How much do self-employed accountants, bookkeepers and tax preparers make?

Accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll services. Census data for 2024. Figures are revenue before costs, not income.

Accountant checking a document beside a laptop and calculator in a bright office

Businesses

405,112

Revenue per firm

$35,869

Under $25,000

66.1%

Sole proprietors

90.8%

Census code 5412, "Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services", covers accountants, tax preparers, bookkeepers and payroll services working for themselves.

In 2024, 405,112 US businesses with no paid employees were classified under this code. Between them they reported $14.5 billion in revenue, an average of $35,869 per firm, 38% below the $58,194 average for all businesses with no employees.

What stands out

41.1% of these businesses took in under $10,000, a little above the 37.3% for all nonemployers, and 8.1% reached $100,000.

90.8% are sole proprietors. Firms set up as partnerships or corporations averaged $100,113, against $29,399 for sole proprietors.

This trade is spread more evenly across states than most here. Idaho holds 1.3 times its national share, Montana 1.3 and New Hampshire 1.2; even the lowest among states with at least 500 firms, the District of Columbia, holds 0.62.

What a typical firm brings in

The average hides a wide spread. 41.1% of firms reported under $10,000 (all industries: 37.3%), 66.1% under $25,000 (all: 60.4%) and 81.2% under $50,000. 8.1% reached $100,000 or more (all: 13.3%). The middle firm falls in the "$10,000 to $24,999" bracket.

Share of 405,112 US firms in each revenue bracket, 2024. Shares use the national firm total and are rounded to one decimal; a band shown as 0% can hold a small number of firms, and bands without a published count are left out. Source: Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics.

Under $5,00023.5%
$5,000 to $9,99917.5%
$10,000 to $24,99925%
$25,000 to $49,99915.1%
$50,000 to $99,99910.6%
$100,000 to $249,9996.4%
$250,000 to $499,9991.3%
$500,000 to $999,9990.4%
$1 million to $2.5 million0.1%

How much is left after costs

The IRS Table 1 row nearest this trade, "Other accounting services", does not match the scope of this Census category, so no matching profit figure is shown here.

How it varies by state

California has the most firms, at 55,025. Among the 51 states (including DC) with at least 500 firms, revenue per firm is highest in New Jersey ($46,827) and lowest in Iowa ($24,217). The Census assigns each business to a state by its mailing address, which may not be where the work is done. These data do not explain state differences or show take-home pay.


Alabama	5,210	$26,865	-25%
Alaska	888	$35,141	-2%
Arizona	8,825	$36,731	+2%
Arkansas	2,900	$25,752	-28%
California	55,025	$41,972	+17%
Colorado	9,500	$36,437	+2%
Connecticut	4,726	$41,360	+15%
Delaware	1,089	$41,997	+17%
District of Columbia	512	$40,188	+12%
Florida	39,040	$37,600	+5%
Georgia	14,802	$32,666	-9%
Hawaii	1,769	$40,701	+13%
Idaho	2,931	$29,454	-18%
Illinois	12,645	$34,421	-4%
Indiana	5,369	$27,832	-22%
Iowa	2,455	$24,217	-32%
Kansas	2,984	$30,954	-14%
Kentucky	3,781	$27,143	-24%
Louisiana	5,795	$31,136	-13%
Maine	1,655	$27,569	-23%
Maryland	7,839	$38,320	+7%
Massachusetts	8,388	$41,148	+15%
Michigan	9,799	$30,529	-15%
Minnesota	5,404	$30,620	-15%
Mississippi	3,255	$25,124	-30%
Missouri	5,405	$27,102	-24%
Montana	1,774	$25,855	-28%
Nebraska	1,818	$24,694	-31%
Nevada	4,325	$41,908	+17%
New Hampshire	1,888	$33,264	-7%
New Jersey	13,132	$46,827	+31%
New Mexico	1,901	$29,801	-17%
New York	25,564	$45,315	+26%
North Carolina	11,646	$28,756	-20%
North Dakota	740	$26,381	-26%
Ohio	10,655	$31,206	-13%
Oklahoma	4,351	$30,682	-14%
Oregon	4,916	$31,669	-12%
Pennsylvania	12,429	$34,077	-5%
Rhode Island	1,267	$35,054	-2%
South Carolina	5,896	$28,605	-20%
South Dakota	865	$25,150	-30%
Tennessee	8,079	$33,637	-6%
Texas	43,086	$34,111	-5%
Utah	4,427	$38,927	+9%
Vermont	945	$31,183	-13%
Virginia	8,828	$34,544	-4%
Washington	8,119	$35,438	-1%
West Virginia	1,079	$26,281	-27%
Wisconsin	4,396	$29,235	-18%
Wyoming	995	$38,366	+7%

* Fewer than 500 firms, so the average is less stable. Click a column heading to sort. Receipts are modified by the Census Bureau to protect privacy.

What this can and cannot tell you

An even spread of business counts does not make the national average a local forecast. This category combines accounting, tax, bookkeeping and payroll businesses, so it cannot forecast receipts for a bookkeeping-only or payroll-only business. IRS Table 1 splits accounting into rows that do not match this Census category, so no profit figure is shown here or in the hub table.

Census Nonemployer Statistics covers businesses with no paid employees that are subject to federal income tax, including sole proprietors, partnerships and corporations. Receipts must be at least $1,000 ($1 in construction), and some industries are out of scope. It reports revenue, not profit or take-home pay.
The Census Bureau adds small random changes to receipts to protect privacy, and hides cells with fewer than three businesses.
Revenue is before business expenses and does not measure hours worked or personal take-home pay.

Frequently asked questions