Tax Preparers pay range in Modesto
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,080 a year or less, while the top 10% make $96,270 or more. The middle half of tax preparers in Modesto earn between $47,770 and $76,500.
- $38K10th
- $48K25th
- $65KMedian
- $76K75th
- $96K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $66,970 | $5,581 | $32.20 |
| Median | $64,630 | $5,386 | $31.07 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $47,770 | $3,981 | $22.97 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $76,500 | $6,375 | $36.78 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Tax Preparers salary after taxes in Modesto
On the average salary of $66,970, a single filer in Modesto takes home about $53,658 a year, or $4,472 a month and $2,064 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Modesto a good place for tax preparers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Modesto area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 104.1), so the average $66,970 buys what about $64,327 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Modesto ($50,610). A typical home costs $468,302, or 7.0 years of this average salary before tax.
Tax Preparers salary in other California cities
Modesto ranks 8th of 17 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($84,300).
- San Francisco$84,300
- San Jose$83,550
- Santa Rosa$71,350
- San Diego$69,700
- Salinas$68,190
- Los Angeles$68,140
- Stockton$67,450
- Modesto$66,970
- Sacramento$66,850
- Santa Cruz$66,290
Highest-paying cities for tax preparers
San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($84,300).
- San Francisco, CA$84,300
- San Jose, CA$83,550
- Kansas City, MO$82,540
- Anchorage, AK$77,620
- Jefferson City, MO$77,180
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Tax Preparers salary in Modesto: questions
How much do tax preparers make an hour in Modesto?
$32.20 an hour on average, and $31.07 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level tax preparers salary in Modesto?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,080 a year and the 25th percentile is $47,770, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the tax preparers take-home pay in Modesto?
About $53,658 a year ($4,472 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $66,970. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do tax preparers earn more in Modesto than elsewhere?
The average here is 5% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($63,965).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 13-2082; area Modesto, CA (33700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.1%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.79, this job is 1.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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