
There is no specific education or work experience requirement, although candidates should have well-established tax knowledge before taking the exam. The Internal Revenue Service, in an effort to satisfy legal requirements, confers the status of enrolled agent to qualified candidates. An individual who has been certified as an enrolled agent is then allowed to serve as an intermediary for private businesses and citizens in relation to tax questions and disputes.
- Compared to many other certifications, this qualification costs less, even though it cannot be called inexpensive.
- Anyone is allowed to sit for the enrolled agent exam, which is not the case for the CPA exam.
- Take a look at our Enrolled Agent Salary Guide to get an idea about industry salary range.
- This in turn makes you a more popular choice compared to your peers when it comes to a potential client looking for a tax professional.
- Staff accountants handle various financial duties such as ensuring financial statements are prepared correctly and that companies follow the laws and regulations for financial practices.
- Jobs paying $61,500 or less are in the 25th or less percentile range, while jobs paying more than $88,000 are in the 75th or more percentile range.
Becker can support your career as an Enrolled Agent
CPAs are elite accounting professionals that can work in every sector of the profession, from tax to audit to consulting and advisory. CPAs can also work in general business roles and can easily move horizontally or vertically within the structure of a business. CPAs are required to learn about financial accounting and reporting, tax, business law, the business environment, and audit before they can become credentialed.
- The ideal candidate to be an enrolled agent is someone who is detail oriented and enjoys delving into the continually changing nature of tax laws.
- The background check will consist of researching the candidate’s personal tax history.
- The average Enrolled Agent salary in New York is $45,751 as of August 27, 2024, but the range typically falls between $42,212 and $51,358.
- In general, CPAs earn more than EAs in all career levels; however, the CPA credential requires significantly more schooling, time and up-front costs than the EA credential.
- They must stay up to date on relevant tax laws and often communicate across departments to ensure the entire firm is complying with accounting procedures.
- An EA is the only individual who has been the right to practice as granted expressly by the United States government.
Most Popular Cities for Enrolled Agent Job
Along with details regarding how to gain the enrolled agent status, it is equally important to have a clear idea about the salary structure. Since this option is gaining a lot of value as a career choice, candidates need to remain updated about the continuously changing legal and taxation landscape globally. However, salary will depend on the type and years of experience and also the location of their job.

High Paying Enrolled Agent Jobs
In general, CPAs earn more than EAs in all career levels; however, the CPA credential requires significantly more schooling, time and up-front costs than the EA credential. Additionally, the EA credential is more client-focused, with a variety of career paths. Be sure enrolled agent salary to consider additional factors alongside salary when planning your professional path. Tax preparers work with taxpayers to complete federal and state tax returns. This job usually involves a busy season, with the highest workload occurring from December to mid-April.
EA vs CPA salary

Offer some benefits (e.g., gyms, cafeterias, and daycare) that smaller firms can’t reasonably fit into their budgets. Office managers oversee several ongoing projects at once and work with staff to ensure that operations run smoothly. They must stay up to date on a wide variety of projects and report directly to higher-level executives. Especially in organizations that employ many tax experts, having an office manager with tax expertise is incredibly valuable.
- EAs can also represent any tax matter, as well as appeal to any office of the IRS.
- In the last few years, IRS examinations or audits have increased significantly.
- While both the CPA and EA credential require tax knowledge, the EA is much more niche within the industry and geared more toward tax practitioners.
- Large firms are willing and able to pay a premium to attract top talent.
How much do Enrolled Agents make compared to the Average Tax Preparer?
- These are both factors to weigh alongside salary numbers for each profession.
- Enrolled agents hold federal licensure, which gives them a much broader jurisdiction.
- They prepare tax reports, ensure the accuracy of the company’s tax documents, and are responsible for handling any issues.
- If you’re applying for your first tax preparation job, your experience includes your education and any relevant extracurricular activities you participated in (such as the IRS’s VITA program).
Our job description management tool- JobArchitect streamlines your job description process. This in turn makes you a more popular choice compared to your peers when it comes to a potential client looking for a tax professional. Surgent offers https://www.bookstime.com/ study materials for both the CPA Exam and the EA Exam to get you on your way to licensure and your new career. 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.

Common Enrolled Agent salary ranges in the United States




