PublicPay

Tax Specialist federal salary series 0526

Full-time federal employees in the Tax Specialist series earned a median of $82,562 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 25% below the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $73,812 and $97,918.

Median pay
$82,562
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$73,812–$97,918
25th–75th percentile
Employees
484
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+3.7%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Tax Specialist
All federal (full-time)

What shapes tax specialist pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-9 (241 employees, median $74,070). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of the Treasury (484 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in New York ($94,563) and lowest in Utah ($74,070), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

Tax Specialist pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Tax Specialist pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-9 241 $74,070 $69,338–$78,287
GS-11 149 $91,849 $84,152–$101,375

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Tax Specialist pay by agency

Tax Specialist pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of the Treasury 484 $82,562 $73,812–$97,918

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Tax Specialist pay by state

The 4 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Tax Specialist pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Texas 81 $78,267 $69,804–$91,866
California 74 $91,784 $76,755–$104,810
New York 36 $94,563 $82,438–$105,610
Utah 30 $74,070 $65,838–$79,290

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Change since September 2025

The median moved +3.7% from $79,581 in September 2025 to $82,562 in September 2026. Headcount went from 767 to 484 (−36.9%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

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