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Tax Preparers in South Carolina

Thinking about a career as a Tax Preparers in South Carolina? Here’s what the data says. Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses. Excludes “Accountants and Auditors” (13-2011).

What do Tax Preparers Make in South Carolina?

For a tax preparers working in South Carolina, the median annual wage is $37,550 per year (or roughly $18.06/hour).Earnings range from $23,600 at the 10th percentile to $81,160 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$23,600	$11.35
25th percentile	$29,440	$14.16
Median (50th)	$37,550	$18.06
75th percentile	$62,160	$29.89
90th percentile	$81,160	$39.02

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in South Carolina compared to the national average — is 1.37, indicating that tax preparers are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, tax preparers earn a median of $67,542 per year ($32.47/hour), below the South Carolina median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 188,739 tax preparers nationwide. In South Carolina alone, around 1,490 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 870 tax preparers.

Top South Carolina Metros for Tax Preparers

The largest metro-area employers of tax preparers in South Carolina.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC	310	$54,900
Columbia, SC	200	$44,870
Charleston-North Charleston, SC	170	$34,600
Florence, SC	90	$61,820
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC	80	$27,220
Spartanburg, SC	70	$38,270
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC	50	$45,510
Sumter, SC	50	$30,110

Top States for Tax Preparers Employment

These states have the highest employment of tax preparers work.

State	Number Employed
California	10,700
New York	6,880
Texas	5,930
Florida	3,490
North Carolina	2,550
Pennsylvania	2,480
Arizona	2,480
New Jersey	2,460
Colorado	2,420
Virginia	2,200
Michigan	2,010
Georgia	1,940
Massachusetts	1,800
Oklahoma	1,690
Indiana	1,660
South Carolina	1,490
Oregon	1,480
Utah	1,470
Washington	1,350
Minnesota	1,330

Highest-Paying States for Tax Preparers

These states pay the most for tax preparers.

State	Annual Median Salary
Alaska	$77,010
New York	$73,230
California	$73,210
Montana	$71,370
Minnesota	$65,530
Colorado	$62,860
Texas	$61,510
Wyoming	$60,340
Virginia	$59,220
North Dakota	$59,130

Skills

Key tax preparers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for tax preparers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• 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.
• Answer questions and provide future tax planning to clients.
• Consult tax law handbooks or bulletins to determine procedures for preparation of atypical returns.
• Calculate form preparation fees according to return complexity and processing time required.
• Schedule appointments with clients.

Work Activities

• Working with Computers
• Getting Information
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Processing Information
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Analyzing Data or Information
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Intuit QuickBooks In-demand technologies: Intuit TurboTax

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

• Accounting
• Taxation

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Related Careers

Careers similar to tax preparers include:

• Financial Managers
• Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
• Accountants and Auditors
• Budget Analysts
• Credit Analysts
• Personal Financial Advisors

Also Known As

CPA (Certified Public Accountant), Corporate Tax Preparer, Credentialed Tax Expert, Credentialed Tax Professional, Enrolled Agent, Income Tax Advisor, Income Tax Consultant, Income Tax Expert, Income Tax Preparer, Licensed Tax Consultant, Preseason Tax Professional, State and Local Tax Associate (SALT Associate), Tax Accountant, Tax Advisor, Tax Associate.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 13-2082.00