Document Preparation Services — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the document preparation services industry earns $51,221 per year ($24.63/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Document Preparation Workers Earn?
At $51,221/year (equivalent to $24.63/hour for a full-time worker), document preparation services wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.
Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.
The typical document preparation services business employs 5 people. Most operations are small — often owner-operated with a handful of staff. Labor costs are manageable relative to revenue.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average document preparation services business generating $833K/year with 5 employees at $51,221 each, total payroll represents roughly 30.8% of revenue. Labor is a significant cost but leaves room for other expenses and profit.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a document preparation servicesbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $66,587/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 5 employees = ~$256,105/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $24.63/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $833K/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Document Preparation Services revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do document preparation services employees make?
- The average document preparation services employee earns $51,221 per year, which is equivalent to $24.63/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the document preparation services industry?
- The document preparation services industry employs 39,424 workers across 7,908 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 5 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).