Tax Preparers pay range in San Jose
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,390 a year or less, while the top 10% make $113,530 or more. The middle half of tax preparers in San Jose earn between $64,140 and $99,800.
- $48K10th
- $64K25th
- $81KMedian
- $100K75th
- $114K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $83,550 | $6,962 | $40.17 |
| Median | $81,180 | $6,765 | $39.03 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $64,140 | $5,345 | $30.84 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $99,800 | $8,317 | $47.98 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Tax Preparers salary after taxes in San Jose
On the average salary of $83,550, a single filer in San Jose takes home about $63,929 a year, or $5,327 a month and $2,459 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% 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 San Jose a good place for tax preparers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Jose area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 110.4), so the average $83,550 buys what about $75,664 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in San Jose ($84,050). A typical home costs $1,610,466, or 19.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Tax Preparers salary in other California cities
San Jose ranks 2nd 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 San Jose: questions
How much do tax preparers make an hour in San Jose?
$40.17 an hour on average, and $39.03 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level tax preparers salary in San Jose?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,390 a year and the 25th percentile is $64,140, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the tax preparers take-home pay in San Jose?
About $63,929 a year ($5,327 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $83,550. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do tax preparers earn more in San Jose than elsewhere?
The average here is 31% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (41940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.6%.
- 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 1.37, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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