Determine tax liability or collect taxes from individuals or business firms according to prescribed laws and regulations.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents is licensed or registered in 0 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. Federal credentials are listed as well. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 4 professional certifications to Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents. 2 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified IRA Services Professional (CISP). Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. On average, workers stand or walk about 1.0 hours and sit about 7.0 hours per day. For 91.0% of workers the job requires sedentary strength. Shares of workers who interact with the general public (over 99.5%), have a consistently fast work pace (50.9%), cannot pause their work (13.5%), and are exposed to the outdoors (under 15%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $53,800 with a high school diploma or GED, $55,800 with some college or an associate's degree, $72,100 with a bachelor's degree and $84,300 with a master's degree or higher (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents work in Public Administration (84%), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (6%) and Finance and Insurance (2%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents are Federal Executive Branch (46% of the jobs counted, median pay $64,600), State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (34% of the jobs counted, median pay $63,610), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (20% of the jobs counted, median pay $57,610) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Federal Executive Branch ($64,600), State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals ($63,610), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals ($57,610). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
What workers studied. Among tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are Accounting (22%), Business Management and Administration (11%), General Business (5%) and Political Science and Government (4%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "Financial specialists", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 5.4 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 5 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Business and financial operations", which includes this career, 4.7% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,564 for union members and $1,657 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Management, business, and financial", which includes this career, 91% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 94% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 97% had paid sick leave, 97% paid vacation and 96% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $89.14 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Management, business and financial" in June 2026 ($59.62 in wages and salaries and $29.52 in benefits, 33.1% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents are: e-mail (100%), importance of being exact or accurate (100%), deal with external customers or the public in general (100%), indoors, environmentally controlled (100%), spend time sitting (99%), telephone conversations (90%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (41% of 23 respondents) was "over 1 year, up to and including 2 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (26% of 23 respondents) was "over 3 months, up to and including 6 months"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (35% of 23 respondents) was "over 3 months, up to and including 6 months". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents in the work done and the skills used: Tax Preparers, Accountants and Auditors, Bill and Account Collectors, Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks, Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks, Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs, Billing and Posting Clerks, Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Pay by state. See what tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Compare tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
Accounting
CIP 52.0301
Taxation
CIP 52.1601