Tax Preparers Salary
In Texas, tax preparers earn $47,460 at the median, or about $22.82 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $87K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $51,875 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 41.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $47K get you in Texas?
About tax preparers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Texas
Pay for tax preparers in Texas 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 $1,415/month, which is 42.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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, Texas
Entry-level tax preparers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $87K or more, a $56K spread from bottom to top.
Tax Preparers salary by metro in Texas
15 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amarillo | $71K | +50% | 60 |
| Waco | $65K | +37% | 40 |
| El Paso | $60K | +26% | N/A |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $50K | +5% | 90 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $48K | +1% | 490 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $47K | -0% | 1,280 |
| Tyler | $47K | -1% | N/A |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $47K | -1% | 1,780 |
| Midland | $46K | -3% | 30 |
| Corpus Christi | $43K | -9% | 90 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $40K | -17% | 150 |
| Lubbock | $38K | -20% | 50 |
| Killeen-Temple | $38K | -20% | 70 |
| College Station-Bryan | $38K | -21% | 30 |
| Sherman-Denison | $36K | -24% | 30 |
Showing 1–10 of 15 metros
Compare to other states
Track tax preparers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
Related careers in Business & Finance
Frequently asked questions
Can a tax preparer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 42.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tax preparers in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tax preparers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,867/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 76% 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 Texas?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $47K here vs. $55K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Texas compare to the national average for tax preparers?
Texas pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do tax preparers make in Texas?
The median is $47,460 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,110, and experienced tax preparers can clear $86,950. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,348/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 42.3% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $51,875 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.