SOC 13-2082 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Tax Preparers — Little Rock
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR · 2 metro areas compared
The median wage for Tax Preparers in Little Rock, AR is $38,140 per year, substantially below the national median of $54,920 — a gap of 30.6%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +4.5%
- Openings per year
- 10,400
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
15.5% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Tax Preparers in Little Rock, AR is $38,140 per year, substantially below the national median of $54,920 — a gap of 30.6%. Half of workers earn between $31,080 and $59,790. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $28,750 and the ninetieth at $112,900.
The area has 130 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.4 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, Fayetteville records the highest median at $35,650. Of the 513 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 396th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $28,750 | −47.7% |
| 25th | $31,080 | −43.4% |
| Median (50th) | $38,140 | −30.6% |
| 75th | $59,790 | +8.9% |
| 90th | $112,900 | +105.6% |
| Mean | $51,390 | −6.4% |
Other metro areas in Arkansas
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fayetteville | $35,650 | 100 | |
| 2 | Fort Smith | $30,160 | 40 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Little Rock run 10.6% below the national average, so the median of $38,140 goes as far as $42,662 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 22.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$38,140as reported by BLSLocal price level
89.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$42,662US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $38,140 a year, 30.6% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $28,750 to $112,900 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 130 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Fayetteville, at $35,650.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Tax Preparers in Little Rock, AR?
The median annual wage is $38,140, or $18.34 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $54,920, so pay in Little Rock, AR is 30.6% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Little Rock, AR earns more than $112,900 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $28,750 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Fayetteville, at $35,650 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 130 jobs in this occupation in Little Rock, AR. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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