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Job outlook for tax associates in the United States
Tax associate job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected tax associate job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 81,800 new jobs for tax associates are projected over the next decade.
Tax associate salaries have increased 21% for tax associates in the last 5 years.
There are over 80,939 tax associates currently employed in the United States.
There are 42,019 active tax associate job openings in the US.
The average tax associate salary is $62,466.
Are tax associate jobs in demand?
Tax associate job and salary trends over time
Tax associate jobs over time
Tax associate job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 80,939 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 60,906 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 64,866 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 66,247 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 66,860 | 0.02% |
Average tax associate salary over time
Tax associate salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $62,466 | $30.03 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | $60,746 | $29.20 | +9.4% |
| 2023 | $55,542 | $26.70 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $54,612 | $26.26 | +6.0% |
| 2021 | $51,538 | $24.78 | +0.3% |
Tax associate jobs by state
Most common states for tax associates
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 212 | 31% |
| 2 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 116 | 11% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 674 | 10% |
| 4 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 356 | 10% |
| 5 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 322 | 10% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 101 | 10% |
| 7 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,112 | 9% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 529 | 9% |
| 9 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 521 | 9% |
| 10 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 496 | 9% |
| 11 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 476 | 8% |
| 12 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 258 | 8% |
| 13 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 148 | 8% |
| 14 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 114 | 8% |
| 15 | Vermont | 623,657 | 49 | 8% |
| 16 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,647 | 7% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 853 | 7% |
| 18 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 702 | 7% |
| 19 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 310 | 7% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 39 | 7% |
Most common cities for tax associates
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara | 11 | 9% | $78,489 |
| 2 | Minneapolis | 19 | 5% | $60,641 |
| 3 | Irvine | 14 | 5% | $65,854 |
| 4 | Hartford | 6 | 5% | $83,579 |
| 5 | Atlanta | 21 | 4% | $67,864 |
| 6 | Tempe | 7 | 4% | $54,677 |
| 7 | San Francisco | 22 | 3% | $79,217 |
| 8 | Baltimore | 21 | 3% | $60,046 |
| 9 | Boston | 17 | 3% | $70,522 |
| 10 | Orlando | 8 | 3% | $56,793 |
| 11 | Detroit | 16 | 2% | $59,337 |
| 12 | Miami | 10 | 2% | $56,869 |
| 13 | Los Angeles | 26 | 1% | $67,105 |
| 14 | Chicago | 22 | 1% | $56,587 |
| 15 | San Diego | 14 | 1% | $64,372 |
| 16 | Washington | 8 | 1% | $70,169 |
| 17 | Denver | 7 | 1% | $63,280 |
| 18 | San Jose | 7 | 1% | $78,301 |
| 19 | New York | 7 | 0% | $78,902 |
| 20 | Philadelphia | 6 | 0% | $66,578 |
Tax Associate job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of tax associate experts
Gonzaga University
The University of Texas at Arlington
Indiana University Northwest
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Kansas Wesleyan University
University of Oklahoma
What general advice would you give to a Tax Associate?
Andrew Brajcich: Tax technical skills will always be important. But now those are just table stakes. To be a value-adding advisor to your client or team, you need technological skills including some coding and database management skills. And it has to be more than Excel. I don’t care if it’s exposure to Python or SQL or Tableau or Alteryx or something else. You need to understand how technologies work because they will change but the fundamental concepts behind the tools remain.
What Tax Associate skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Andrew Brajcich: Ask yourself, “What can I do to make the job of the person above me easier.” That should be your guiding light. If you approach every workday with that, you’ll soon find yourself on better clients, working with better teams, and moving up in the organization.
What will help Tax Associates increase their earning potential?
Andrew Brajcich: 1) Be open to anything. You might be surprised at what you discover. 2) Be nimble. Most career paths are a zig zag. Few are direct. 3) Learn how to leverage AI without being over reliant. In tax, it has a long ways to go so hop on for the ride but double check every aspect of the work product. You can learn with it. And of course get permission before using any tools.
What general advice would you give to a Tax Associate?
Kenton Klaus: As noted above, the best way to maximize salary potential is to quickly narrow down the areas of tax where the graduate student can separate themselves from other candidates. If the graduate student did his or her homework before finishing their graduate studies, they will be able to demonstrate to employers that they have a deeper knowledge of the technical areas in which they have an interest, along with the applicable technology.
What Tax Associate skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kenton Klaus: Taxation is a very broad discipline, so it's important for a new tax professional to understand all the opportunities available for them to use their graduate degree. In some cases, graduate students have already been in the workforce, and have specific plans to return to a certain area of practice. However, many students have not explored the available opportunities to see which line up best with their interests and skills. I encourage graduate students to explore the market before they graduate, reach out to alumni who work in different areas of the tax profession, and speak with the professors for the courses that most interested them.
What will help Tax Associates increase their earning potential?
Kenton Klaus: Taxation is a very broad discipline, so it's important for a new tax professional to understand all the opportunities available for them to use their graduate degree. In some cases, graduate students have already been in the workforce, and have specific plans to return to a certain area of practice. However, many students have not explored the available opportunities to see which line up best with their interests and skills. I encourage graduate students to explore the market before they graduate, reach out to alumni who work in different areas of the tax profession, and speak with the professors for the courses that most interested them.
What will help Tax Associates increase their earning potential?
Dr. J. Klaus Ph.D., CPA (KY): Tax accountants hold a pivotal role in managing financial records, ensuring tax compliance, and offering strategic financial guidance. Their daily activities encompass preparing tax returns, conducting financial analyses, and staying abreast of dynamic tax regulations. Recent graduates embark on a fulfilling journey, starting with foundational tasks and progressing through training, collaboration with experienced professionals, and client engagement. This profession offers continuous learning opportunities, with many aspiring to attain certifications like the CPA designation. Ultimately, becoming a tax accountant is not only rewarding but also crucial in contributing to financial transparency, efficiency, and compliance for individuals and businesses alike.
Jaclyn Barkow
Clinical Assistant Professor of AccountingIndiana University Northwest
Accounting Department
What soft skills should all Tax Associates possess?
Jaclyn Barkow: The most valuable soft skill is communication. Being able to communicate effectively with colleagues, superiors, and clients. Communication comes in the form of written and oral. Effective communication also entails knowing when to listen, when to respond, and asking questions. Young accountants will also not know everything upon entering the workplace; asking questions is important for the learning process.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Tax Associates?
Jaclyn Barkow: Understanding tax return preparation is important. This is where the internship or volunteer work stands out on resumes. Tax law changes every year, so remembering what is in a textbook becomes obsolete year after year. Research skills are important for keeping up with the ever-changing tax law.
The profession is also changing so that tax accountants must have a working understanding of information security and maintaining client information confidentially. Data security is extremely important in the profession, and identity theft is very common in tax return preparation. Having some technical information systems and information security understanding is valuable to maintaining sensitive information.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Tax Associate job market given the pandemic?
Vivek Pande: Long-term chronic unemployment among certain demographics especially older workers unfortunately. I think graduating college students with business degrees will still get jobs but they may have to look harder. Certain sectors are obviously continuing to do well such as e-commerce and tech.
What Tax Associate skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Vivek Pande: There are two skills all business students and graduates can always work on. The first is computer skills - basic knowledge of, for example, SQL or advanced Excel wizardry is always useful for career advancement. Secondly, students interested in global business can always learn/improve foreign language skills. Spanish is not even a "foreign" language anymore and some basic knowledge of, for example, Arabic or Mandarin can obviously be very useful.
What general advice would you give to a Tax Associate?
Vivek Pande: The same advice as always - work hard, shut up, pay your dues, be useful, be reliable, then move on up!
Dr. Hassan Niazi
Assistant Professor of AccountingKansas Wesleyan University
Department of Business and Accounting
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Tax Associates?
Dr. Hassan Niazi: Unfortunately, the obstacles this pandemic has created in learning experiences of graduates are a matter of concern for both graduates and their prospective employers. Graduates will have to resort more to experiential learning at their workplace to meet the deficiencies in their learning caused by the pandemic. With that said, the batch of 2020 is definitely a different class of graduates and has the potential of becoming the most self-initiative, creative, and collaborative leaders of the century.
What type of skills will young Tax Associates need?
Dr. Hassan Niazi: The post-pandemic workforce is likely to have a more remote, collaborative, and perhaps work-from-home type of environment. Hence, this would require deeper understanding of the IT tools at their disposal with emphasis on their limitations and security aspects. To complement these hard skills, graduates will also need effective communication, problem-solving, and crisis management skills to overcome some of the inherent IT limitations.