Tax Preparers Salary
In Anchorage, AK, tax preparers earn $56,740 at the median, or about $27.28 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $116K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $53,823 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,376/month, about 34.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $57K actually covers in Anchorage, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Anchorage’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About tax preparers
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What this looks like in Anchorage
Tax preparers pay in Anchorage tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $55K nationwide, a 3% difference. Rent runs $1,376/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Anchorage, AK
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $116K or more, a $76K spread from bottom to top.
Tax Preparers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tax Preparers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $72K | +31% | 7,620 |
| California | $70K | +28% | 10,270 |
| Utah | $67K | +21% | 1,190 |
| Montana | $63K | +15% | 360 |
| Missouri | $63K | +14% | 1,330 |
| Colorado | $63K | +14% | 1,540 |
| Alaska | $62K | +14% | 70 |
| Oregon | $61K | +12% | 1,590 |
| New Hampshire | $61K | +12% | 420 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | +12% | 2,010 |
| Nevada | $60K | +9% | 1,410 |
| Minnesota | $59K | +8% | 1,040 |
| Virginia | $59K | +7% | 1,960 |
| Massachusetts | $58K | +6% | 1,500 |
| Wyoming | $58K | +6% | 90 |
| Rhode Island | $58K | +5% | N/A |
| North Dakota | $57K | +4% | 220 |
| Illinois | $54K | -1% | 1,310 |
| Iowa | $54K | -2% | 780 |
| South Dakota | $53K | -4% | 280 |
| Delaware | $52K | -5% | 240 |
| Mississippi | $51K | -8% | 580 |
| Georgia | $49K | -10% | 1,670 |
| Ohio | $49K | -11% | 1,590 |
| Florida | $49K | -11% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $48K | -12% | 2,710 |
| Texas | $47K | -14% | 6,010 |
| Kansas | $47K | -14% | 450 |
| Maine | $47K | -14% | 250 |
| Maryland | $47K | -14% | 1,240 |
| Michigan | $46K | -16% | 1,660 |
| Indiana | $46K | -17% | 1,820 |
| Washington | $45K | -17% | 1,360 |
| Arizona | $45K | -18% | 2,240 |
| Wisconsin | $44K | -19% | 1,550 |
| New Jersey | $43K | -21% | 3,220 |
| Nebraska | $43K | -22% | 420 |
| Oklahoma | $43K | -22% | 1,300 |
| Connecticut | $41K | -25% | 700 |
| South Carolina | $39K | -29% | 1,360 |
| Louisiana | $39K | -29% | 650 |
| New Mexico | $38K | -31% | 340 |
| Kentucky | $37K | -33% | 1,080 |
| Tennessee | $37K | -33% | 1,260 |
| West Virginia | $36K | -35% | 330 |
| Arkansas | $35K | -36% | 550 |
| Hawaii | $35K | -37% | N/A |
| Alabama | $33K | -39% | 290 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tax preparers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Anchorage numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a tax preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Anchorage?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 34.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,376/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tax preparers in Anchorage?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,871/month. At HUD’s $1,376/month FMR, rent would take 48% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tax preparer a high-paying job in Anchorage?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $55K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Anchorage compare to the national average for tax preparers?
Anchorage pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in Anchorage, AK?
The median is $56,740 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,340, and experienced tax preparers can clear $116,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Anchorage?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,969/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,376/month, which eats 34.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a tax preparers salary go in Anchorage?
Anchorage has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tax preparers salary is worth about $53,823 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tax preparers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.