Tax Preparers Salary
In Delaware, tax preparers earn $51,960 at the median, or about $24.98 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.51), that's roughly $53,287 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,448/month, about 42.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Delaware. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $52K get you in Delaware?
About tax preparers
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What this looks like in Delaware
Tax preparers pay in Delaware tracks closely to the national median, $52K locally vs. $55K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,448/month, which is 41.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.51) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Delaware
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Tax Preparers salary by metro in Delaware
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | $48K | -8% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track tax preparers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Delaware numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tax preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Delaware?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 41.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,448/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tax preparers in Delaware?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,275/month. At HUD’s $1,448/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Delaware?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $52K locally vs. $55K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Delaware compare to the national average for tax preparers?
Delaware pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in Delaware?
The median is $51,960 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,910, and experienced tax preparers can clear $74,650. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Delaware?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,457/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,448/month, which eats 41.9% 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 Delaware?
Delaware has a Regional Price Parity of 97.51 (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 $53,287 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.