Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
Also called: Revenue Agent, Tax Collector, Tax Compliance Officer, Tax ExaminerDetermine tax liability or collect taxes from individuals or business firms according to prescribed laws and regulations.
On a phone, press and hold a picture to save it to Photos.
opens your phone's share sheet, where you can save both to Photos
What the data says: AI could halve the time on 18 of its 21 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 1.0% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 100% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.4.3 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $58,100 | $40,590 to $79,340 | 1,300 |
| Alaska | $94,630 | $77,560 to $118,720 | 60 |
| Arizona | $92,680 | $65,000 to $113,900 | 230 |
| Arkansas | $55,140 | $38,410 to $77,940 | 440 |
| California | $74,110 | $58,610 to $96,970 | 8,610 |
| Colorado | $69,740 | $55,700 to $93,460 | 620 |
| Connecticut | $89,140 | $72,280 to $110,920 | 940 |
| Delaware | $72,900 | $61,990 to $89,610 | 110 |
| Florida | $46,760 | $41,230 to $65,080 | 3,950 |
| Georgia | $55,430 | $47,530 to $68,680 | 1,970 |
| Hawaii | $67,210 | $52,900 to $111,010 | 80 |
| Idaho | $61,110 | $52,120 to $78,850 | 300 |
| Illinois | $80,720 | $62,390 to $102,360 | 1,350 |
| Indiana | $56,570 | $46,190 to $74,610 | 550 |
| Iowa | $66,860 | $55,160 to $78,890 | 210 |
| Kansas | $88,610 | $68,310 to $99,070 | 50 |
| Kentucky | $57,240 | $46,820 to $67,230 | 1,290 |
| Louisiana | $49,940 | $39,990 to $71,020 | 600 |
| Maine | $63,290 | $55,080 to $81,220 | 350 |
| Maryland | $66,900 | $55,780 to $90,230 | 560 |
| Massachusetts | $75,560 | $62,230 to $100,480 | 1,260 |
| Michigan | $63,440 | $47,440 to $81,540 | 1,080 |
| Minnesota | $79,000 | $64,060 to $97,860 | 1,150 |
| Mississippi | $41,860 | $35,400 to $51,590 | 710 |
| Missouri | $50,250 | $45,070 to $59,380 | 2,280 |
| Montana | $63,610 | $63,610 to $79,070 | 130 |
| Nebraska | $59,150 | $44,090 to $70,300 | 180 |
| Nevada | $75,500 | $61,480 to $93,140 | 280 |
| New Hampshire | $58,610 | $45,930 to $73,280 | 330 |
| New Jersey | $96,420 | $73,350 to $121,880 | 1,430 |
| New Mexico | $56,260 | $49,570 to $62,380 | 190 |
| New York | $72,610 | $58,250 to $96,160 | 3,550 |
| North Carolina | $61,950 | $53,780 to $77,990 | 1,300 |
| North Dakota | $72,230 | $65,700 to $97,470 | 60 |
| Ohio | $76,240 | $60,690 to $102,560 | 990 |
| Oklahoma | $52,480 | $35,990 to $81,330 | 240 |
| Oregon | $65,830 | $61,020 to $83,390 | 430 |
| Pennsylvania | $56,870 | $49,520 to $71,550 | 3,540 |
| Puerto Rico | $43,740 | $34,000 to $49,030 | 440 |
| Rhode Island | $69,870 | $61,450 to $92,290 | 270 |
| South Carolina | $61,110 | $48,440 to $81,330 | 280 |
| South Dakota | $63,790 | $54,040 to $76,120 | 120 |
| Tennessee | $51,630 | $44,950 to $68,190 | 1,850 |
| Texas | $58,200 | $47,760 to $80,370 | 3,980 |
| Utah | $49,940 | $44,950 to $58,430 | 3,470 |
| Vermont | $59,010 | $50,560 to $72,140 | 140 |
| Virginia | $59,610 | $48,180 to $76,630 | 1,800 |
| Washington | $72,850 | $62,880 to $85,860 | 770 |
| West Virginia | $50,730 | $42,750 to $59,390 | 290 |
| Wisconsin | $59,990 | $55,080 to $73,920 | 500 |
| Wyoming | $61,780 | $51,540 to $74,060 | 60 |
Nationally: $62,370. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 18 of its 21 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Notify taxpayers of any overpayment or underpayment, and either issue a refund or request further payment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain records for each case, including contacts, telephone numbers, and actions taken. | Not published |
| AI alone | Contact taxpayers by mail or telephone to address discrepancies and to request supporting documentation. | Not published |
| AI alone | Send notices to taxpayers when accounts are delinquent. | Not published |
| Not much | Collect taxes from individuals or businesses according to prescribed laws and regulations. | Not published |
| AI alone | Confer with taxpayers or their representatives to discuss the issues, laws, and regulations involved in returns, and to resolve problems with returns. | under 0.01% |
See all 21 tasks
| AI alone | Impose payment deadlines on delinquent taxpayers and monitor payments to ensure that deadlines are met. | Not published |
| AI alone | Answer questions from taxpayers and assist them in completing tax forms. | Not published |
| AI + software | Check 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. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain knowledge of tax code changes, and of accounting procedures and theory to properly evaluate financial information. | Not published |
| AI + software | Examine and analyze tax assets and liabilities to determine resolution of delinquent tax problems. | Not published |
| AI + software | Determine appropriate methods of debt settlement, such as offers of compromise, wage garnishment, or seizure and sale of property. | Not published |
| AI + software | Review selected tax returns to determine the nature and extent of audits to be performed on them. | Not published |
| AI + software | Investigate claims of inability to pay taxes by researching court information for the status of liens, mortgages, or financial statements, or by locating assets through third parties. | Not published |
| AI + software | Secure a taxpayer's agreement to discharge a tax assessment or submit contested determinations to other administrative or judicial conferees for appeals hearings. | Not published |
| AI + software | Review filed tax returns to determine whether claimed tax credits and deductions are allowed by law. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| AI + software | Examine accounting systems and records to determine whether accounting methods used were appropriate and in compliance with statutory provisions. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Participate in informal appeals hearings on contested cases from other agents. | Not published |
| AI alone | Enter tax return information into computers for processing. | Not published |
| Not much | Direct service of legal documents, such as subpoenas, warrants, notices of assessment, and garnishments. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare briefs and assist in searching and seizing records to prepare charges and documentation for court cases. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 2 of the 21 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 21 tasks fall under 18 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #1 Gather information from physical or electronic sources
- #3 Respond to customer problems or inquiries
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- and 2 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examine financial activities, operations, or systems | |||
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Respond to customer problems or inquiries | |||
| Gather information from physical or electronic sources | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures | |||
| Evaluate the quality or accuracy of data | |||
| Investigate criminal or legal matters |
Show all 18 activities
| Prepare legal or regulatory documents | |||
| Evaluate condition of financial assets, property, or other resources | |||
| Coordinate activities with clients, agencies, or organizations | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Develop financial or business plans | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Negotiate contracts or agreements | |||
| Collect fares or payments | |||
| Record information about legal matters | |||
| Present information in legal proceedings |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer32%
- A document or report28%
- Advice or a recommendation16%
- An email or message6%
- An analysis or summary4%
How they worked with Claude
51% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 49,103 moves out
- 1 Accountants and Auditors Very high +5.0% 9%
- 2 Financial Managers Very high +9.7% 6%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 4 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Very high -5.6% 4%
- 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 55,632 moves in
- 1 Accountants and Auditors Very high +5.0% 9%
- 2 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 7%
- 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 5%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Very high -5.6% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 23% high school
- 14% some college
- 26% associate's
- 34% bachelor's
- 4% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 23 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 16% high school
- 17% some college
- 10% associate's
- 37% bachelor's
- 17% master's
- 2% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 671 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
2 programs: Accounting and Taxation.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
29.3% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/13-2081.00