Tax Preparers Salary
In Rhode Island, tax preparers earn $57,680 at the median, or about $27.73 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.77), that's roughly $56,677 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,544/month, about 41% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Rhode Island. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $58K get you in Rhode Island?
About tax preparers
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What this looks like in Rhode Island
Tax preparers pay in Rhode Island tracks closely to the national median, $58K locally vs. $55K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,544/month, which is 39.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.77) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Rhode Island
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
Tax Preparers salary by metro in Rhode Island
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence-Warwick | $58K | +0% | 420 |
Compare to other states
Track tax preparers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Rhode Island numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tax preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Rhode Island?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 39.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,544/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 Rhode Island?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,120/month. At HUD’s $1,544/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 Rhode Island?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $58K locally vs. $55K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Rhode Island compare to the national average for tax preparers?
Rhode Island pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.77), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in Rhode Island?
The median is $57,680 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,000, and experienced tax preparers can clear $62,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Rhode Island?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,883/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,544/month, which eats 39.8% 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 Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has a Regional Price Parity of 101.77 (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 $56,677 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.