Business and Financial Operations · Holland code CE

Tax Preparers

Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.

Also called: CPA (Certified Public Accountant), Enrolled Agent, Tax Advisor, Tax Preparer, Income Tax Preparer, Tax Accountant, Tax Associate, Tax Consultant.

O*NET 13-2082.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $54,920; Middle half earn $38,910 to $76,300. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 38% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns.
Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures.
Explain federal and state tax laws to individuals and companies.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension4.0 / 5
Active Listening3.9 / 5
Critical Thinking3.5 / 5
Speaking3.1 / 5
Active Learning3.1 / 5
Writing3.0 / 5

Knowledge areas

Economics and Accounting3.9 / 5
English Language3.8 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.7 / 5
Mathematics3.6 / 5
Law and Government3.6 / 5
Computers and Electronics3.5 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic19
Investigative23
Artistic0
Social21
Enterprising40
Conventional97

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

accountant · DE Controller/Controllerin · FR comptable
tax advisor · DE Steuerberater/Steuerberaterin · FR fiscaliste
audit supervisor · DE Auditleiter/Auditleiterin · FR directeur de l'audit interne/directrice de l'audit interne
financial auditor · DE Finanzauditor/Finanzauditorin · FR auditeur comptable et financier/auditrice comptable et financière
financial fraud examiner · DE Prüfer im Bereich Finanzbetrug/Prüferin im Bereich Finanzbetrug · FR commissaire aux comptes
fiscal affairs policy officer · DE Referent für Steuerpolitik/Referentin für Steuerpolitik · FR chargé de mission fiscalité/chargée de mission fiscalité

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Chartered and certified accountants (2421)233,600 employed
Taxation experts (2423)44,700 employed
Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants (4132)65,200 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€61,714
Germany	€59,529
Ireland	€56,877
Austria	€55,374
Netherlands	€53,595
Sweden	€43,567
France	€41,515
Spain	€35,735
Italy	€33,649
Portugal	€26,072
Poland	€14,380

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the higher third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +1.29. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (13-2082).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test