Tax Preparers Salary
In College Station-Bryan, TX, tax preparers earn $37,630 at the median, or about $18.09 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $90K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.95), which stretches that salary to about $41,374 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,186/month, about 43.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in College Station-Bryan?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by College Station-Bryan’s Regional Price Parity (90.95). 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 College Station-Bryan
Pay for tax preparers in College Station-Bryan runs about 31% below the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,186/month, which is 44.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.95 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for tax preparerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tax preparers in metros near College Station-Bryan, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| El Paso | $60K | $67K |
| Tyler | $47K | $51K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $47K | $46K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $47K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, College Station-Bryan, TX
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $90K or more, a $60K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when College Station-Bryan numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tax preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in College Station-Bryan?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 44.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,186/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tax preparers in College Station-Bryan?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,806/month. At HUD’s $1,186/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 College Station-Bryan?
Local pay runs 31% below the national median — $38K here vs. $55K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does College Station-Bryan compare to the national average for tax preparers?
College Station-Bryan pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.95), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in College Station-Bryan, TX?
The median is $37,630 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,100, and experienced tax preparers can clear $90,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in College Station-Bryan?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,690/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,186/month, which eats 44.1% 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 College Station-Bryan?
College Station-Bryan has a Regional Price Parity of 90.95 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tax preparers salary is worth about $41,374 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.