Tax Preparers Salary
In South Carolina, tax preparers earn $39,220 at the median, or about $18.86 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.17), which stretches that salary to about $42,095 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,263/month, about 47.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across South Carolina. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $39K get you in South Carolina?
About tax preparers
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What this looks like in South Carolina
Pay for tax preparers in South Carolina runs about 29% below the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,263/month, which is 46.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.17 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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 preparerss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Carolina
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $53K spread from bottom to top.
Tax Preparers salary by metro in South Carolina
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence | $64K | +62% | 60 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $63K | +62% | 310 |
| Charleston-North Charleston | $62K | +59% | 210 |
| Spartanburg | $38K | -2% | 60 |
| Columbia | $36K | -8% | 150 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $31K | -21% | 110 |
| Sumter | $30K | -22% | 70 |
Compare to other states
Track tax preparers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when South Carolina numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tax preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in South Carolina?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 46.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,263/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 South Carolina?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,682/month. At HUD’s $1,263/month FMR, rent would take 75% 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 South Carolina?
Local pay runs 29% below the national median — $39K here vs. $55K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does South Carolina compare to the national average for tax preparers?
South Carolina pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in South Carolina?
The median is $39,220 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,040, and experienced tax preparers can clear $80,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in South Carolina?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,722/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,263/month, which eats 46.4% 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 South Carolina?
South Carolina has a Regional Price Parity of 93.17 (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 $42,095 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.