Tax Preparers Salary
In New York, tax preparers earn $71,850 at the median, or about $34.54 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $125K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.21), that's roughly $73,160 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,917/month, about 40.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New York. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $72K get you in New York?
About tax preparers
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What this looks like in New York
New York sits well above the national pay line for tax preparers, local pay runs about 31% higher than the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,917/month, which is 41.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.21) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $72K. Top earners bring in $125K or more, a $86K spread from bottom to top.
Tax Preparers salary by metro in New York
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $71K | -1% | 8,100 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $62K | -13% | 310 |
| Syracuse | $61K | -15% | 100 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $60K | -16% | 180 |
| Rochester | $60K | -16% | 290 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $60K | -16% | 320 |
| Binghamton | $55K | -24% | 40 |
Compare to other states
Track tax preparers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New York numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tax preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $72K, rent takes 41.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,917/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tax preparers in New York?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,341/month. At HUD’s $1,917/month FMR, rent would take 82% 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 New York?
Local pay is 31% above the national median — $72K here vs. $55K nationally.
How does New York compare to the national average for tax preparers?
New York pays $72K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s +31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in New York?
The median is $71,850 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,010, and experienced tax preparers can clear $125,070. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $72K enough to live in New York?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,632/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,917/month, which eats 41.4% 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 New York?
New York has a Regional Price Parity of 98.21 (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 $73,160 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.