Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents (SOC 13-2081) earn a median $62,370 a year ($29.98 an hour) in the United States, with 56,610 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New Jersey.
What tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents do
Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents determine how much tax individuals and businesses owe, or collect what is overdue, according to prescribed laws and regulations. Examiners and revenue agents review returns and supporting records and discuss the issues, laws, and regulations involved with taxpayers or their representatives. They notify taxpayers of an overpayment or underpayment and either send a refund or bill the difference. Collectors work on delinquent accounts and send notices to taxpayers whose accounts are overdue. All keep case records, including contacts and actions taken. Titles include revenue officer, tax auditor, collections specialist, and adjustment examiner. The occupation is distinct from tax preparers, who prepare returns for clients, from accountants and auditors, who examine business books for employers or clients, and from financial examiners, who check compliance of financial institutions. They also contact taxpayers by mail or telephone to address discrepancies and request supporting documentation, and they answer questions and help taxpayers complete tax forms.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: Adjustment Examiner, Block Advisor, City Collector, City Tax Auditor, Collections Specialist.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $20.19 | $23.77 | $29.98 | $40.09 | $55.07 | $33.91 | 56,610 |
| Annual | $42,000 | $49,450 | $62,370 | $83,390 | $114,550 | $70,520 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $27.32 | $35.26 | $46.36 | $58.60 | $69.65 | $47.01 | 1,430 | 0.33 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $56,820 | $73,350 | $96,420 | $121,880 | $144,870 | $97,780 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $31.51 | $37.29 | $45.50 | $57.08 | $63.68 | $47.35 | 60 | 0.19 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $65,550 | $77,560 | $94,630 | $118,720 | $132,450 | $98,490 | ||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $25.91 | $31.25 | $44.56 | $54.76 | $60.06 | $43.57 | 230 | 0.07 | 0.19 |
| Annual | $53,900 | $65,000 | $92,680 | $113,900 | $124,920 | $90,630 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $30.81 | $34.75 | $42.86 | $53.33 | $61.25 | $44.76 | 940 | 0.55 | 1.52 |
| Annual | $64,080 | $72,280 | $89,140 | $110,920 | $127,410 | $93,100 | ||||
| Kansas | Hourly | $20.59 | $32.84 | $42.60 | $47.63 | $56.64 | $40.36 | 50 | 0.04 | 0.10 |
| Annual | $42,830 | $68,310 | $88,610 | $99,070 | $117,810 | $83,940 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $24.14 | $28.18 | $35.63 | $46.62 | $61.03 | $39.38 | 8,610 | 0.47 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $50,210 | $58,610 | $74,110 | $96,970 | $126,940 | $81,910 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $19.93 | $22.96 | $27.98 | $38.64 | $55.68 | $32.74 | 3,980 | 0.28 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $41,450 | $47,760 | $58,200 | $80,370 | $115,810 | $68,110 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $19.06 | $19.82 | $22.48 | $31.29 | $50.66 | $28.39 | 3,950 | 0.40 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $39,640 | $41,230 | $46,760 | $65,080 | $105,370 | $59,060 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $24.93 | $28.00 | $34.91 | $46.23 | $61.69 | $38.72 | 3,550 | 0.37 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $51,850 | $58,250 | $72,610 | $96,160 | $128,320 | $80,540 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $21.36 | $23.81 | $27.34 | $34.40 | $44.12 | $30.25 | 3,540 | 0.58 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $44,430 | $49,520 | $56,870 | $71,550 | $91,770 | $62,930 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $34.13 | $39.37 | $53.26 | $69.24 | $82.34 | $56.01 | 420 | 0.18 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $70,990 | $81,900 | $110,780 | $144,020 | $171,270 | $116,490 | ||||
| Vallejo, CA | Hourly | $34.13 | $38.78 | $53.26 | $69.67 | $73.89 | $53.21 | 30 | 0.23 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $70,990 | $80,650 | $110,780 | $144,910 | $153,690 | $110,680 | ||||
| Worcester, MA | Hourly | $24.23 | $35.67 | $52.61 | $61.12 | $66.94 | $49.22 | 50 | 0.15 | 0.40 |
| Annual | $50,390 | $74,190 | $109,420 | $127,130 | $139,240 | $102,370 | ||||
| Springfield, MA | Hourly | $30.98 | $42.81 | $51.77 | $57.67 | $62.88 | $48.67 | 50 | 0.24 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $64,430 | $89,040 | $107,690 | $119,950 | $130,790 | $101,230 | ||||
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | Hourly | $28.63 | $35.75 | $50.71 | $59.80 | $69.65 | $48.02 | 130 | 0.33 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $59,540 | $74,370 | $105,480 | $124,380 | $144,870 | $99,880 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | $23.61 | $27.95 | $32.50 | $40.87 | $48.75 | $35.37 | 3,780 | 3.50 | 9.60 |
| Annual | $49,120 | $58,140 | $67,610 | $85,010 | $101,400 | $73,570 | ||||
| Ogden, UT | Hourly | $19.39 | $21.61 | $23.77 | $27.22 | $31.92 | $24.97 | 3,240 | 11.95 | 32.83 |
| Annual | $40,330 | $44,950 | $49,440 | $56,620 | $66,390 | $51,930 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $25.47 | $31.16 | $41.51 | $58.60 | $67.66 | $44.53 | 2,910 | 0.31 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $52,980 | $64,810 | $86,340 | $121,880 | $140,730 | $92,620 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $21.36 | $23.81 | $29.11 | $36.80 | $46.94 | $32.06 | 2,120 | 0.73 | 2.01 |
| Annual | $44,430 | $49,520 | $60,550 | $76,540 | $97,640 | $66,690 | ||||
| Kansas City, MO-KS | Hourly | $19.70 | $21.96 | $24.16 | $28.48 | $31.73 | $25.44 | 1,980 | 1.81 | 4.97 |
| Annual | $40,980 | $45,680 | $50,250 | $59,240 | $66,000 | $52,920 | ||||
Top industries employing tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) employ 45.8% of tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents nationally (25,930 jobs) at a median $64,600 a year ($31.06 an hour), followed by State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (34.3%) and Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (19.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 25,930 | 45.8% | $64,600 | $31.06 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 19,440 | 34.3% | $63,610 | $30.58 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 11,240 | 19.9% | $57,610 | $27.70 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (56,610). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $56,780 for tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents in May 2021 and $62,370 in May 2025, with employment of 52,270 and 56,610.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $56,780 | $27.30 | 52,270 |
| May 2022 | $57,950 | $27.86 | 50,610 |
| May 2023 | $58,530 | $28.14 | 50,250 |
| May 2024 | $59,740 | $28.72 | 53,530 |
| May 2025 | $62,370 | $29.98 | 56,610 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey profile | $46.36 | $96,420 | $56,820 | $144,870 | 1,430 | 0.33 | 0.91 |
| 2 | Alaska profile | $45.50 | $94,630 | $65,550 | $132,450 | 60 | 0.19 | 0.53 |
| 3 | Arizona profile | $44.56 | $92,680 | $53,900 | $124,920 | 230 | 0.07 | 0.19 |
| 4 | Connecticut profile | $42.86 | $89,140 | $64,080 | $127,410 | 940 | 0.55 | 1.52 |
| 5 | Kansas profile | $42.60 | $88,610 | $42,830 | $117,810 | 50 | 0.04 | 0.10 |
| 6 | Illinois profile | $38.81 | $80,720 | $55,190 | $121,720 | 1,350 | 0.22 | 0.61 |
| 7 | Minnesota profile | $37.98 | $79,000 | $54,160 | $116,690 | 1,150 | 0.39 | 1.07 |
| 8 | Ohio profile | $36.66 | $76,240 | $53,730 | $120,000 | 990 | 0.18 | 0.49 |
| 9 | Massachusetts profile | $36.33 | $75,560 | $50,920 | $123,320 | 1,260 | 0.35 | 0.95 |
| 10 | Nevada profile | $36.30 | $75,500 | $52,000 | $117,670 | 280 | 0.18 | 0.49 |
| 11 | California profile | $35.63 | $74,110 | $50,210 | $126,940 | 8,610 | 0.47 | 1.30 |
| 12 | Delaware profile | $35.05 | $72,900 | $51,860 | $119,970 | 110 | 0.22 | 0.60 |
| 13 | Washington profile | $35.03 | $72,850 | $56,140 | $122,390 | 770 | 0.22 | 0.59 |
| 14 | New York profile | $34.91 | $72,610 | $51,850 | $128,320 | 3,550 | 0.37 | 1.01 |
| 15 | North Dakota profile | $34.73 | $72,230 | $45,780 | $108,890 | 60 | 0.13 | 0.36 |
| 16 | Rhode Island profile | $33.59 | $69,870 | $54,330 | $113,760 | 270 | 0.53 | 1.46 |
| 17 | Colorado profile | $33.53 | $69,740 | $52,050 | $118,720 | 620 | 0.21 | 0.59 |
| 18 | Hawaii profile | $32.31 | $67,210 | $45,200 | $134,950 | 80 | 0.13 | 0.35 |
| 19 | Maryland profile | $32.16 | $66,900 | $44,690 | $124,590 | 560 | 0.20 | 0.56 |
| 20 | Iowa profile | $32.14 | $66,860 | $50,460 | $100,700 | 210 | 0.14 | 0.38 |
| 21 | Oregon profile | $31.65 | $65,830 | $53,090 | $107,450 | 430 | 0.22 | 0.59 |
| 22 | South Dakota profile | $30.67 | $63,790 | $50,110 | $90,180 | 120 | 0.25 | 0.70 |
| 23 | Montana profile | $30.58 | $63,610 | $61,110 | $88,610 | 130 | 0.25 | 0.67 |
| 24 | Michigan profile | $30.50 | $63,440 | $38,420 | $116,230 | 1,080 | 0.25 | 0.68 |
| 25 | Maine profile | $30.43 | $63,290 | $49,630 | $113,760 | 350 | 0.55 | 1.51 |
| 26 | North Carolina profile | $29.78 | $61,950 | $46,410 | $105,340 | 1,300 | 0.26 | 0.72 |
| 27 | Wyoming profile | $29.70 | $61,780 | $51,540 | $79,440 | 60 | 0.22 | 0.60 |
| 28 | Idaho profile | $29.38 | $61,110 | $45,910 | $93,780 | 300 | 0.36 | 0.98 |
| 29 | South Carolina profile | $29.38 | $61,110 | $45,740 | $112,260 | 280 | 0.12 | 0.34 |
| 30 | Wisconsin profile | $28.84 | $59,990 | $50,790 | $105,020 | 500 | 0.17 | 0.47 |
| 31 | Virginia profile | $28.66 | $59,610 | $42,760 | $98,740 | 1,800 | 0.44 | 1.20 |
| 32 | Nebraska profile | $28.44 | $59,150 | $38,740 | $92,080 | 180 | 0.18 | 0.49 |
| 33 | Vermont profile | $28.37 | $59,010 | $44,350 | $92,890 | 140 | 0.46 | 1.26 |
| 34 | New Hampshire profile | $28.18 | $58,610 | $38,450 | $100,360 | 330 | 0.49 | 1.34 |
| 35 | Texas profile | $27.98 | $58,200 | $41,450 | $115,810 | 3,980 | 0.28 | 0.78 |
| 36 | Alabama profile | $27.93 | $58,100 | $35,160 | $107,810 | 1,300 | 0.62 | 1.69 |
| 37 | Kentucky profile | $27.52 | $57,240 | $42,000 | $74,920 | 1,290 | 0.65 | 1.78 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania profile | $27.34 | $56,870 | $44,430 | $91,770 | 3,540 | 0.58 | 1.60 |
| 39 | Indiana profile | $27.20 | $56,570 | $44,180 | $106,350 | 550 | 0.17 | 0.47 |
| 40 | New Mexico profile | $27.05 | $56,260 | $45,930 | $79,710 | 190 | 0.22 | 0.59 |
| 41 | Georgia profile | $26.65 | $55,430 | $41,670 | $96,430 | 1,970 | 0.40 | 1.11 |
| 42 | Arkansas profile | $26.51 | $55,140 | $30,840 | $85,090 | 440 | 0.34 | 0.93 |
| 43 | Oklahoma profile | $25.23 | $52,480 | $35,990 | $115,920 | 240 | 0.14 | 0.38 |
| 44 | Tennessee profile | $24.82 | $51,630 | $40,330 | $90,000 | 1,850 | 0.56 | 1.55 |
| 45 | West Virginia profile | $24.39 | $50,730 | $34,150 | $78,190 | 290 | 0.41 | 1.13 |
| 46 | Missouri profile | $24.16 | $50,250 | $40,980 | $71,220 | 2,280 | 0.78 | 2.13 |
| 47 | Louisiana profile | $24.01 | $49,940 | $35,600 | $97,960 | 600 | 0.31 | 0.85 |
| 48 | Utah profile | $24.01 | $49,940 | $40,330 | $70,800 | 3,470 | 2.00 | 5.49 |
| 49 | Florida profile | $22.48 | $46,760 | $39,640 | $105,370 | 3,950 | 0.40 | 1.09 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $20.12 | $41,860 | $30,960 | $86,330 | 710 | 0.61 | 1.69 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (13-2080), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Business and Financial Operations Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 13-2081 Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 13-2081, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 13-2081.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.