Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
Also called: Tax Examiners and Revenue Agents
Determine tax liability or collect taxes from individuals or business firms according to prescribed laws and regulations.
Also called: Adjustment Examiner, Block Advisor, City Collector, City Tax Auditor, Collections Specialist, Collector
Median pay
$62,370
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$42,000 – $114,550
People employed
56,610
Holland code
CES
Conventional · Enterprising · Social
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
- 2.Are you comfortable sitting at a desk most of the day?
- 3.Do you enjoy serving customers or the public?
- 4.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
- 5.Do you prefer working indoors?
- 6.Do you prefer doing your own work rather than directing others?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents pay by state
Annual median pay by state (50 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents salary in every state →
What tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents do
- 01Collect taxes from individuals or businesses according to prescribed laws and regulations.
- 02Send notices to taxpayers when accounts are delinquent.
- 03Determine appropriate methods of debt settlement, such as offers of compromise, wage garnishment, or seizure and sale of property.
- 04Check tax forms to verify that names and taxpayer identification numbers are correct, that computations have been performed correctly, or that amounts match those on supporting documentation.
- 05Examine and analyze tax assets and liabilities to determine resolution of delinquent tax problems.
- 06Impose payment deadlines on delinquent taxpayers and monitor payments to ensure that deadlines are met.
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Writing
Knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Administrative
- Law and Government
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Cautiousness
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs vocational training or an associate degree (O*NET Job Zone 3).
- Related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
- On-the-job training: over 3 months, up to and including 6 months.
- A certification can help.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks87% · −19%
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs87% · −13%
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks86% · −7%
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks85% · −20%
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators83% · +25%
Change into tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Bill and Account Collectors88% · $47,030
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks87% · $50,670
- Loan Interviewers and Clerks87% · $50,020
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs86% · $54,210
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators85% · $78,000
Majors that lead here
- Accounting
- Taxation
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.