SOC 13-2082 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Tax Preparers — Missouri
Missouri · 4 metro areas compared
In Missouri the median wage for Tax Preparers is $62,780 a year, which is 14.3% higher than the national figure of $54,920.
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 Missouri.
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
In Missouri the median wage for Tax Preparers is $62,780 a year, which is 14.3% higher than the national figure of $54,920. Half of workers earn between $35,580 and $98,630. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $31,400 and the ninetieth at $124,300.
The area has 1,330 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.5 of every thousand jobs. Among the 48 states with published data for this occupation, Missouri ranks 5th by median wage. Kansas City leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $78,920. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 287th of 733 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $31,400 | −42.8% |
| 25th | $35,580 | −35.2% |
| Median (50th) | $62,780 | +14.3% |
| 75th | $98,630 | +79.6% |
| 90th | $124,300 | +126.3% |
| Mean | $72,120 | +31.3% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Missouri
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas City | $78,920 | 560 | |
| 2 | Jefferson City | $75,990 | 30 | |
| 3 | St. Louis | $69,210 | 380 | |
| 4 | Springfield | $56,820 | 160 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Missouri run 9.2% below the national average, so the median of $62,780 goes as far as $69,141 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 25.9% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$62,780as reported by BLSLocal price level
90.8US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$69,141US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $62,780 a year, 14.3% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $31,400 to $124,300 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 1,330 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 5th of 48 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Kansas City, at $78,920.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Tax Preparers in Missouri?
The median annual wage is $62,780, or $30.18 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 Missouri is 14.3% higher. 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 Missouri earns more than $124,300 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $31,400 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 Kansas City, at $78,920 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 1,330 jobs in this occupation in Missouri. 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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