Tax Preparers
SOC 13-2082Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
Five-year wage trends
Median wage levels across states
Focus level
Level III median wage up 23.6% since 2020-21.
2026 weighted lottery impact
Thresholds for Level III & IV
2026 Weighted Lottery Impact
Level III threshold: $51,438
Level IV threshold: $59,966
Most common level in filings: Level II
Latest Level III median
2025-26
$51,438
Level I$33,030
Level II$43,118
Level III$51,438
Level IV$59,966
Top metros by Level III wages
Latest year median for this occupation
| Rank | Metro Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, CA | $47,320 | $63,752 | $80,205 | $96,637 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, CA | $46,592 | $63,003 | $79,414 | $95,826 |
| 3 | Modesto, CA, CA | $44,824 | $61,277 | $77,730 | $94,182 |
| 4 | Bozeman, MT, MT | $46,592 | $61,381 | $76,170 | $90,958 |
| 5 | St. Cloud, MN, MN | $43,368 | $59,509 | $75,650 | $91,790 |
| 6 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, NJ | $45,448 | $59,966 | $74,485 | $89,003 |
| 7 | Kingston, NY, NY | $43,846 | $59,134 | $74,402 | $89,690 |
| 8 | Great Falls, MT, MT | $40,019 | $57,200 | $74,381 | $91,562 |
| 9 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, MN | $43,056 | $58,490 | $73,902 | $89,336 |
| 10 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL, FL | $40,498 | $57,158 | $73,798 | $90,459 |
Related occupations
Explore adjacent roles in this SOC group