Payroll Assistant

Payroll Assistant Salary

$27K

$42.5K

$69K

$45,681

/year

$21.96

/hour

Payroll Assistant Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$45,681

Columbus

Ohio

$44,123

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    How much does a Payroll Assistant make?

    As of May 28, 2026, the average annual pay for a Payroll Assistant in the United States is $45,681 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $21.96 an hour. This is the equivalent of $878/week or $3,806/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $69,000 and as low as $27,000, the majority of Payroll Assistant salaries currently range between $37,500 (25th percentile) to $52,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $60,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Payroll Assistant varies greatly (by as much as 14500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Payroll Assistant in your area makes on average $44,123 per year, or $1,558 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $45,681. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Payroll Assistant salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Payroll Assistant jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Payroll Assistant on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Payroll Assistant Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Payroll Assistant job is above the national average. Topping the list is South San Francisco, CA, , with Bumpass, VA, and Marysville, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Marysville, CA, beats the national average by $15,319 (33.5%), and South San Francisco, CA, furthers that trend with another $17,611 (38.6%) above the $45,681 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Payroll Assistant appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 8% between South San Francisco, CA, and Enterprise, PA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Payroll Assistant role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    South San Francisco, CA

    $63,292

    $30.43

    Bumpass, VA

    $61,145

    $29.40

    Marysville, CA

    $61,000

    $29.33

    Lacey, WA

    $59,464

    $28.59

    Redondo Beach, CA

    $58,845

    $28.29

    Wasco, CA

    $58,641

    $28.19

    Federal Way, WA

    $58,599

    $28.17

    Placentia, CA

    $58,582

    $28.16

    Maple Valley, WA

    $58,433

    $28.09

    Enterprise, PA

    $57,869

    $27.82

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Payroll Assistant Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Payroll Assistant category.

    For example Payroll Account Manager jobs pay as much as $20,135 (44.1%) more than the average Payroll Assistant salary of $45,681. If you're qualified, finding work as a Payroll Account Manager may help you make more money than that of the average Payroll Assistant position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Payroll Account Manager

    $65,816

    $31.64

    Accounts Payable Payroll Coordinator

    $52,863

    $25.41

    Payroll Processors

    $52,082

    $25.04

    Payroll Professional

    $47,718

    $22.94

    Part Time Payroll Clerk

    $46,230

    $22.23

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Payroll Assistant salary across the United States as of May 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $45,681 per year or $21.96 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.