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Boston Career Explorer

Business and Financial Operations

Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents

Determine tax liability or collect taxes from individuals or business firms according to prescribed laws and regulations.

Also called: City Tax Auditor, Collections Specialist, Revenue Agent, Revenue Collector, Revenue Officer, Revenue Specialist

Median pay in Greater Boston
$73,550
$35.36/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
1,190
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+2.0%
80 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Bachelor's degree
plus Moderate-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$50,920$60,340$73,550$99,070$119,950

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Send notices to taxpayers when accounts are delinquent.
  • Confer with taxpayers or their representatives to discuss the issues, laws, and regulations involved in returns, and to resolve problems with returns.
  • Notify taxpayers of any overpayment or underpayment, and either issue a refund or request further payment.
  • Maintain records for each case, including contacts, telephone numbers, and actions taken.
  • Contact taxpayers by mail or telephone to address discrepancies and to request supporting documentation.
  • Answer questions from taxpayers and assist them in completing tax forms.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Higher exposure91 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 93
  • Language-model AIOE 84
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 97

Observed AI use today: Some (Anthropic Economic Index)

This job has higher AI exposure, though observed AI use is only at the "some" level so far. AI tools can help with sending notices, keeping case records, and checking returns for discrepancies. Talking with taxpayers to resolve problems and judging unusual cases still need people. Massachusetts job growth is projected at 2.0%.

Likely to change

  • Sending notices and tracking case records
  • Flagging discrepancies in returns

Still relies on people

  • Talking with taxpayers to resolve disputes
  • Judging unusual cases and applying regulations

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

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    Pay difference
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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

29 programs near Boston (plus 17 graduate)

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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