Post job

Senior tax associate education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior tax associate. Senior tax associates usually study accounting, business, or taxation. 64% of senior tax associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,675 real senior tax associate resumes to see exactly what senior tax associate education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior tax associates are the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Austin.

There are also many online senior tax associate courses to help get the education required to be a senior tax associate.

What education do you need to become a senior tax associate?

What degree do you need to be a senior tax associate?

The most common degree for senior tax associates is bachelor's degree, with 64% of senior tax associates earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 26% and master's degree degree at 6%.
  • Bachelor's, 64%
  • Master's, 26%
  • Doctorate, 6%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a senior tax associate?

You should major in accounting to become a senior tax associate. 52% of senior tax associates major in accounting. Other common majors for a senior tax associate include business and taxation.

Most common colleges for senior tax associates

Senior tax associates often get their degrees at University of Texas at Austin, Georgetown University, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for senior tax associates in the US based on their resumes.
Senior tax associate common collegePercentages
University of Texas at Austin8.54%
Georgetown University7.32%
University of Houston6.71%
Georgia State University5.49%
University of Massachusetts Boston5.49%

Best majors for senior tax associates

RankMajorPercentages
1Accounting51.6%
2Business15.3%
3Taxation8.5%
4Law6.4%
5Finance3.1%

Best colleges for senior tax associates

The best colleges for senior tax associates are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Villanova University.

A senior tax associate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior tax associates. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become senior tax associates.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

3. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

6. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

10. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

20 best online courses for senior tax associates

Advertising disclosure

1. S Corporation Income Tax - Form 1120S

udemy
4.5
(311)

Learn to enter tax data for an S Corporation into Form 1120S from a CPA...

2. C Corporation Income Tax (Form 1120)

udemy
4.3
(277)

Learn to enter tax data for a C Corporation into tax Form 1020 from a CPA...

3. How to Prepare Your U.S. Federal Tax Returns Online

udemy
4.5
(268)

Master Income Tax Preparation Using Turbo Tax...

4. Partnership Income Tax (Form 1065)

udemy
4.6
(316)

Learn to enter tax data for a Partnership into tax Form 1065 from a CPA...

5. Ultimate Payroll Management with Income Tax & Year-End 23-24

udemy
4.2
(351)

Basic to Advanced: Certification in Payroll, Compensation Benefits, Income Tax,Year Ending for Payroll & Human Resources...

6. US Income Taxes - Income Tax Preparation Simplified for You

udemy
4.5
(606)

The A – Z of self-preparing and e-filing your basic income taxes by 04/15. Income tax preparation made easy for you...

7. Fundamentals of Business Taxes

udemy
4.5
(1,415)

Learn the fundamentals of business taxes and understand the basics of doing taxes for your business...

8. Tax Preparation: Learn Fast! Prepare Taxes with Confidence!

udemy
4.1
(616)

Become a confident tax preparer by learning about taxes and applications over practical examples and scenarios...

9. Tax Strategies of the Wealthy

udemy
4.2
(305)

How the Rich Get Richer Through Taxes...

10. Payroll Accounting: Laws, Calculations, and Journal Entries

udemy
4.4
(1,649)

Master the complex world of payroll with practical examples, legislation insights, and comprehensive problems...

11. Tax & Adjusting Entry Year-End Accounting Excel Worksheet

udemy
4.6
(288)

Build Excel worksheet for adjusting adjusting & tax entries, reconciling net income calculated on a book and tax basis...

12. Tax Accounting Made Easy to Understand

udemy
4.3
(353)

Finally, an easy to understand tax accounting course. Taxes explained step by step...

13. The Real Estate Equity Waterfall Modeling Master Class

udemy
4.8
(1,831)

The Complete Guide To Building Dynamic Real Estate Equity Waterfall Models In Microsoft Excel...

14. QuickBooks Payroll - QuickBooks Online

udemy
4.5
(319)

Processing Quick Books Online payroll for a small business, generating paychecks, processing payroll tax forms...

15. Income Tax - Schedule C Small Business Sole Proprietor

udemy
4.8
(298)

Small business, schedule C income tax preparation using actual tax forms for examples including form 1040, Schedule SE...

16. Tax Preparation and Law 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, & 2019

udemy
4.3
(2,835)

Unlock Tax Filing Confidence with Practical Examples & Step-by-Step Instructions in this Comprehensive Income Tax Course...

17. Practical Course in Goods and Services Tax

udemy
4
(314)

Learn GSTR1 and GSTR2 Returns,GSTR3B Monthly return & GSTR9 Annual return...

18. The Advanced Real Estate Equity Waterfall Modeling Class

udemy
4.9
(417)

A Step-by-Step Guide To Modeling Catch-Ups, Clawbacks, Cash-on-Cash Waterfalls, and More For Real Estate Investors...

19. Real Estate Acquisitions 101

udemy
4.7
(1,176)

How To Identify Commercial Properties, Run Due Diligence, Raise Capital, and Close Commercial Real Estate Transactions...

20. The Real Estate Financial Modeling Bootcamp

udemy
4.8
(8,299)

The Complete A to Z Guide to Modeling Real Estate Transactions in Microsoft Excel For Smarter Real Estate Investing...

Top 10 most affordable universities for senior tax associates

The most affordable schools for senior tax associates are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for senior tax associates are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for senior tax associates.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,893

Cost of attendance

18,870

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior tax associates

The hardest universities for senior tax associates to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and Villanova University.

Some great schools for senior tax associates are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for senior tax associates based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

3. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

10. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior tax associates

The easiest schools for senior tax associates to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior tax associate without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for senior tax associates.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average senior tax associate salary by education level

According to our data, senior tax associates with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $105,973 annually. Senior tax associates with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $103,209.
Senior tax associate education levelSenior tax associate salary
Master's Degree$103,209
Bachelor's Degree$94,303
Doctorate Degree$105,973

Senior tax associate education FAQs

Search for senior tax associate jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse business and financial jobs