Tax Preparers Salary
In Boulder, CO, tax preparers earn $65,410 at the median, or about $31.45 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $94K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.2), so that salary is closer to $62,177 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,033/month, about 46.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $65K actually covers in Boulder, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boulder’s Regional Price Parity (105.2). 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 Boulder
Boulder sits well above the national pay line for tax preparers, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,033/month, which is 47.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.2), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tax preparers in metros near Boulder, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $65K | $62K |
| Colorado Springs | $59K | $58K |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $45K | $43K |
| Salt Lake City-Murray | $67K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boulder, CO
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $94K or more, a $55K 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 Boulder 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 Boulder?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 47.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,033/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tax preparers in Boulder?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,655/month. At HUD’s $2,033/month FMR, rent would take 77% 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 Boulder?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $65K here vs. $55K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Boulder compare to the national average for tax preparers?
Boulder pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.2), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in Boulder, CO?
The median is $65,410 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,260, and experienced tax preparers can clear $94,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in Boulder?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,294/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,033/month, which eats 47.3% 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 Boulder?
Boulder has a Regional Price Parity of 105.2 (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 $62,177 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.