Tax Preparers Salary
In Redding, CA, tax preparers earn $61,200 at the median, or about $29.42 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.68), that's roughly $60,787 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,590/month, about 39.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Redding?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Redding’s Regional Price Parity (100.68). 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 Redding
Redding sits well above the national pay line for tax preparers, local pay runs about 11% 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 $1,590/month, which is 38.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.68) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tax preparers in metros near Redding, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $60K | $56K |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $59K | $59K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $65K | $57K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $84K | $73K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Redding, CA
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $41K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Redding numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tax preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Redding?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 38.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,590/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tax preparers in Redding?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,392/month. At HUD’s $1,590/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Redding?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $61K here vs. $55K nationally.
How does Redding compare to the national average for tax preparers?
Redding pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.68), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in Redding, CA?
The median is $61,200 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,860, and experienced tax preparers can clear $80,610. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Redding?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,102/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,590/month, which eats 38.8% 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 Redding?
Redding has a Regional Price Parity of 100.68 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tax preparers salary is worth about $60,787 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.