In the right area, and with the right book of business, an enrolled agent can do quite well working in self-employment. Best of all, you can set your own schedule, work across the United States, and take on as many clients as you can keep. Of course, the more experience you have, the more an employer will be willing https://www.bookstime.com/articles/cash-flow-from-financing-activities to pay you. Consequently, entry-level positions start on the low end of these ranges, while senior positions claim the highest salaries. For example, in Phoenix, a senior tax consultant with an enrolled agent designation and over 5 years of relevant experience can earn over 6 figures at a regional firm.

Career Success

They’re also a great option if you need tax preparation and planning advice for an individual or business. As their experience increases, these agents have the opportunity to move up the pay scale. Mid-level enrolled agents typically earn between $52,000 after 1-2 years of work experience. The biggest step you can take to increase your salary as a tax preparer enrolled agent salary is to become an Enrolled Agent. If you’re looking to speed up your salary gains in tax preparation, the best thing you can do is earn a professional designation, like the Enrolled Agent designation awarded by the IRS. Earning an EA confirms to clients the tax knowledge that you have, and keeps you up to date every year on any changes in taxation.

Wage gap by gender, race and education

As you learn and grow in your career, you may find yourself mentoring future junior level tax professionals as well. Finding work with tax preparation firms is one of the most common career paths for Enrolled Agents. While much work in tax is done from January through April 15th each year, enrolled agents have the distinction of working year round. As an EA, you may be tasked with preparing both individual and business tax returns. Most tax firms do not specialize in preparing just business returns, but having the knowledge needed to prepare business returns will be beneficial to you as you seek employment.

Similar Jobs to Enrolled Agent

I am the author of How to Pass The CPA Exam (published by Wiley) and the publisher of this and several accounting professional exam prep sites. As per information provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median salary for CPAs stands at $78,000. Many EAs are also members of the National Association of Enrolled Agents, which has even higher standards for continuing education, as well as its own Code of Ethics. Find a place you want to live or a firm you want to work for and then use the table below to inform your salary expectations. Offer more flexibility and greater access to management, giving individuals a greater say in the perks and fringe benefits available.

The average Enrolled Agent Salary in The United States is $56,000 per year. Salaries range from $44,900 to $73,600.The average Enrolled Agent Hourly Wage is $20.00 per hour. Hourly wages range from $16.00 to $26.30.Salaries and wages depend on multiple factors including geographic location, experience, seniority, industry, education etc. For each stage of your Enrolled Agent career, you’ll see an average salary increase of 8.38%.

• The primary difference between the two roles lies in the scope and depth of their services.
• Look to a CPA to identify the credits and deductions you qualify for to increase your tax refund and help lower your tax bill.
• If you need help with an IRS issue, such as a collection problem or an audit, then an EA might be your best bet.
• During tax season, these agents review and prepare tax returns for both individuals and businesses.
• On the other hand, a small company that specializes in complex tax situations would really benefit from having one or two EAs on staff.
• In as little as 4 years, EAs can earn the same amount as the average CPA if they are successful and take on many clients.

Search Enrolled Agent Job Openings

Anyone is allowed to sit for the enrolled agent exam, which is not the case for the CPA exam. In order to sit for the EA exam, all that is required is a preparer tax identification number. After passing the exam and paying the necessary enrollment fee, candidates will then be required to pass a compliance check to ensure they have paid all their taxes. Candidates who have a sufficient amount of work experience, according to IRS guidelines, may not even be required to take the exam. A mid-level enrolled agent with between five and 10 years of experience can generally expect to earn an average salary of $50,000.

Average Salary Range for Enrolled Agent

Highest paying industries for enrolled agents