Tax Specialist
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Tax Specialist occupation series (code 0526): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
In the Accounting and Budget Group family, Tax Specialist counts 491 employees, a smaller, specialized federal occupation at 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce; pay averages $88,254, which pays below the federal-wide $117,339.
- Employees
- 491
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $88,254
- Avg tenure
- 16.5 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Tax Specialist
Federal agencies employ 491 people in the Tax Specialist occupation (OPM code 0526), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved sideways by 0.0% versus the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.
The average salary for Tax Specialist is $88,254 per year. Salaries moved up by 0.1% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 16.5 years, a long average tenure, typical of career federal roles where employees stay through much of a full career before retirement.
Tax Specialist sits inside the Accounting and Budget Group family (code 05), which contains 18 related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Tax Specialist postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Accounting and Budget Group family.
Inside the Accounting and Budget Group family (18 occupations, 86,835 employees combined), Tax Specialist holds the #15 spot by headcount, a 0.6% share of the family total.
Salary Context
How Tax Specialist pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$88,254
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-24.8%
Where Tax Specialist ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $88,254 is higher than 44% of federal occupation series (238 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Tax Specialist sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Tax Specialist ranks higher than 44%.
Related Occupations in Accounting and Budget Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Administration and Program | 25,018 | $114,904 | 15.9 yrs |
| Budget Analysis | 12,255 | $131,861 | 16.8 yrs |
| Tax Examining | 10,631 | $56,610 | 10.9 yrs |
| Accounting | 8,731 | $145,658 | 16.1 yrs |
| Internal Revenue Agent | 7,678 | n/a | 13.6 yrs |
| Auditing | 5,808 | $144,351 | 17 yrs |
| Financial Clerical and Assistance | 5,304 | $56,817 | 10.7 yrs |
| Financial Institution Examining | 4,728 | $168,883 | 15.2 yrs |
| Accounting Technician | 1,754 | $61,366 | 12.3 yrs |
| Financial Management | 1,049 | $166,042 | 21.6 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Tax Specialist outside the Accounting and Budget Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (491 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($88,254 here).
Key takeaways
- Tax Specialist pays below the federal average by 24.8% ($88,254 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 44th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 491 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Tax Specialist ranks #294 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Accounting and Budget Group family (18 occupations, 86,835 employees combined), Tax Specialist holds the #15 spot by headcount, a 0.6% share of the family total.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.