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Tax Preparers in Washington

Considering working as a Tax Preparers in Washington? 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 Washington?

For a tax preparers working in Washington, wages run about $45,120 per year (or roughly $21.69/hour).Annual wages span from $37,300 at the 10th percentile to $74,700 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$37,300	$17.93
25th percentile	$39,200	$18.85
Median (50th)	$45,120	$21.69
75th percentile	$50,340	$24.20
90th percentile	$74,700	$35.91

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Washington relative to the national average — is 0.80, indicating fewer tax preparers per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, tax preparers earn a median of $67,542 per year ($32.47/hour), lower than the Washington median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 188,739 tax preparers across the United States. In Washington alone, around 1,350 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 870 tax preparers.

Top Washington Metros for Tax Preparers

The metro areas below employ the most tax preparers in Washington.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	800	$45,700
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	100	$39,230
Bellingham, WA	40	$39,630
Yakima, WA	40	$38,480

Top States for Tax Preparers Employment

View the states that employ the most 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

The most important 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

Key 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

Other careers like 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