Tax Preparers Salary
In Maryland, tax preparers earn $47,020 at the median, or about $22.61 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $70K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.76), that's roughly $47,610 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,795/month, about 55.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Maryland. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $47K get you in Maryland?
About tax preparers
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What this looks like in Maryland
Pay for tax preparers in Maryland runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,795/month, which is 57% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.76) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for tax preparerss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Maryland
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $70K or more, a $32K spread from bottom to top.
Tax Preparers salary by metro in Maryland
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $56K | +19% | 660 |
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Track tax preparers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Maryland numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tax preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Maryland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 57% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,795/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tax preparers in Maryland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,262/month. At HUD’s $1,795/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 Maryland?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $47K here vs. $55K nationally.
How does Maryland compare to the national average for tax preparers?
Maryland pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.76), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — below the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in Maryland?
The median is $47,020 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,700, and experienced tax preparers can clear $69,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Maryland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,147/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,795/month, which eats 57% 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 Maryland?
Maryland has a Regional Price Parity of 98.76 (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 $47,610 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.