What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Payroll Specialists?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Payroll Specialists jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Barrow, AK (24.6% above average), followed by Nome, AK and Berkeley, CA. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Barrow, AK $70,987 $5,915 $1,365 $34.13 Nome, AK $70,686 $5,890 $1,359 $33.98 Berkeley, CA $69,771 $5,814 $1,341 $33.54 Waterbury, VT $68,809 $5,734 $1,323 $33.08 Sitka, AK $68,645 $5,720 $1,320 $33.00 Wahoo, NE $68,196 $5,683 $1,311 $32.79 Wyoming, WY $67,958 $5,663 $1,306 $32.67 Marblehead, MA $67,814 $5,651 $1,304 $32.60 Lawrence, MA $67,482 $5,623 $1,297 $32.44 San Francisco, CA $67,135 $5,594 $1,291 $32.28

Payroll Specialists

Payroll Specialists Salary

Q: How much does a Payroll Specialists make?

The average annual pay for a payroll specialists in the United States is $56,982 a year — that works out to approximately $27.40 an hour. The middle 80% of Payroll Specialistss earn between $40,000 (10th percentile) and $74,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Payroll Specialists Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Payroll Specialists in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Senior Payroll Tax Analyst at $57,959 (101.7%) above Payroll Specialists. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Senior Payroll Tax Analyst $114,941 $9,578 $2,210 $55.26 Critchfield Mechanical $98,854 $8,237 $1,901 $47.53 Payroll Implementation Specialist $70,903 $5,908 $1,363 $34.09 Payroll And Benefits Specialist $60,488 $5,040 $1,163 $29.08 Payroll Processor $52,082 $4,340 $1,001 $25.04

$31.5K

$55K

$81.5K

$56,982

/year

$27.40

/hour

Payroll Specialists Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$56,982

Columbus

Ohio

$55,039

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How much does a Payroll Specialists make?

As of May 28, 2026, the average annual pay for a Payroll Specialists in the United States is $56,982 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $27.40 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,095/week or $4,748/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $81,500 and as low as $31,500, the majority of Payroll Specialists salaries currently range between $47,000 (25th percentile) to $64,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $74,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Payroll Specialists varies greatly (by as much as 17000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Payroll Specialists in your area makes on average $55,039 per year, or $1,943 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $56,982. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Payroll Specialists salaries.

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

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

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Payroll Specialists Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Payroll Specialists job is above the national average. Topping the list is Barrow, AK, , with Nome, AK, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $12,789 (22.4%), and Barrow, AK, furthers that trend with another $14,005 (24.6%) above the $56,982 average.

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

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 5% between Barrow, AK, and San Francisco, CA, , 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 Specialists role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Barrow, AK	$70,987	$5,915	$1,365	$34.13
Nome, AK	$70,686	$5,890	$1,359	$33.98
Berkeley, CA	$69,771	$5,814	$1,341	$33.54
Waterbury, VT	$68,809	$5,734	$1,323	$33.08
Sitka, AK	$68,645	$5,720	$1,320	$33.00
Wahoo, NE	$68,196	$5,683	$1,311	$32.79
Wyoming, WY	$67,958	$5,663	$1,306	$32.67
Marblehead, MA	$67,814	$5,651	$1,304	$32.60
Lawrence, MA	$67,482	$5,623	$1,297	$32.44
San Francisco, CA	$67,135	$5,594	$1,291	$32.28

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

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

For example Senior Payroll Tax Analyst jobs pay as much as $57,959 (101.7%) more than the average Payroll Specialists salary of $56,982. If you're qualified, finding work as a Senior Payroll Tax Analyst may help you make more money than that of the average Payroll Specialists position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Senior Payroll Tax Analyst	$114,941	$9,578	$2,210	$55.26
Critchfield Mechanical	$98,854	$8,237	$1,901	$47.53
Payroll Implementation Specialist	$70,903	$5,908	$1,363	$34.09
Payroll And Benefits Specialist	$60,488	$5,040	$1,163	$29.08
Payroll Processor	$52,082	$4,340	$1,001	$25.04

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 Specialists salary across the United States as of May 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $56,982 per year or $27.40 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

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