Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Business and Financial Operations · SOC 13-2081 · O*NET 13-2081.00
Determine tax liability or collect taxes from individuals or business firms according to prescribed laws and regulations.
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents fall under the Business and Financial Operations category in the U.S. occupational classification. Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents earn a median salary of $59,740 per year, ranking in the top 49% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -1.8% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents earn?
The median annual wage for tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents is $59,740. That puts tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents at #397 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $40,020 |
| 25th percentile | $46,820 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $59,740 |
| 75th percentile | $79,330 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $110,300 |
| Median hourly wage | $28.72/hr |
Is tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents is -1.8%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 57K positions in 2024 to 56K in 2034, a net change of -1K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What do tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Send notices to taxpayers when accounts are delinquent.
- 2.Maintain records for each case, including contacts, telephone numbers, and actions taken.
- 3.Confer with taxpayers or their representatives to discuss the issues, laws, and regulations involved in returns, and to resolve problems with returns.
- 4.Notify taxpayers of any overpayment or underpayment, and either issue a refund or request further payment.
- 5.Answer questions from taxpayers and assist them in completing tax forms.
- 6.Contact taxpayers by mail or telephone to address discrepancies and to request supporting documentation.
Top skills for tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agent?
The standard path into tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents
What is the median salary for tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents?
The median annual salary for tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents is $59,740 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents a growing career?
BLS projects -1.8% growth for tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents from 2024 through 2034, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2034.
What education does my child need to become tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agent?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents?
Related occupations within the Business and Financial Operations category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.