Hiring a tax preparer in Augusta, GA

Do Augusta residents in business and financial operations work earn more than employers in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC area pay?

Augusta residents working in business and financial operations occupations earn a median of $54,443 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $72,430 as the median of the 21 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 25%, with the employers figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole business and financial operations group, not this one role. In the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC area the group covers 21 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from tax preparers at $44,920 to project management specialists at $101,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

That comparison is between two different measures, not a pay gap. The two weight the same occupation group differently: the Census figure is the midpoint across the people who actually hold those jobs, so a group carrying a few very well paid occupations is pulled toward them, while the BLS figure is the midpoint across the 21 published occupation wages, which counts each of those occupations once whatever its headcount. Census also counts where people live and BLS counts where the jobs are, and the two cover different populations, Census the civilian employed population 16 and over, BLS wage-and-salary jobs only. Read the number against other cities, where the same definitional difference applies on both sides, rather than as a shortfall.

Published wages across this group in the metro run above what Augusta residents in it earn, which usually means employers here draw this talent from beyond the city line rather than from inside it.

Is the talent actually in Augusta?

This is a job zone three: medium preparation needed occupation. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. O*NET OnLine, SOC 13-2082.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 24.2% of Augusta adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Augusta aged 25 and over.

The average Augusta commute runs 20.6 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 8.3% of Augusta workers already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that. Census ACS 5-year 2023, place-level commuting characteristics for Augusta.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Richmond County, accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services employs 2,791 and turns over 4.8% a quarter, with 293 hires against 235 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $6,585 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5412.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about tax preparers. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a low-churn market, where people do not move often and passive candidates are the whole game.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's $44,920 median in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $8,984 to $13,476 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Questions employers ask about hiring a tax preparer in Augusta

What does it cost to hire a tax preparer in Augusta?

Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $44,920 median wage in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $8,984 to $13,476 on the first year salary alone.

What should an offer for a tax preparer in Augusta look like?

Employers in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC area pay tax preparers a median of $44,920, with the middle half of the market between $29,640 and $49,570 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $29,640 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Augusta residents in business and financial operations work earn more than employers in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC area pay?

Augusta residents working in business and financial operations occupations earn a median of $54,443 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $72,430 as the median of the 21 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 25%. Both figures cover the whole occupation group rather than this one role, and one counts where people live while the other counts where the jobs are, so the percentage is not a pay gap.

Is the talent for this role already in Augusta?

This is a job zone 3 occupation and does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 24.2% of Augusta adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501).

Related

• Hiring Tax Preparers: the role, the pay, the process
• Recruiting services in Augusta
• Every Georgia city we cover

Augusta is the 3rd largest of 3 Georgia cities in this dataset.