Payroll specialist demographics and statistics in the US
Payroll specialist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates payroll specialist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our payroll specialist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about payroll specialists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 115,451 payroll specialists currently employed in the United States.
- 82.7% of all payroll specialists are women, while 17.3% are men.
- The average payroll specialist age is 48 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of payroll specialists is White (58.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.2%), Black or African American (9.8%) and Unknown (6.1%).
- Payroll specialists are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The technology industry is the highest-paying for payroll specialists.
- Washington, DC pays an annual average wage of $57,820, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women payroll specialists earned 97% of what men earned.
- 10% of all payroll specialists are LGBT.
- Wyoming is the best state for payroll specialists to live.
- Payroll specialists are 49% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Payroll specialist demographics by:
Payroll specialist gender statistics
82.7% of payroll specialists are women and 17.3% of payroll specialists are men.
- Female, 82.7%
- Male, 17.3%
Payroll specialist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 82.7% |
| Male | 17.3% |
Payroll specialist gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$48,940
Female income
$47,693
Payroll specialist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in payroll specialist positions over time. Currently, 82.7% of payroll specialists are female.
Payroll specialist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 14.43% | 85.57% |
| 2011 | 13.38% | 86.62% |
| 2012 | 13.97% | 86.03% |
| 2013 | 13.48% | 86.52% |
| 2014 | 16.32% | 83.68% |
| 2015 | 15.52% | 84.48% |
| 2016 | 15.50% | 84.50% |
| 2017 | 13.88% | 86.12% |
| 2018 | 14.42% | 85.58% |
| 2019 | 15.66% | 84.34% |
| 2020 | 15.47% | 84.53% |
| 2021 | 17.33% | 82.67% |
Payroll specialist related jobs gender ratio
We compared payroll specialists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, time recorder and recovery agent have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance Billing Clerk | 5% | 95% |
| Receptionist/Accounts Receivable | 5% | 95% |
| Directory Clerk | 7% | 93% |
| Payroll Specialist | 17% | 83% |
| Recovery Agent | 69% | 31% |
| Time Recorder | 71% | 29% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Payroll specialist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among payroll specialists is White, which makes up 58.5% of all payroll specialists. Comparatively, 18.2% of payroll specialists are Hispanic or Latino and 9.8% of payroll specialists are Black or African American.
- White, 58.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.2%
- Black or African American, 9.8%
- Unknown, 6.1%
- Asian, 6.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%
Payroll specialist race
| Payroll specialist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 58.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.2% |
| Black or African American | 9.8% |
| Unknown | 6.1% |
| Asian | 6.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.4% |
Payroll specialist race and ethnicity over time
See how payroll specialist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Payroll specialist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.30% | 11.91% | 4.11% | 14.85% |
| 2011 | 65.83% | 13.48% | 3.83% | 15.06% |
| 2012 | 68.61% | 11.09% | 3.77% | 14.17% |
| 2013 | 66.62% | 11.29% | 4.64% | 14.91% |
| 2014 | 65.53% | 11.53% | 4.89% | 15.62% |
| 2015 | 66.38% | 10.60% | 5.96% | 14.87% |
| 2016 | 67.11% | 11.15% | 4.77% | 14.98% |
| 2017 | 65.41% | 10.69% | 5.05% | 16.24% |
| 2018 | 64.12% | 9.86% | 5.27% | 17.99% |
| 2019 | 62.24% | 11.10% | 5.47% | 18.25% |
| 2020 | 61.51% | 10.37% | 6.65% | 17.62% |
| 2021 | 58.49% | 9.75% | 6.01% | 18.17% |
Payroll specialist wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american payroll specialists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino payroll specialists have the lowest average salary at $47,793.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $49,401 |
| White | $48,141 |
| Black or African American | $50,003 |
| Asian | $49,398 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $47,793 |
Average payroll specialist age
See how the average age of payroll specialists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Payroll specialist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 47 | |
| Unknown | 46 | |
| Asian | 40 | 46 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 42.5 | 45 |
| White | 41 | 51 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 56.5 |
Payroll specialist age breakdown
The average age of payroll specialists is 40+ years years old, representing 74% of the payroll specialist population.
Payroll specialist age breakdown
| Payroll Specialist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 74% |
| 30-40 years | 20% |
| 20-30 years | 6% |
Payroll specialist educational attainment
The most common degree for payroll specialists is bachelor's degree, with 48% of payroll specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 11%.
- Bachelor's, 48%
- Associate, 29%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Payroll specialists by degree level
| Payroll specialist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 48% |
| Associate | 29% |
| High School Diploma | 11% |
| Master's | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Payroll specialist jobs you might like
Payroll specialist wage gap by degree level
According to the data, payroll specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $50,188 annually. With a Associate degree, payroll specialists earn a median annual income of $48,082 compared to $47,042 for payroll specialists with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $47,042 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,188 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $48,082 |
Payroll specialist employment statistics
Most payroll specialists work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where payroll specialists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where payroll specialists work.
Payroll specialist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 2% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 10% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 11% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 44% |
Payroll specialist jobs by company type
Employees with the payroll specialist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most payroll specialists prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Payroll specialist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 5% |
| Public | 42% |
| Private | 49% |
| Government | 4% |
Payroll specialist jobs by industry
The most common industries for payroll specialists are professional, health care and finance.
Payroll specialist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 19% |
| Fortune 500 | 19% |
| Health Care | 10% |
| Finance | 8% |
| Retail | 7% |
| Technology | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Hospitality | 4% |
| Education | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Government | 3% |
| Construction | 3% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Payroll specialist turnover and employment statistics
Payroll specialist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for payroll specialists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Payroll specialist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Payroll specialist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.89% |
| 2011 | 6.51% |
| 2012 | 6.36% |
| 2013 | 4.27% |
| 2014 | 3.76% |
| 2015 | 2.34% |
| 2016 | 2.55% |
| 2017 | 2.44% |
| 2018 | 1.81% |
| 2019 | 2.54% |
| 2020 | 1.91% |
| 2021 | 3.88% |
Average payroll specialist tenure
The average payroll specialist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 18,435 payroll specialists resumes in Zippia's database.
Payroll specialist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 24% |
| 1-2 years | 34% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Payroll specialist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of payroll specialists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Procurement Administrator | 6.59% | 56,668 |
| Census Clerk | 6.92% | 66,353 |
| Bank Teller | 7.10% | 23,446 |
| Medical Billing Supervisor | 7.32% | 65,906 |
| Collector Lead | 7.90% | 6,919 |
| Payroll Specialist | 9.53% | - |
| Gaming Cage Cashier | 10.47% | 51,989 |
Similar payroll specialist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Procurement Administrator | 6.59% | 56,668 |
| Census Clerk | 6.92% | 66,353 |
| Bank Teller | 7.10% | 23,446 |
| Medical Billing Supervisor | 7.32% | 65,906 |
| Collector Lead | 7.90% | 6,919 |
| Gaming Cage Cashier | 10.47% | 51,989 |
Foreign languages spoken by payroll specialists
The most common foreign language among payroll specialists is Spanish at 72.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 2.9% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 2.6%.
- Spanish, 72.3%
- French, 2.9%
- Portuguese, 2.6%
- Chinese, 2.4%
- Mandarin, 2.4%
- Other, 17.4%
Payroll specialist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 72.3% |
| French | 2.9% |
| Portuguese | 2.6% |
| Chinese | 2.4% |
| Mandarin | 2.4% |
| Other | 17.4% |
