Tax preparers
SOC Code: 13-2082
Tax preparers carries a 71% AI exposure score (Very High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $50,560 and +4.5% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 90,600 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 71% AI exposure, Tax preparers sits 34 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 98% of them. It is one of just 21 occupations above the 70% high-exposure line.
Career outlook score
39/100
Tax preparers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $50,560
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B +4.5%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 71% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Tax preparers in the Very High band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Tax preparers keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Tax preparers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Tax preparers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
71% Higher than most higher than 98% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Tax preparers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Tax preparers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Tax preparers's Very High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score above 70% signals that the majority of core duties are already technically automatable, workers in these roles face the steepest near-term displacement pressure.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 13-2082) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Tax preparers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Tax preparers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
- 2. Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
- 3. Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
- 4. Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
- 5. Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
- 6. Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns.
- 7. Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures.
- 8. Explain federal and state tax laws to individuals and companies.
- 9. Answer questions and provide future tax planning to clients.
- 10. Consult tax law handbooks or bulletins to determine procedures for preparation of atypical returns.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Time Management
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Monitoring
- Service Orientation
Knowledge Areas
- Economics and Accounting
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Law and Government
- Computers and Electronics
- Administrative
- Education and Training
- Telecommunications
- Communications and Media
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Tax preparers?
Tax preparers has an AI exposure score of 71%, indicating a very high level of automation risk. Many tasks in this role involve routine data processing and pattern recognition that current AI systems can perform.
What is the job outlook for Tax preparers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Tax preparers is projected to grow by 4.5% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 90,600 workers.
What skills are needed for Tax preparers?
Key skills for Tax preparers include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Tax preparers earn?
The median annual wage for Tax preparers is $50,560, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Tax preparers?
The typical entry-level education for Tax preparers is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Tax preparers?
Tax preparers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Very High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A majority of tasks in this occupation are susceptible to AI automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Tax preparers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (71% here).
- Procurement clerks · AI exposure 71%
- Compliance officers · AI exposure 69%
- Insurance claims and policy processing clerks · AI exposure 69%
- Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other · AI exposure 69%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+4.5% here).
- Carpenters · growth +4.5%
- Dancers · growth +4.5%
- Health education specialists · growth +4.5%
- Helpers--carpenters · growth +4.5%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
What to do with this
Use Tax preparers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Tax preparers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).