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Government Tax Administration
Internal Revenue Service, California Franchise Tax Board, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
Tax examiners and revenue agents review tax returns, compare them with records, and contact people when something doesn’t add up. The work is a mix of detective work, customer service, and enforcement: one call might help a taxpayer fix a simple mistake, while the next might involve collecting overdue taxes or setting up a payment plan.
Also known as Revenue AgentTax ExaminerTax CollectorRevenue OfficerTax Compliance Officer
Median Salary
$59,740
Mean $67,570
U.S. Workforce
~54K
4.3K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-1.8%
57.6K to 56.5K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents sits in the Government category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~54K workers, with a median annual pay of $59,740 and roughly 4.3K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 57.6 K in 2024 to 56.5K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Tax Clerk and can progress toward Tax Compliance Supervisor. High-value skills usually include IRS Tax Systems & Case Management Software, Microsoft Excel & Spreadsheet Analysis, and Tax Law Research Databases (CCH IntelliConnect, Thomson Reuters Checkpoint), paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, and Speaking.
Core Responsibilities
- Call or mail taxpayers when a return doesn’t match the records and ask for documents that explain the difference.
- Answer questions about tax forms and help people or businesses fill them out correctly.
- Review returns, notices, and supporting paperwork to find errors, missing payments, or overpayments.
- Keep detailed notes on each case, including contact history, phone numbers, and the steps already taken.
Keep exploring: more Government careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Call or mail taxpayers when a return doesn’t match the records and ask for documents that explain the difference.
02 Answer questions about tax forms and help people or businesses fill them out correctly.
03 Review returns, notices, and supporting paperwork to find errors, missing payments, or overpayments.
04 Keep detailed notes on each case, including contact history, phone numbers, and the steps already taken.
05 Send delinquency notices and issue refund or payment notices when an account needs to be corrected.
06 Work out how unpaid taxes should be handled, including payment plans, wage garnishment, or seizure of property when required.
Industries That Hire
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Public Accounting
Deloitte, PwC, KPMG
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Banking & Consumer Finance
JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo
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Insurance
State Farm, Allstate, Progressive
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Corporate Tax Departments
Amazon, Microsoft, Walmart
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is decent for a public-service job, with a mean annual wage of $67,570 and a median of $59,740.
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You can usually enter the field with a bachelor's degree, and the BLS says no prior work experience is required.
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There are still about 4.3 thousand annual openings, so retirements and turnover continue to create hiring opportunities.
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The work builds useful skills in investigation, documentation, and handling difficult conversations with the public.
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Much of the job is structured office work, which appeals to people who like clear rules and defined procedures.
Challenges
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Employment is projected to fall by 1.8% by 2034, so it is not a growth-heavy field.
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The career ladder is fairly narrow, and many workers need to move into supervision, auditing, or another finance role to keep advancing.
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A lot of the day is repetitive case review, recordkeeping, and follow-up, which can get monotonous.
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You spend a lot of time dealing with upset taxpayers and debt disputes, so the job can be tense and confrontational.
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Routine document checking and basic case processing are the kinds of tasks that software can increasingly handle, which adds automation risk over time.
Career Progression
Tax Clerk
0-2 years
$37K-$47K
At this stage, work is mostly data entry, filing, and basic support for tax processing or audit teams.
Tax Examiner
2-4 years
$48K-$58K
Workers begin reviewing returns, spotting errors, and contacting taxpayers or employers for missing information.
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents THIS ROLE
4-8 years
$59K-$71K
This is the core role, where you handle more complex cases, explain rules, and take action to correct unpaid or inaccurate accounts.
Senior Revenue Agent
8-12 years
$72K-$90K
More experienced workers handle harder cases, mentor newer staff, and take on negotiations or disputes that need deeper judgment.
Tax Compliance Supervisor
12+ years
$91K-$112K
At the top of the ladder, the job shifts toward reviewing team work, setting procedures, and handling the most sensitive cases.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree
The most common single path, held by 33.61% of workers in this role, and the typical BLS entry requirement.
Associate's degree
A major alternative path, held by 25.59% of workers, often combined with office, bookkeeping, or tax-prep experience.
High school diploma
Some workers enter with a high school diploma; 23.17% report this level, usually after building experience in clerical or tax-related work.
Tax preparation certificate or accounting certificate
Not shown in the education distribution, but it can be a realistic way in for people who already know tax forms and want to start through seasonal or support work.
Key Skills
Technical
IRS Tax Systems & Case Management Software 90%
Microsoft Excel & Spreadsheet Analysis 86%
Tax Law Research Databases (CCH IntelliConnect, Thomson Reuters Checkpoint) 82%
Records Management & Document Tracking Systems 80%
Payment Processing & Collections Systems 76%
Audit Documentation & Compliance Reporting 72%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningReading ComprehensionSpeakingCritical ThinkingWritingMonitoring Job Outlook and Trends
+-1.8%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
4.3K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 57.6K to 56.5 K over the next decade, representing -1.8% growth. Around 4.3 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.