Tax Preparers Salary
In Killeen-Temple, TX, tax preparers earn $37,760 at the median, or about $18.15 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.13), which stretches that salary to about $41,435 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,233/month, about 45.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $38K actually covers in Killeen-Temple, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Killeen-Temple’s Regional Price Parity (91.13). 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 Killeen-Temple
Pay for tax preparers in Killeen-Temple 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 $1,233/month, which is 45.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.13 (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 preparers.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tax preparers in metros near Killeen-Temple, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $47K | $46K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $47K | $48K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $48K | $49K |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $40K | $46K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Killeen-Temple, TX
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $33K 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 annually. We'll email you when Killeen-Temple numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a tax preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Killeen-Temple?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 45.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,233/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 Killeen-Temple?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,226/month. At HUD’s $1,233/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Killeen-Temple?
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 Killeen-Temple compare to the national average for tax preparers?
Killeen-Temple pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in Killeen-Temple, TX?
The median is $37,760 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,700, and experienced tax preparers can clear $63,350. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Killeen-Temple?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,698/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,233/month, which eats 45.7% 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 Killeen-Temple?
Killeen-Temple has a Regional Price Parity of 91.13 (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 $41,435 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.