Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
Determine tax liability or collect taxes from individuals or business firms according to prescribed laws and regulations.
Also called: City Tax Auditor · Collections Specialist · Revenue Agent · Revenue Collector · Revenue Officer · Revenue Specialist
Median pay (national)
$59,740
$40,020–$110,300 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
53,530
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-1.8%
~4,300 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $110,300 versus $40,020 at the bottom 10% — 2.8x. The median of $59,740 leaves roughly 85% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -1.8% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 4,300 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 49 states with released data, Alaska pays the most for this role (median $98,220, +64% vs the national median), while Mississippi sits lowest at $39,010 — a 152% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Alteryx software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Contact taxpayers by mail or telephone to address discrepancies and to request supporting documentation.
- Confer with taxpayers or their representatives to discuss the issues, laws, and regulations involved in returns, and to resolve problems with returns.
- Answer questions from taxpayers and assist them in completing tax forms.
- Send notices to taxpayers when accounts are delinquent.
- Maintain records for each case, including contacts, telephone numbers, and actions taken.
- Notify taxpayers of any overpayment or underpayment, and either issue a refund or request further payment.
- Collect taxes from individuals or businesses according to prescribed laws and regulations.
- Determine appropriate methods of debt settlement, such as offers of compromise, wage garnishment, or seizure and sale of property.
- Examine and analyze tax assets and liabilities to determine resolution of delinquent tax problems.
- Direct service of legal documents, such as subpoenas, warrants, notices of assessment, and garnishments.
Tools & technology
- Alteryx software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- SAP software
- Tax compliance property tax management software
- Tax software
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Intuit TurboTax
- Microsoft Power BI
- ADP Workforce Now
- Automated tax system software
- Document management system software
- Fund accounting software
- Image processing systems
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Administrative
- Law and Government
- Economics and Accounting
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics