SOC 13-2082 · Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro

Tax Preparers Salary in Scranton, PA

The average salary for tax preparers in Scranton, Pennsylvania is $48,190 a year ($23.17 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $39,400: half of the 90 people in this job in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 25% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($63,965).

$48,190average per year

$23.17 / hourMedian $39,400Take-home ≈ $39,421

  • $25K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $88K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

90people in this job
-25%vs U.S. metro average
#6 of 6Pennsylvania metros
94cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Tax Preparers pay range in Scranton

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,960 a year or less, while the top 10% make $87,990 or more. The middle half of tax preparers in Scranton earn between $37,970 and $60,510.

  • $25K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $39KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $88K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$48,190$4,016$23.17
Median$39,400$3,283$18.94
Entry level (25th percentile)$37,970$3,164$18.25
Experienced (75th percentile)$60,510$5,042$29.09

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Tax Preparers salary after taxes in Scranton

On the average salary of $48,190, a single filer in Scranton takes home about $39,421 a year, or $3,285 a month and $1,516 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

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Is Scranton a good place for tax preparers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Scranton area are 6% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.6), so the average $48,190 buys what about $51,509 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Scranton ($46,330). A typical home costs $227,793, or 4.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $48,190 is worth in another city

Tax Preparers salary in other Pennsylvania cities

Scranton ranks 6th of 6 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job; Philadelphia pays the most ($68,730).

All Tax Preparers salaries in Pennsylvania

Highest-paying cities for tax preparers

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($84,300).

Tax Preparers salary by city

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Tax Preparers salary in Scranton: questions

How much do tax preparers make an hour in Scranton?

$23.17 an hour on average, and $18.94 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level tax preparers salary in Scranton?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $24,960 a year and the 25th percentile is $37,970, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the tax preparers take-home pay in Scranton?

About $39,421 a year ($3,285 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $48,190. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.

Do tax preparers earn more in Scranton than elsewhere?

The average here is 25% less 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 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA (42540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 14.9%.
  • 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.70, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.70).

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