Start with the answer
Tax Preparers pay in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
The May 2025 BLS OEWS median for Tax Preparers is $84,240 per year in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA. It is $60,480 per year in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA is 39.3% above San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA on the published median.
Both rows use SOC 13-2082 and the same annual wage metric. Median means the middle of each area's published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. The larger median is not proof that one place gives a better job or a better result. It is one wage fact from one source period.
BLS lists 1,410 wage and salary jobs in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Not published in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA. Those are survey job counts, not open posts. Read pay, job scale, local share, and price level as separate facts before you make a choice.