What do they do?

Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.

Also known as:

Certified Income Tax Preparer (CTP), Corporate Tax Preparer, Enrolled Agent, Income Tax Preparer, Tax Advisor, Tax Associate, Tax Consultant, Tax Preparer, Tax Professional, Tax Specialist

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Tax Preparers is projected to show little or no change from 2022 to 2032.

Projected Employment For All United States

No Data Available
  • 1.5%

    Change

    Select a state to see its job growth rate ranking
    12,400

    Job Openings

    Select a state to see its net job growth ranking

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Bachelor's degree  (33%)
  • Some college, no degree  (21%)
  • Master's degree  (16%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (12%)
  • Associate's degree  (10%)
  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (5%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (3%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Tax Preparers

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People in this career often have these skills:

  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Calculate tax information.
  • Interview clients to gather financial information.
  • Examine financial records.
  • Verify accuracy of records.
  • Advise others on financial matters.
  • Update professional knowledge.
  • Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.
  • Develop financial plans for clients.
  • Correspond with customers to answer questions or resolve complaints.
  • Schedule appointments.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

careeronestop logo Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development

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