How much does a payroll and benefits specialist make?

The average payroll and benefits specialist salary in the United States is $49,466. Payroll and benefits specialist salaries typically range between $36,000 and $67,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for payroll and benefits specialists is $23.78 per hour. Payroll and benefits specialist salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Payroll and benefits specialists earn the highest average salary in New Jersey.

Payroll and benefits specialist salary

Q: What state pays Payroll And Benefits Specialists the most?

New Jersey pays Payroll And Benefits Specialists the most in the United States, with an average salary of $59,644 per year, or $28.68 per hour.

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

You know if you are being paid fairly as a payroll and benefits specialist if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in California you should be paid close to $57,980 per year.

Quoted expert

Sarah DeArmond Ph.D.

Average payroll and benefits specialist salary

$49,466

$23.78 hourly rate

Entry-level payroll and benefits specialist salary

$36,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding the Payroll and Benefits Specialist Salary

As a Payroll and Benefits Specialist, you play a critical role in ensuring employees are compensated accurately and on time. The average salary for this position is $49,466 annually, with variations based on geographic location and industry. For instance, states like California and New York tend to offer higher salaries due to a higher cost of living and greater demand for skilled professionals.

In addition to the base salary, many companies provide benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off, which can significantly enhance overall compensation. According to industry data, specialists with several years of experience or those working in high-demand sectors can earn upwards of $60,000 per year.

For those considering a career in this field, gaining relevant certifications and experience can lead to increased earning potential and job opportunities. Employers are looking for individuals who are proficient in payroll software and have a strong understanding of labor laws and regulations.

Whether you are just starting or looking to advance your career, the role of a Payroll and Benefits Specialist offers a robust career path with numerous opportunities for growth.

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Payroll and benefits specialist salary by:

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Where can a Payroll And Benefits Specialist earn more?

Compare salary by location

89k

69k

49k

29k

Columbus, OH$59,489

Phoenix, AZ$39,295

Compare salary by company

80k

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20k

Universal Display$63,579

Pangea Properties$50,225

Payroll and benefits specialist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a payroll and benefits specialist typically falls between $49,466 and $64,062.

zippia

$49,466yearly

glassdoor[1]

$63,123yearly

comparably[2]

$64,062yearly

Average payroll and benefits specialist salary by state

The highest-paying states for payroll and benefits specialists are New Jersey, California, and New York. The lowest average payroll and benefits specialist salary states are Kentucky, West Virginia, and Utah.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for payroll and benefits specialists

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New York	$56,211	$27.02
2	Rhode Island	$53,326	$25.64
3	California	$57,980	$27.88
4	Vermont	$54,619	$26.26
5	Massachusetts	$52,590	$25.28
6	New Jersey	$59,644	$28.68
7	Illinois	$52,055	$25.03
8	Minnesota	$50,617	$24.34
9	District of Columbia	$55,388	$26.63
10	Pennsylvania	$50,456	$24.26
11	Oregon	$50,572	$24.31
12	Alaska	$51,860	$24.93
13	Delaware	$50,854	$24.45
14	Connecticut	$50,214	$24.14
15	Washington	$51,164	$24.60
16	Colorado	$50,730	$24.39
17	Mississippi	$49,921	$24.00
18	Iowa	$48,028	$23.09
19	Nevada	$47,444	$22.81
20	Michigan	$46,490	$22.35
21	New Hampshire	$48,359	$23.25
22	Texas	$46,499	$22.36
23	North Carolina	$45,963	$22.10
24	Virginia	$46,906	$22.55
25	Maryland	$50,759	$24.40
26	Idaho	$48,275	$23.21
27	North Dakota	$45,734	$21.99
28	Georgia	$45,478	$21.86
29	Arkansas	$42,943	$20.65
30	Tennessee	$40,821	$19.63
31	Kansas	$44,250	$21.27
32	Oklahoma	$43,929	$21.12
33	Missouri	$43,638	$20.98
34	Wisconsin	$40,839	$19.63
35	Maine	$44,451	$21.37
36	Arizona	$39,193	$18.84
37	Ohio	$40,268	$19.36
38	Nebraska	$38,842	$18.67
39	Wyoming	$40,816	$19.62
40	Florida	$39,102	$18.80
41	South Dakota	$40,786	$19.61
42	Montana	$30,096	$14.47
43	Hawaii	$32,005	$15.39
44	Alabama	$39,830	$19.15
45	Utah	$37,026	$17.80
46	Louisiana	$40,107	$19.28
47	Indiana	$39,230	$18.86
48	Kentucky	$38,563	$18.54
49	West Virginia	$37,959	$18.25
50	New Mexico	$39,005	$18.75
51	South Carolina	$30,111	$14.48

Top payroll and benefits specialist jobs near you

Highest paying cities for payroll and benefits specialists

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

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	San Francisco, CA	$59,489	$28.60
2	New York, NY	$56,456	$27.14
3	Washington, DC	$55,342	$26.61
4	West Springfield Town, MA	$53,073	$25.52
5	Chicago, IL	$52,179	$25.09
6	Seattle, WA	$51,250	$24.64
7	Colorado Springs, CO	$50,748	$24.40
8	Bethesda, MD	$50,379	$24.22
9	Enfield, CT	$49,713	$23.90
10	Pittsburgh, PA	$48,076	$23.11
11	Austin, TX	$46,696	$22.45
12	Battle Creek, MI	$46,025	$22.13
13	Atlanta, GA	$45,492	$21.87
14	Charlotte, NC	$45,460	$21.86
15	Lenexa, KS	$44,284	$21.29
16	Columbia, MO	$43,635	$20.98
17	Milwaukee, WI	$41,003	$19.71
18	Birmingham, AL	$39,915	$19.19
19	Fort Wayne, IN	$39,807	$19.14
20	Phoenix, AZ	$39,295	$18.89

Payroll and benefits specialist salary details

A payroll and benefits specialist's salary ranges from $36,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $67,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average payroll and benefits specialist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a payroll and benefits specialist's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$67,000	$5,583	$32
75th Percentile	$58,000	$4,833	$28
Average	$49,466	$4,122	$24
25th Percentile	$42,000	$3,500	$20
10th Percentile	$36,000	$3,000	$17

Highest paying payroll and benefits specialist jobs

The highest paying types of payroll and benefits specialists are payroll manager, payroll/human resource manager, and benefits advisor.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Human Resources Recruiter	$47,549	$3,962	$22.86	73,383
Human Resources Coordinator	$44,074	$3,673	$21.19	53,322
Human Resources Generalist	$56,159	$4,680	$27.00	44,365
Payroll Clerk	$41,602	$3,467	$20.00	71,944
Benefits Manager	$64,064	$5,339	$30.80	11,164
Payroll Manager	$86,147	$7,179	$41.42	6,972

How would you rate the starting salaries for payroll and benefits specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Sarah DeArmond Ph.D.

Management and Human Resources Department Chair, Professor of Human Resource Management, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

Before the pandemic, starting salary prospects were quite positive in human resource management. I expect to see salaries down a bit. Generally, companies have a slight edge now in salary negotiations, as there is more available talent than may have been the case before the pandemic. However, there have not been as significant of job losses in human resource management as has been the case in some other fields (e.g., hospitality management).

Top companies hiring payroll and benefits specialists now:

Which companies pay payroll and benefits specialists the most?

Payroll and benefits specialist salaries at Universal Display and Sherpa are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average payroll and benefits specialist salary at companies like Relevante and Corporate Finance Associates are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Universal Display	$63,579	$30.57
2	Sherpa	$58,206	$27.98
3	Relevante	$58,019	$27.89
4	Corporate Finance Associates	$54,964	$26.43
5	InterMountain	$54,741	$26.32
6	EHRA Engineering	$53,881	$25.90
7	Axos Bank	$53,090	$25.52
8	Magna International	$52,858	$25.41
9	Vesta	$52,825	$25.40
10	Synergys Biotherapeutics	$52,764	$25.37
11	TWO95 International	$52,556	$25.27
12	Wisconsin	$52,553	$25.27
13	Anduril	$52,281	$25.14
14	DMG MORI	$51,594	$24.80
15	Fisher's Technology	$51,197	$24.61
16	NRI	$50,974	$24.51
17	Washington State University	$50,828	$24.44
18	The Packer Collegiate Institute	$50,495	$24.28
19	Tencent	$50,388	$24.23
20	Pangea Properties	$50,225	$24.15

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$51,000$50,200$49,400$48,600$47,800$47,000

MaleFemale

Payroll And Benefits Specialist salary by industry

The average payroll and benefits specialist salary varies across industries:

The average payroll and benefits specialist salary in the professional industry is $52,370, the highest of any industry.
The average payroll and benefits specialist salary in the finance industry is $51,271.
Payroll and benefits specialists in the retail industry earn an average salary of $36,806, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for payroll and benefits specialists

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Professional	$52,370	$25.18
2	Manufacturing	$51,271	$24.65
3	Media	$48,365	$23.25
4	Retail	$36,806	$17.70

High paying payroll and benefits specialist jobs

Payroll and benefits specialist salary trends

The average payroll and benefits specialist salary has risen by $6,795 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average payroll and benefits specialist earned $42,671 annually, but today, they earn $49,466 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for payroll and benefits specialists over the last decade.

Compare payroll and benefits specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average payroll and benefits specialist salary over time

Compare payroll and benefits specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Payroll and benefits specialist salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2026	$49,500	$23.78	+3.9%
2025	$47,500	$22.85	+2.4%
2024	$46,400	$22.30	+0.5%
2023	$46,100	$22.19	+1.0%
2022	$45,700	$21.97	+2.0%

Recently added payroll and benefits specialist salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Meadowhawk Biolabs	Payroll and Benefit Specialist	Hayward, CA	06/28/2025	$80,000
Lakeshore Employment	Payroll and Benefits Specialist	Orlando, FL	06/27/2025	$50,000
WTW External	Payroll Benefits Specialist	Fort Lee, NJ	06/27/2025	$70,000
Circustrix	Payroll & Benefits Specialist	Boone, CO	06/26/2025	$65,000
WTW	Payroll Benefits Specialist	Fort Lee, NJ	06/26/2025	$70,000
Willis Towers Watson	Payroll Benefits Specialist	Fort Lee, NJ	06/26/2025	$70,000
Do & Co Aktiengesellschaft	Benefits and Payroll Specialist, Bilingual (Spanish)	New York, NY	06/26/2025	$70,000
Town of Johnstown	Payroll and Benefits Specialist	Johnstown, CO	06/25/2025	$65,762
Quorum Federal Credit Union	Payroll and Benefits Specialist-Remote	Dobbs Ferry, NY	06/23/2025	$62,193
Corvallis School District 1	Payroll and Benefit Specialist	Pony, MT	06/21/2025	$37,566

Payroll and benefits specialist salary FAQs

What state pays Payroll And Benefits Specialists the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a payroll and benefits specialist?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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Updated December 15, 2025

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