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Payroll analyst salary
Average payroll analyst salary
$54,217
Average Payroll Analyst Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Payroll Analyst in the United States is approximately $54,217 annually or about $26 per hour. Salaries in this profession can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, level of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, those working in larger metropolitan areas often see higher pay due to increased demand and cost of living adjustments.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level payroll analysts typically earn less than their more experienced counterparts. With a few years of experience, analysts can see their salaries rise significantly. For example, analysts with 1-3 years of experience may earn around $48,000, while those with 5-10 years can command upwards of $60,000. This salary progression highlights the value of experience in this field.
Top Paying States
Payroll analysts in states such as California, New York, and Texas generally earn higher salaries compared to the national average. For example, in California, the average salary can exceed $65,000, making it one of the most lucrative states for this profession. Understanding these dynamics can help job seekers target regions with the best opportunities.
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Where can a Payroll Analyst earn more?
Payroll analyst salaries by experience level
Payroll analyst salary estimates from across the web
Average payroll analyst salary by state
The highest-paying states for payroll analysts are Washington, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The lowest average payroll analyst salary states are New Mexico, Tennessee, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for payroll analysts
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $63,582 | $30.57 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $64,637 | $31.08 |
| 3 | Illinois | $60,526 | $29.10 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $64,081 | $30.81 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $62,457 | $30.03 |
| 6 | Alaska | $62,199 | $29.90 |
| 7 | Utah | $59,377 | $28.55 |
| 8 | Washington | $66,041 | $31.75 |
| 9 | Nebraska | $59,718 | $28.71 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $60,700 | $29.18 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $61,192 | $29.42 |
| 12 | Colorado | $58,177 | $27.97 |
| 13 | Nevada | $56,599 | $27.21 |
| 14 | New York | $58,005 | $27.89 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $54,347 | $26.13 |
| 16 | California | $59,513 | $28.61 |
| 17 | Maryland | $56,916 | $27.36 |
| 18 | Vermont | $58,318 | $28.04 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $56,637 | $27.23 |
| 20 | Oregon | $57,798 | $27.79 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $57,569 | $27.68 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $56,926 | $27.37 |
| 23 | Kansas | $54,635 | $26.27 |
| 24 | Virginia | $55,300 | $26.59 |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $54,247 | $26.08 |
| 26 | Texas | $52,970 | $25.47 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $54,290 | $26.10 |
| 28 | Michigan | $53,768 | $25.85 |
| 29 | Idaho | $50,916 | $24.48 |
| 30 | Arizona | $50,687 | $24.37 |
| 31 | Georgia | $51,279 | $24.65 |
| 32 | Ohio | $50,080 | $24.08 |
| 33 | Delaware | $52,488 | $25.23 |
| 34 | Montana | $50,039 | $24.06 |
| 35 | Indiana | $50,344 | $24.20 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $47,080 | $22.63 |
| 37 | Iowa | $50,672 | $24.36 |
| 38 | Maine | $52,177 | $25.09 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $50,270 | $24.17 |
| 40 | Florida | $46,483 | $22.35 |
| 41 | Missouri | $44,933 | $21.60 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $45,802 | $22.02 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $48,029 | $23.09 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $48,172 | $23.16 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $42,828 | $20.59 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $44,519 | $21.40 |
| 47 | Alabama | $37,280 | $17.92 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $44,950 | $21.61 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $40,461 | $19.45 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $41,574 | $19.99 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $37,400 | $17.98 |
Highest paying cities for payroll analysts
The highest-paying cities for payroll analysts are Olympia, WA, Washington, DC, and Juneau, AK.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olympia, WA | $66,081 | $31.77 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $64,156 | $30.84 |
| 3 | Juneau, AK | $63,896 | $30.72 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa, CA | $62,934 | $30.26 |
| 5 | Andover, MA | $62,476 | $30.04 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $60,779 | $29.22 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $58,190 | $27.98 |
| 8 | New York, NY | $57,999 | $27.88 |
| 9 | Portland, OR | $57,960 | $27.87 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $56,607 | $27.21 |
| 11 | Rockville, MD | $56,542 | $27.18 |
| 12 | Las Vegas, NV | $56,173 | $27.01 |
| 13 | Richmond, VA | $54,940 | $26.41 |
| 14 | Overland Park, KS | $54,772 | $26.33 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | $54,650 | $26.27 |
| 16 | Irving, TX | $52,967 | $25.46 |
| 17 | Portland, ME | $52,283 | $25.14 |
| 18 | Alpharetta, GA | $51,670 | $24.84 |
| 19 | Phoenix, AZ | $50,820 | $24.43 |
| 20 | Des Moines, IA | $50,348 | $24.21 |
Payroll analyst salary details
A payroll analyst's salary ranges from $39,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $74,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a payroll analyst's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $74,000 | $6,167 | $36 |
| 75th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| Average | $54,217 | $4,518 | $26 |
| 25th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 10th Percentile | $39,000 | $3,250 | $19 |
Highest paying payroll analyst jobs
The highest paying types of payroll analysts are payroll manager, analyst, and finance analyst.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timekeeper | $46,290 | $3,858 | $22.26 | 754 |
| Payroll Supervisor | $64,422 | $5,368 | $30.97 | 6,668 |
| Accounting Analyst | $58,399 | $4,867 | $28.08 | 81,097 |
| Payroll Processor | $44,307 | $3,692 | $21.30 | 11,795 |
| Payroll Representative | $45,054 | $3,755 | $21.66 | 6,076 |
| Finance Analyst | $69,887 | $5,824 | $33.60 | 138,600 |
Top companies hiring payroll analysts now:
Which companies pay payroll analysts the most?
Payroll analyst salaries at Varian Medical Systems and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average payroll analyst salary at companies like JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Invesco are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Varian Medical Systems | $94,137 | $45.26 |
| 2 | Apple | $86,985 | $41.82 |
| 3 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $86,526 | $41.60 |
| 4 | Invesco | $85,442 | $41.08 |
| 5 | Visa | $83,814 | $40.30 |
| 6 | Snowflake Computing | $80,412 | $38.66 |
| 7 | Sumo Logic | $77,917 | $37.46 |
| 8 | Evercore | $76,047 | $36.56 |
| 9 | Adobe | $74,946 | $36.03 |
| 10 | Vista Equity Partners | $74,124 | $35.64 |
| 11 | Discover | $72,311 | $34.76 |
| 12 | Grainger | $71,775 | $34.51 |
| 13 | Franklin Templeton | $66,800 | $32.12 |
| 14 | Gardner Denver | $66,544 | $31.99 |
| 15 | Morgan Stanley | $66,398 | $31.92 |
| 16 | Bridgestone | $65,820 | $31.64 |
| 17 | Verisign | $65,545 | $31.51 |
| 18 | NW Natural | $65,416 | $31.45 |
| 19 | Novo Nordisk | $65,405 | $31.44 |
| 20 | Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc | $65,253 | $31.37 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Payroll Analyst salary by industry
The average payroll analyst salary varies across industries:
- The average payroll analyst salary in the technology industry is $57,169, the highest of any industry.
- The average payroll analyst salary in the finance industry is $56,894.
- Payroll analysts in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $50,889, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for payroll analysts
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $57,169 | $27.49 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $56,894 | $27.35 |
| 3 | Professional | $53,852 | $25.89 |
| 4 | Health Care | $53,824 | $25.88 |
| 5 | Retail | $52,230 | $25.11 |
| 6 | Hospitality | $50,889 | $24.47 |
High paying payroll analyst jobs
Payroll analyst salary trends
The average payroll analyst salary has risen by $11,370 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average payroll analyst earned $42,847 annually, but today, they earn $54,217 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for payroll analysts over the last decade.
Compare payroll analyst salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average payroll analyst salary over time
Compare payroll analyst salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Payroll analyst salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $54,200 | $26.07 | +1.8% |
| 2025 | $53,200 | $25.60 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $51,900 | $24.97 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | $50,600 | $24.33 | +3.4% |
| 2022 | $48,900 | $23.50 | +3.3% |
Recently added payroll analyst salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrow Electronics | Payroll Analyst-Canadian Payroll | Denver, CO | 06/30/2025 | $65,678 |
| Exelixis | Senior Payroll Analyst | Alameda, CA | 06/30/2025 | $82,500 |
| Chicagotrading | Payroll Analyst | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $90,000 |
| Hofstra University | Payroll Analyst | Hempstead, NY | 06/28/2025 | $70,000 |
| Weight Loss, Better Sex, Fuller Hair, Improved Skin and More Online | Senior Payroll Analyst | Fine, NY | 06/28/2025 | $75,700 |
| Manpowergroup | Senior Payroll Analyst | Beloit, WI | 06/27/2025 | $62,610 |
| King's Hawaiian | Senior Payroll Analyst | Torrance, CA | 06/27/2025 | $75,000 |
| Reckitt Benckiser | Payroll Analyst | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $78,000 |
| Hackensack Meridian Health | Senior Payroll Analyst | Edison, NJ | 06/26/2025 | $82,514 |
| Johnson Service Group | Payroll Analyst | Santa Ana, CA | 06/26/2025 | $90,000 |
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