Tax Preparers Salary
In Georgia, tax preparers earn $49,330 at the median, or about $23.72 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $97K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.89), which stretches that salary to about $53,684 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,434/month, about 42.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Georgia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $49K get you in Georgia?
About tax preparers
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What this looks like in Georgia
Tax preparers pay in Georgia tracks closely to the national median, $49K locally vs. $55K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,434/month, which is 43.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Georgia
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $97K or more, a $66K spread from bottom to top.
Tax Preparers salary by metro in Georgia
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $50K | +2% | N/A |
| Augusta-Richmond County | $45K | -9% | 80 |
| Warner Robins | $45K | -10% | 30 |
Compare to other states
Track tax preparers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Georgia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tax preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Georgia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 43.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,434/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 Georgia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,847/month. At HUD’s $1,434/month FMR, rent would take 78% 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 Georgia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $49K locally vs. $55K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Georgia compare to the national average for tax preparers?
Georgia pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in Georgia?
The median is $49,330 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,780, and experienced tax preparers can clear $97,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Georgia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,285/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,434/month, which eats 43.7% 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 Georgia?
Georgia has a Regional Price Parity of 91.89 (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 $53,684 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.