Tax Preparers Salary
In El Paso, TX, tax preparers earn $59,990 at the median, or about $28.84 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.91), which stretches that salary to about $66,722 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $973/month, or 23.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $60K get you in El Paso?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by El Paso’s Regional Price Parity (89.91). 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 El Paso
Tax preparers pay in El Paso tracks closely to the national median, $60K locally vs. $55K nationwide, a 9% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $973/month, 23.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.91 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tax preparers in metros near El Paso, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler | $47K | $51K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $47K | $46K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $47K | $48K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $48K | $49K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, El Paso, TX
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $27K 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 El Paso numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tax preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in El Paso?
Yes — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 23.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $973/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for tax preparers in El Paso?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,988/month. At HUD’s $973/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 El Paso?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $60K locally vs. $55K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does El Paso compare to the national average for tax preparers?
El Paso pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.91), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in El Paso, TX?
The median is $59,990 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,130, and experienced tax preparers can clear $60,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in El Paso?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,187/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $973/month, which eats 23.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a tax preparers salary go in El Paso?
El Paso has a Regional Price Parity of 89.91 (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 $66,722 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.