How much does a payroll administrator make?

The average payroll administrator salary in the United States is $46,596. Payroll administrator salaries typically range between $33,000 and $64,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for payroll administrators is $22.4 per hour. Payroll administrator salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Payroll administrators earn the highest average salary in Maine.

Payroll administrator salary

Q: What state pays Payroll Administrators the most?

Maine pays Payroll Administrators the most in the United States, with an average salary of $70,935 per year, or $34.10 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a payroll administrator?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a payroll administrator if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in Maine you should be paid close to $59,401 per year.

Q: What is a good starting salary for a Payroll Administrator?

A good starting salary for a payroll administrator is $35,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a payroll administrator in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for payroll administrators is $46,665, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a payroll administrator can vary by state.

Q: How much do people who do payroll get paid?

People who do payroll get paid, on average, $34,561 a year ($21.16 an hour). There is a range on how much a payroll clerk can make - starting from as little as $28,000 a year to as high as $75,5000 a year. Factors such as position type, location, and company type.

Average payroll administrator salary

$46,596

$22.4 hourly rate

Entry-level payroll administrator salary

$33,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Payroll Administrator Salaries

As of October 2025, the average salary for a Payroll Administrator stands at $46,596 per year. This figure represents a crucial insight for individuals considering a career in payroll management. Salaries can vary significantly by state and experience level, making it essential to research specific local markets.

For instance, Payroll Administrators in states like California and New York tend to earn higher salaries compared to their counterparts in other regions. Factors influencing salary include years of experience, the size of the company, and specific industry demands.

Entry-level positions may offer lower salaries, but as professionals gain experience and take on more complex tasks, their earning potential increases. According to recent data, those with five or more years in the field can expect salaries closer to $55,000 annually.

In addition to base salaries, Payroll Administrators often receive benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans, which can enhance overall compensation. Understanding the nuances of these salaries provides valuable context for job seekers aiming to maximize their earning potential in this vital role.

On this page

Payroll administrator salary by:

Let Zippia find your next payroll administrator job

Let Zippia find your next payroll administrator job

Where can a Payroll Administrator earn more?

Compare salary by location

94k

74k

54k

34k

14k

Columbus, OH$70,954

Kansas City, KS$44,413

Compare salary by company

90k

70k

50k

30k

Northern Trust$72,345

Granite Construction$59,590

Payroll administrator salaries by experience level

Payroll administrator salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, SalaryExpert and Comparably, the average salary for a payroll administrator typically falls between $46,596 and $78,807.

zippia

$46,596yearly

glassdoor[1]

$78,807yearly

indeed[2]

$51,152yearly

comparably[3]

$54,352yearly

ZipRecruiter[4]

$60,523yearly

SalaryExpert[5]

$62,176yearly

Average payroll administrator salary by state

The highest-paying states for payroll administrators are Maine, New York, and Connecticut. The lowest average payroll administrator salary states are Indiana, Louisiana, and South Carolina.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for payroll administrators

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New York	$59,326	$28.52
2	Massachusetts	$55,300	$26.59
3	Connecticut	$57,551	$27.67
4	North Dakota	$51,655	$24.83
5	Alaska	$53,638	$25.79
6	Vermont	$51,643	$24.83
7	New Hampshire	$52,627	$25.30
8	Washington	$53,812	$25.87
9	Maine	$59,401	$28.56
10	California	$56,423	$27.13
11	District of Columbia	$70,935	$34.10
12	Wyoming	$52,496	$25.24
13	Oregon	$50,653	$24.35
14	New Jersey	$54,277	$26.09
15	Illinois	$51,370	$24.70
16	West Virginia	$51,978	$24.99
17	Rhode Island	$49,536	$23.82
18	Arizona	$47,062	$22.63
19	Colorado	$49,298	$23.70
20	Nevada	$47,630	$22.90
21	Pennsylvania	$47,527	$22.85
22	Texas	$46,942	$22.57
23	Virginia	$54,752	$26.32
24	Minnesota	$49,076	$23.59
25	Utah	$45,458	$21.85
26	Maryland	$54,536	$26.22
27	Kentucky	$46,350	$22.28
28	Montana	$45,105	$21.69
29	Michigan	$46,806	$22.50
30	Georgia	$47,178	$22.68
31	Ohio	$45,077	$21.67
32	North Carolina	$45,077	$21.67
33	Oklahoma	$45,860	$22.05
34	Nebraska	$43,674	$21.00
35	Kansas	$44,388	$21.34
36	Mississippi	$45,293	$21.78
37	Delaware	$45,340	$21.80
38	Missouri	$43,872	$21.09
39	Florida	$40,666	$19.55
40	Iowa	$43,622	$20.97
41	Wisconsin	$42,890	$20.62
42	Idaho	$41,305	$19.86
43	New Mexico	$39,000	$18.75
44	Hawaii	$38,437	$18.48
45	Arkansas	$42,250	$20.31
46	Tennessee	$40,014	$19.24
47	Alabama	$37,032	$17.80
48	Indiana	$38,920	$18.71
49	South Carolina	$38,498	$18.51
50	Louisiana	$38,549	$18.53
51	South Dakota	$35,441	$17.04

Top payroll administrator jobs near you

Highest paying cities for payroll administrators

The highest-paying cities for payroll administrators are Washington, DC, New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington, DC	$70,954	$34.11
2	New York, NY	$59,380	$28.55
3	San Francisco, CA	$58,928	$28.33
4	Arlington, VA	$56,208	$27.02
5	Boston, MA	$55,323	$26.60
6	Baltimore, MD	$54,799	$26.35
7	Seattle, WA	$54,187	$26.05
8	Northbrook, IL	$51,599	$24.81
9	Portland, OR	$50,483	$24.27
10	Denver, CO	$49,264	$23.68
11	Saint Paul, MN	$49,105	$23.61
12	Reno, NV	$48,824	$23.47
13	Philadelphia, PA	$48,035	$23.09
14	Atlanta, GA	$47,340	$22.76
15	San Antonio, TX	$47,260	$22.72
16	Sterling Heights, MI	$47,151	$22.67
17	Phoenix, AZ	$47,115	$22.65
18	Raleigh, NC	$45,685	$21.96
19	Columbus, OH	$44,579	$21.43
20	Kansas City, KS	$44,413	$21.35

Payroll Administrators are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Payroll administrator salary details

A payroll administrator's salary ranges from $33,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $64,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average payroll administrator salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a payroll administrator's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$64,000	$5,333	$31
75th Percentile	$55,000	$4,583	$26
Average	$46,596	$3,883	$22
25th Percentile	$39,000	$3,250	$19
10th Percentile	$33,000	$2,750	$16

Highest paying payroll administrator jobs

The highest paying types of payroll administrators are payroll manager, payroll/human resource manager, and administrator.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Timekeeper	$46,290	$3,858	$22.26	754
Payroll Clerk	$41,602	$3,467	$20.00	71,944
Payroll Manager	$86,147	$7,179	$41.42	6,972
Payroll Representative	$45,054	$3,755	$21.66	6,076
Payroll Technician	$44,971	$3,748	$21.62	11,297
Payroll Processor	$44,307	$3,692	$21.30	11,795

Top companies hiring payroll administrators now:

Which companies pay payroll administrators the most?

Payroll administrator salaries at Northern Trust and Databricks are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average payroll administrator salary at companies like FT Partners and BlackRock are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Northern Trust	$72,345	$34.78
2	Databricks	$70,720	$34.00
3	FT Partners	$68,141	$32.76
4	BlackRock	$67,523	$32.46
5	Kent Daniels & Associates	$66,838	$32.13
6	Vista Equity Partners	$66,520	$31.98
7	Ngam Advisors, L.P.	$66,502	$31.97
8	ArtCenter College of Design	$66,252	$31.85
9	Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory	$66,000	$31.73
10	Genesee & Wyoming	$64,929	$31.22
11	Jacobs Engineering Group	$64,124	$30.83
12	Cloudian	$63,889	$30.72
13	City National Bank	$63,443	$30.50
14	Raymond James Financial	$61,546	$29.59
15	Curtiss-Wright	$61,406	$29.52
16	Pinterest	$60,644	$29.16
17	Deloitte	$60,190	$28.94
18	Aya Healthcare	$60,129	$28.91
19	Pacifi	$60,081	$28.89
20	Granite Construction	$59,590	$28.65

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$50,000$49,600$49,200$48,800$48,400$48,000

MaleFemale

Payroll Administrator salary by industry

The average payroll administrator salary varies across industries:

The average payroll administrator salary in the construction industry is $53,461, the highest of any industry.
The average payroll administrator salary in the finance industry is $52,116.
Payroll administrators in the retail industry earn an average salary of $43,355, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for payroll administrators

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Construction	$53,461	$25.70
2	Technology	$52,116	$25.06
3	Manufacturing	$49,845	$23.96
4	Professional	$48,352	$23.25
5	Health Care	$46,825	$22.51
6	Hospitality	$45,342	$21.80
7	Retail	$43,355	$20.84

High paying payroll administrator jobs

Payroll administrator salary trends

The average payroll administrator salary has risen by $9,771 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average payroll administrator earned $36,825 annually, but today, they earn $46,596 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for payroll administrators over the last decade.

Compare payroll administrator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average payroll administrator salary over time

Compare payroll administrator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Payroll administrator salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$46,600	$22.40	+1.8%
2024	$45,800	$22.00	+2.4%
2023	$44,600	$21.46	+2.6%
2022	$43,500	$20.91	+3.4%
2021	$42,000	$20.20	+3.3%

Recently added payroll administrator salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Ibotta	Payroll Coordinator	Denver, CO	06/30/2025	$60,000
Rossstores	Coordinator II, Payroll	Dublin, CA	06/29/2025	$47,354
Brightview Senior Living	Senior Payroll Administrator	Baltimore, MD	06/29/2025	$73,045
Chicagotransit	Coordinator, Payroll Control	Chicago, IL	06/29/2025	$87,646
Get It-Finance	FMS Payroll Accountant Administrator-Hybrid-Remote \| WFH	Brooklyn Park, MN	06/29/2025	$55,463
Disclosure, Consent, Acknowledgment and Agreement	Coordinator II, Payroll	Dublin, CA	06/29/2025	$47,354
Masco Corp	Payroll Coordinator	Vista, CA	06/28/2025	$40,383
Robert Half	Payroll Administrator	Clearwater, FL	06/28/2025	$80,000
Sanofi	People Services US Payroll Coordinator	Kane, PA	06/28/2025	$74,214
Sanofi	People Services US Payroll Coordinator	Morristown, NJ	06/28/2025	$74,214

Payroll administrator salary FAQs

What state pays Payroll Administrators the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a payroll administrator?

What is a good starting salary for a Payroll Administrator?

How much do people who do payroll get paid?

Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.

Search for payroll administrator jobs

Updated December 15, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs