
- Email software
- ExacTax PackageEX
- GreatTax
- Greatland Corporation Winfiler
- Intellitax financial solutions software
- Intuit ProSeries
- Kleinrock Publishing
- LaCerte 1040 Tax Analyzer
- Laserfiche Avante
- M8 Client Billing
All 41
- Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Petz Enterprises V-Tax
- Quicken
- Sage 50 Accounting
- Sales Tax Tools Sales Tax Researcher
- ScheduleVIEW
- Sungard Relius
- Sync Essentials Trade Accountant
- Thomson GoSystem MyTaxInfo
- Thomson Reuters UltraTax CS
- Universal Tax Systems TaxWise
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 1,130 | 2.02 | $60,170 |
| Ocala, FL | 110 | 1.90 | $54,880 |
| Modesto, CA | 170 | 1.79 | $64,630 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | 140 | 1.78 | $61,300 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 590 | 1.78 | $49,450 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 8,100 | 1.73 | $71,300 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 240 | 1.72 | $38,510 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | 250 | 1.68 | $64,240 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 260 | 1.65 | $62,050 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 670 | 1.64 | $66,920 |