Income tax expert vs contract preparer

The differences between income tax experts and contract preparers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a contract preparer has an average salary of $40,071, which is higher than the $39,306 average annual salary of an income tax expert.

Income tax expert vs contract preparer overview

	Income Tax Expert	Contract Preparer
Yearly salary	$39,306	$40,071
Hourly rate	$18.90	$19.26
Growth rate	-	-5%
Number of jobs	34,945	8,493
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	-	-

Income tax expert vs contract preparer salary

Income tax experts and contract preparers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Income Tax Expert	Contract Preparer
Average salary	$39,306	$40,071
Salary range	Between $20,000 And $74,000	Between $19,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between income tax expert and contract preparer education

There are a few differences between an income tax expert and a contract preparer in terms of educational background:

	Income Tax Expert	Contract Preparer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Pennsylvania

Income tax expert vs contract preparer demographics

Here are the differences between income tax experts' and contract preparers' demographics:

	Income Tax Expert	Contract Preparer
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 42.4% Female, 57.6%	Male, 37.8% Female, 62.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 9.6% White, 56.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 8.3% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between income tax expert and contract preparer duties and responsibilities

Income tax expert example responsibilities.

Manage the training and use of new FactSet products and enhancements with various client bases including portfolio management and performance teams.
Review domestic payroll reporting metrics, ensure home/host payments are updated and reconcile for timely submission and payment.
Start job by assisting TurboTax user's on how to enter information into the TurboTax program.

Contract preparer example responsibilities.

Create operational efficiencies by effectively managing databases containing RFP library responses and approve responses to request revisions to form agreements.
Create operational efficiencies by effectively managing databases containing RFP library responses and approve responses to request revisions to form agreements.
Prepare bank reconciliations and general ledger maintenance for multiple clients using QuickBooks software.

Income tax expert vs contract preparer skills

Common income tax expert skills

Financial Statements, 10%
Tax Software, 10%
Tax Returns, 10%
Tax Season, 10%
Turbo, 9%
Income Tax Returns, 9%

Common contract preparer skills

Income Tax Expert vs. similar jobs

Income Tax Expert related careers

Income Tax Expert related jobs

What similar roles do

Updated January 8, 2025

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