Tax Preparers Salary
In Illinois, tax preparers earn $54,480 at the median, or about $26.19 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $58,050 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 39.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $54K get you in Illinois?
About tax preparers
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What this looks like in Illinois
Tax preparers pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $55K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 39.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% 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, Illinois
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $43K spread from bottom to top.
Tax Preparers salary by metro in Illinois
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $49K | -11% | 1,020 |
Compare to other states
Track tax preparers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tax preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 39.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tax preparers in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,982/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 71% 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 Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $55K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for tax preparers?
Illinois pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in Illinois?
The median is $54,480 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,030, and experienced tax preparers can clear $76,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,593/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 39.2% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $58,050 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.