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Best states for a payroll processor
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- 41 - 51
Are you thinking of becoming a payroll processor and really want to work at Robert Half? Turns out, your chances to become a payroll processor are better in some states than others.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for payroll processors. We found that Minnesota is the best state in the nation for payroll processors, and people in Fort Lee earn the most in the field.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for payroll processors. Minnesota is the best state for payroll processors, where the median salary is $50,631.Minnesota is the best state, and Fort Lee is the city with the highest pay for payroll processors.
10 best states for payroll processors in 2025
1. Minnesota
Total payroll processor jobs: 351 Average annual salary: $50,631 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Location Quotient: 7.08
2. New Jersey
Total payroll processor jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $54,283 Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Location Quotient: 0
3. Connecticut
Total payroll processor jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $52,997 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Location Quotient: 0
4. Nevada
Total payroll processor jobs: 131 Average annual salary: $47,931 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 8.39
5. Wyoming
Total payroll processor jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $49,305 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location Quotient: 2.46
6. Illinois
Total payroll processor jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $50,225 Lowest 10 percent earn: $37,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Location Quotient: 0
7. California
Total payroll processor jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $53,672 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Location Quotient: 0
8. Washington
Total payroll processor jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $50,721 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 0
9. New Hampshire
Total payroll processor jobs: 56 Average annual salary: $47,960 Lowest 10 percent earn: $35,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Location Quotient: 4.29
10. Wisconsin
Total payroll processor jobs: 221 Average annual salary: $46,303 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location Quotient: 5.35
Payroll processor jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a payroll processor
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a payroll processor
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $50,631 | $38,000 | 5,576,606 | 351 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $54,283 | $38,000 | 9,005,644 | 0 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $52,997 | $37,000 | 3,588,184 | 0 |
| 4 | Nevada | $47,931 | $34,000 | 2,998,039 | 131 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $49,305 | $37,000 | 579,315 | 11 |
| 6 | Illinois | $50,225 | $37,000 | 12,802,023 | 0 |
| 7 | California | $53,672 | $39,000 | 39,536,653 | 0 |
| 8 | Washington | $50,721 | $39,000 | 7,405,743 | 0 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $47,960 | $35,000 | 1,342,795 | 56 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $46,303 | $34,000 | 5,795,483 | 221 |
| 11 | Nebraska | $48,237 | $36,000 | 1,920,076 | 0 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $46,825 | $33,000 | 1,815,857 | 0 |
| 13 | Virginia | $48,585 | $34,000 | 8,470,020 | 0 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $52,945 | $37,000 | 693,972 | 0 |
| 15 | New York | $48,803 | $34,000 | 19,849,399 | 0 |
| 16 | Colorado | $47,482 | $36,000 | 5,607,154 | 0 |
| 17 | Alaska | $47,368 | $41,000 | 739,795 | 0 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $47,231 | $34,000 | 6,859,819 | 0 |
| 19 | Kansas | $44,613 | $33,000 | 2,913,123 | 0 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $44,096 | $31,000 | 12,805,537 | 0 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $42,601 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 43 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $44,737 | $32,000 | 1,059,639 | 0 |
| 23 | Ohio | $41,845 | $30,000 | 11,658,609 | 436 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $41,062 | $30,000 | 4,454,189 | 174 |
| 25 | Maryland | $47,096 | $33,000 | 6,052,177 | 0 |
| 26 | Vermont | $44,694 | $33,000 | 623,657 | 0 |
| 27 | Oregon | $45,497 | $34,000 | 4,142,776 | 0 |
| 28 | Arizona | $43,940 | $32,000 | 7,016,270 | 0 |
| 29 | Indiana | $41,049 | $30,000 | 6,666,818 | 0 |
| 30 | Utah | $42,322 | $31,000 | 3,101,833 | 0 |
| 31 | Georgia | $42,853 | $31,000 | 10,429,379 | 0 |
| 32 | Delaware | $43,894 | $30,000 | 961,939 | 0 |
| 33 | Michigan | $40,663 | $29,000 | 9,962,311 | 333 |
| 34 | Iowa | $40,756 | $30,000 | 3,145,711 | 0 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $40,433 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 34 |
| 36 | Texas | $41,149 | $30,000 | 28,304,596 | 0 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $40,059 | $30,000 | 3,930,864 | 78 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $42,846 | $35,000 | 1,427,538 | 0 |
| 39 | Idaho | $39,635 | $30,000 | 1,716,943 | 0 |
| 40 | Montana | $38,610 | $30,000 | 1,050,493 | 44 |
| 41 | Maine | $39,489 | $29,000 | 1,335,907 | 0 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $38,296 | $28,000 | 4,684,333 | 0 |
| 43 | Florida | $38,638 | $28,000 | 20,984,400 | 0 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $37,902 | $28,000 | 2,088,070 | 0 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $37,433 | $27,000 | 10,273,419 | 0 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $35,383 | $26,000 | 6,715,984 | 0 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $33,616 | $25,000 | 3,004,279 | 100 |
| 48 | Missouri | $36,593 | $27,000 | 6,113,532 | 0 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $33,167 | $25,000 | 869,666 | 0 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $31,240 | $22,000 | 5,024,369 | 121 |
| 51 | Alabama | $31,198 | $23,000 | 4,874,747 | 0 |
Highest paying states for payroll processors
| Rank | State | Avg. Payroll Processor Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $50,631 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $54,283 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $52,997 |
| 4 | Nevada | $47,931 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $49,305 |
| 6 | Illinois | $50,225 |
| 7 | California | $53,672 |
| 8 | Washington | $50,721 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $47,960 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $46,303 |
| 11 | Nebraska | $48,237 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $46,825 |
| 13 | Virginia | $48,585 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $52,945 |
| 15 | New York | $48,803 |
| 16 | Colorado | $47,482 |
| 17 | Alaska | $47,368 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $47,231 |
| 19 | Kansas | $44,613 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $44,096 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $42,601 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $44,737 |
| 23 | Ohio | $41,845 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $41,062 |
| 25 | Maryland | $47,096 |
| 26 | Vermont | $44,694 |
| 27 | Oregon | $45,497 |
| 28 | Arizona | $43,940 |
| 29 | Indiana | $41,049 |
| 30 | Utah | $42,322 |
| 31 | Georgia | $42,853 |
| 32 | Delaware | $43,894 |
| 33 | Michigan | $40,663 |
| 34 | Iowa | $40,756 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $40,433 |
| 36 | Texas | $41,149 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $40,059 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $42,846 |
| 39 | Idaho | $39,635 |
| 40 | Montana | $38,610 |
| 41 | Maine | $39,489 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $38,296 |
| 43 | Florida | $38,638 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $37,902 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $37,433 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $35,383 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $33,616 |
| 48 | Missouri | $36,593 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $33,167 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $31,240 |
| 51 | Alabama | $31,198 |
Payroll processor best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025