Business and Financial Operations Occupations·SOC 13-2082

Best degree programs for Tax Preparers, ranked by enrollment

Q: What degree do you need to become a Tax Preparer?

High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Accounting, which awarded 60,383 degrees in 2024-25, 75.4% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Q: Which college majors lead to becoming a Tax Preparer?

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Accounting and Related Services, Taxation. Together they graduate about 80,092 people a year.

Q: How much do tax preparers earn?

The median is $54,920 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $33,760 at the 10th percentile to $99,270 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Q: Is demand for tax preparers growing?

BLS projects a +4.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 10,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

Q: How many schools offer programs for this career?

1,828 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

Q: What other job titles do tax preparers work under?

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Tax Advisor, Tax Preparer, Enrolled Agent, CPA (Certified Public Accountant) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 13-2082.

3 college programs and 1,828 schools train Tax Preparers. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $54,920 median wage, 76,480 U.S. jobs. Federal data.

3 college programs at 1,828 schools train tax preparers, graduating 80,092 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Accounting. The job pays a median of $54,920 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Graduates / yr

80,092

from every feeder program

Median annual wage

$54,920

BLS OEWS May 2025

Projected growth

+4.5%

About as fast as average

Openings / yr

10,400

new plus replacement

Schools

1,828

with a feeder program

States with jobs

BLS reports wages

About tax preparers

Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.

Also calledTax AdvisorTax PreparerEnrolled AgentCPA (Certified Public Accountant)Tax ExpertTax AssociateTax EvaluatorTax AccountantTax ConsultantTax SpecialistTax ProfessionalIncome Tax Expert

Fields of study that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.

Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

CIP 52.03

Accounting and Related Services

78,835graduates / yr

1,352 schools · 2 specializations · 98.4% of pipeline

Grad earnings $51,824

Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services

CIP 52.16

Taxation

1,257graduates / yr

96 schools · 1 specialization · 1.6% of pipeline

Grad earnings —

3 degree programs that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#	Program	Graduates / yr	Share of pipeline	Schools	Grad earnings (1 yr)	Median debt
1	Accounting CIP 52.0301	60,383	75.4%	1,352	$51,824	$24,433
2	Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping CIP 52.0302	18,452	23.0%	644	$51,824	$24,433
3	Taxation CIP 52.1601	1,257	1.6%	96	—	—

Top 50 schools by graduates into this job

Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#	School	Graduates / yr	Top feeder program	Grad rate	Net price	Acceptance
1	Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	2,285	Accounting	46%	$11,580	—
2	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	1,690	Accounting	43%	$34,565	100%
3	CUNY Bernard M Baruch College New York, NY Public · 2 feeder programs	756	Accounting	72%	—	48%
4	Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder programs	690	Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping	40%	—	—
5	Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL Public · 1 feeder programs	637	Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping	39%	—	—
6	Utah Valley University Orem, UT Public · 2 feeder programs	612	Accounting	45%	—	—
7	Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN Public · 2 feeder programs	610	Accounting	50%	—	—
8	University of Phoenix - Arizona Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs	573	Accounting	21%	$15,478	—
9	Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FL Public · 1 feeder programs	546	Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping	41%	—	—
10	Ensign College Salt Lake City, UT Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	529	Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping	43%	$11,149	—
11	Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	486	Accounting	65%	$28,911	99%
12	Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	441	Accounting	84%	—	57%
13	Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs	396	Accounting	19%	$16,966	—
14	Dallas College Dallas, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	378	Accounting	32%	—	—
15	University of Georgia Athens, GA Public · 1 feeder programs	374	Accounting	90%	—	38%
16	DeVry University - Illinois Lisle, IL Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs	370	Accounting	37%	$32,381	98%
17	Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL Public · 2 feeder programs	367	Accounting	63%	—	66%
18	Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs	365	Accounting	88%	—	61%
19	Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs	359	Accounting	43%	$21,535	79%
20	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL Public · 2 feeder programs	359	Accounting	73%	—	77%
21	University of Houston Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	352	Accounting	65%	—	74%
22	University of Mississippi University, MS Public · 2 feeder programs	334	Accounting	72%	—	97%
23	University of South Florida Tampa, FL Public · 1 feeder programs	326	Accounting	77%	—	43%
24	Baylor University Waco, TX Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	309	Accounting	80%	$35,682	51%
25	University of North Texas Denton, TX Public · 2 feeder programs	309	Accounting	61%	—	72%
26	University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 2 feeder programs	300	Accounting	85%	—	42%
27	Florida International University Miami, FL Public · 1 feeder programs	299	Accounting	74%	—	55%
28	University of Houston - Downtown Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	299	Accounting	33%	—	90%
29	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs	278	Accounting	68%	—	90%
30	Auburn University Auburn, AL Public · 1 feeder programs	278	Accounting	82%	—	46%
31	Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · 1 feeder programs	275	Accounting	86%	—	61%
32	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	274	Accounting	69%	—	73%
33	University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 1 feeder programs	274	Accounting	83%	—	60%
34	Austin Community College District Austin, TX Public · 2 feeder programs	267	Accounting	20%	—	—
35	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Public · 1 feeder programs	266	Accounting	78%	—	40%
36	Colorado State University Global Denver, CO Public · 1 feeder programs	264	Accounting	—	—	98%
37	University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus Norman, OK Public · 1 feeder programs	261	Accounting	75%	—	77%
38	Texas State University San Marcos, TX Public · 1 feeder programs	260	Accounting	55%	—	89%
39	The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public · 1 feeder programs	260	Accounting	74%	—	42%
40	College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, CA Public · 1 feeder programs	255	Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping	45%	—	—
41	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR Public · 1 feeder programs	254	Accounting	71%	—	74%
42	DePaul University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs	253	Accounting	68%	$28,141	76%
43	Clemson University Clemson, SC Public · 1 feeder programs	252	Accounting	87%	—	38%
44	Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA Public · 1 feeder programs	251	Accounting	52%	—	69%
45	California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 2 feeder programs	249	Accounting	57%	—	93%
46	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs	243	Accounting	68%	—	86%
47	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS Public · 1 feeder programs	242	Accounting	69%	—	93%
48	University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD Public · 1 feeder programs	241	Accounting	33%	—	—
49	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · 1 feeder programs	241	Accounting	65%	—	86%
50	Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA Public · 1 feeder programs	235	Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping	36%	—	—

What tax preparers earn

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual wage

$54,920

Mean annual

$60,930

Median hourly

$26.40/hr

People employed

76,480

What the range looks like

10th pct$33,760Median$54,92090th pct$99,270

Top-paying states

Top-paying metro areas

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

$84,240median

1,410 jobs

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

$81,180median

760 jobs

Kansas City, MO-KS

$78,920median

560 jobs

Anchorage, AK

$56,740median

60 jobs

Jefferson City, MO

$75,990median

30 jobs

Waco, TX

$65,020median

40 jobs

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

$71,300median

8,100 jobs

St. Louis, MO-IL

$69,210median

380 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34

+4.5%

About as fast as average

Openings per year

10,400

new jobs plus replacements

Employment change

4,100

90,600 → 94,700

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

Plus moderate-term on-the-job training

Where the jobs are, state by state

Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.

This occupation state by state: pay, jobs, and schools
State	Median pay	Jobs	Concentration	Schools	Graduates / yr
Texas	$47,460	6,010	0.87×	100	7,030
California	$70,030	10,270	1.15×	161	5,863
Florida	$49,020	—	—	75	5,308
New York	$71,850	7,620	1.60×	108	5,191
Utah	$66,720	1,190	1.40×	12	4,221
Illinois	$54,480	1,310	0.44×	81	2,913
Georgia	$49,330	1,670	0.70×	61	2,799
Ohio	$49,020	1,590	0.58×	73	2,780
Pennsylvania	$61,270	2,010	0.67×	95	2,567
Arizona	$44,770	2,240	1.41×	26	2,336
Wisconsin	$44,340	1,550	1.07×	45	2,204
Indiana	$45,710	1,820	1.16×	40	2,189
Washington	$45,370	1,360	0.78×	44	2,124
Michigan	$46,400	1,660	0.77×	63	1,962
New Jersey	$43,420	3,220	1.53×	40	1,832
New Hampshire	$61,370	420	1.24×	13	1,822
Minnesota	$59,200	1,040	0.72×	51	1,666
Alabama	$33,280	290	0.28×	29	1,443
Colorado	$62,620	1,540	1.09×	25	1,429
Virginia	$58,520	1,960	0.97×	26	1,427
Massachusetts	$58,400	1,500	0.84×	43	1,390
North Carolina	$48,130	2,710	1.11×	34	1,295
Missouri	$62,780	1,330	0.92×	39	1,285
South Carolina	$39,220	1,360	1.20×	35	1,220
Louisiana	$38,740	650	0.68×	26	1,205
Tennessee	$36,600	1,260	0.78×	31	1,096
Oregon	$61,370	1,590	1.64×	28	1,028
Iowa	$53,660	780	1.01×	37	1,027
Maryland	$47,020	1,240	0.91×	29	1,003
Connecticut	$41,130	700	0.84×	15	997
Oklahoma	$42,700	1,300	1.54×	33	910
Mississippi	$50,670	580	1.02×	25	875
Kansas	$47,300	450	0.63×	29	852
Kentucky	$36,620	1,080	1.09×	21	800
Arkansas	$35,040	550	0.86×	31	692
West Virginia	$35,880	330	0.96×	19	400
Nevada	$60,000	1,410	1.85×	7	394
Rhode Island	$57,680	—	—	9	358
Nebraska	$43,010	420	0.83×	14	352
New Mexico	$38,060	340	0.80×	16	321
Hawaii	$34,720	—	—	8	318
Delaware	$51,960	240	1.01×	6	269
North Dakota	$57,060	220	1.06×	10	249
South Dakota	$52,530	280	1.26×	12	232
Maine	$47,150	250	0.79×	12	203
Montana	$63,080	360	1.42×	12	153
Alaskamoderate	$62,360	70	0.46×	4	138
Wyoming	$57,990	90	0.68×	7	45

Skills and tools

From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.

What they do day to day

Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns.
Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures.
Explain federal and state tax laws to individuals and companies.

Skills

Reading Comprehension4.0
Active Listening3.9
Critical Thinking3.5
Speaking3.1
Active Learning3.1
Writing3.0
Mathematics3.0
Monitoring3.0

Knowledge areas

Economics and Accounting3.9
English Language3.8
Customer and Personal Service3.7
Mathematics3.6
Law and Government3.6
Computers and Electronics3.5

Abilities

Oral Comprehension4.0
Written Comprehension3.9
Near Vision3.9
Oral Expression3.9
Deductive Reasoning3.8
Inductive Reasoning3.3

Core activities

Working with Computers4.7
Getting Information4.6
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.5
Processing Information4.2
Documenting/Recording Information4.2
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.0

Tools and technology

hotmarks an O*NET hot technology

Intuit QuickBookshotIntuit TurboTaxhotMicrosoft AccesshotMicrosoft ExcelhotMicrosoft Office softwarehotMicrosoft OutlookhotMicrosoft WordhotACI TaskTrackerATX Total Accounting OfficeATX Total Tax Office

How to get in

How to become a Tax Preparer

Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0

Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 3 majors mapped to Tax Preparers3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+

52.0301Accounting
52.0302Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping
52.1601Taxation

Related careers

Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.

13-2081

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$62,37056,610 jobs-1.8%

13-2011

Accountants and Auditors

$83,6801,449,500 jobs+4.6%

13-2052

Personal Financial Advisors

$105,070266,800 jobs+9.6%

43-3031

Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

$50,6701,373,680 jobs-5.8%

13-2071

Credit Counselors

$52,23027,770 jobs+3.3%

13-2031

Budget Analysts

$91,64047,160 jobs+1.0%

Common questions

What degree do you need to become a Tax Preparer?+

High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Accounting, which awarded 60,383 degrees in 2024-25, 75.4% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Tax Preparer?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Accounting and Related Services, Taxation. Together they graduate about 80,092 people a year.

How much do tax preparers earn?+

The median is $54,920 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $33,760 at the 10th percentile to $99,270 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for tax preparers growing?+

BLS projects a +4.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 10,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career?+

1,828 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do tax preparers work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Tax Advisor, Tax Preparer, Enrolled Agent, CPA (Certified Public Accountant) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 13-2082.

↑ Zoom outAll occupations Business and Financial Operations Occupations

Tax Preparers by stateTexas California Florida New York Utah Illinois Georgia Ohio Pennsylvania Arizona Wisconsin Indiana

Programs that lead hereAccounting and Related Services Taxation

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025
Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
Official source →
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34
Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
Official source →
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)
Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
Official source →
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohorts
Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Official source →
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest available
Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
Official source →
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018
Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
Official source →
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3
Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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