Hiring a tax preparer in Des Moines, IA

Employers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area pay tax preparers a median of $63,560, with the middle half of the market between $46,970 and $80,410. Des Moines residents working in business and financial operations occupations report a median of $68,527, which is 8% above what the metro pays for this role.

What does a tax preparer earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile	$46,970
Median	$63,560
75th percentile	$80,410

Half of tax preparers in this area earn between $46,970 and $80,410. A band set below $46,970 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Des Moines residents earn

$68,527

Median earnings of Des Moines residents working in business and financial operations occupations, 7,271 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 8% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

The two sit close together, so pay alone is unlikely to be what wins or loses this hire.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns.
Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 13-2082.

Tools and technologies in demand

Intuit TurboTax, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Tax compliance property tax management software, Tax software, Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Access.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Des Moines?

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.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 29% of Des Moines adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Des Moines commute runs 19.6 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 11.4% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Polk County, accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services employs 2,415 and turns over 12.3% a quarter, with 446 hires against 263 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $7,361 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 high-churn market, where speed matters more than a perfect fit.

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 median would bill roughly $12,712 to $19,068 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.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.

Hiring a tax preparer somewhere else?

Same role, different market. The wage band moves with the metro.

Other business and financial operations roles in Des Moines

Des Moines is the largest of 1 Iowa cities in this dataset.