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Payroll assistant salary
Average payroll assistant salary
$45,023
Understanding Payroll Assistant Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a payroll assistant is around $45,023 per year. This role plays a crucial part in maintaining financial accuracy for organizations, and salaries can significantly differ based on a variety of factors including location, experience, and industry. For instance, payroll assistants in states like California and New York often see higher salaries compared to those in less populated states.
Factors Affecting Salary
Experience level is a key determinant, with entry-level positions earning less than seasoned professionals. Typically, those with over five years of experience can command salaries closer to the higher end of the spectrum. Additionally, specific industries such as technology or finance may offer more competitive pay.
Salary Estimates Across the Web
Various sources provide salary estimates that can help job seekers gauge their earning potential. According to recent data, entry-level payroll assistants can expect to earn around $35,000, while more experienced professionals can earn upwards of $60,000. Understanding these figures can empower individuals to make informed decisions about their career paths.
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Where can a Payroll Assistant earn more?
Payroll assistant salaries by experience level
Payroll assistant salary estimates from across the web
Average payroll assistant salary by state
The highest-paying states for payroll assistants are New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The lowest average payroll assistant salary states are Louisiana, Tennessee, and South Carolina.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for payroll assistants
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $56,922 | $27.37 |
| 2 | New York | $58,982 | $28.36 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $54,779 | $26.34 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | $49,392 | $23.75 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $52,806 | $25.39 |
| 6 | California | $54,153 | $26.04 |
| 7 | Utah | $49,193 | $23.65 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $53,832 | $25.88 |
| 9 | Alaska | $48,650 | $23.39 |
| 10 | Illinois | $50,723 | $24.39 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $47,371 | $22.77 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $50,042 | $24.06 |
| 13 | Wisconsin | $45,154 | $21.71 |
| 14 | Maryland | $49,769 | $23.93 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $42,294 | $20.33 |
| 16 | Washington | $48,841 | $23.48 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $44,132 | $21.22 |
| 18 | Vermont | $48,078 | $23.11 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $48,805 | $23.46 |
| 20 | Nevada | $45,740 | $21.99 |
| 21 | Oregon | $44,357 | $21.33 |
| 22 | Michigan | $45,859 | $22.05 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $44,050 | $21.18 |
| 24 | Kansas | $44,422 | $21.36 |
| 25 | Colorado | $44,416 | $21.35 |
| 26 | Ohio | $41,817 | $20.10 |
| 27 | Iowa | $41,026 | $19.72 |
| 28 | Delaware | $45,546 | $21.90 |
| 29 | Indiana | $41,645 | $20.02 |
| 30 | Idaho | $41,249 | $19.83 |
| 31 | Virginia | $43,522 | $20.92 |
| 32 | Arizona | $38,433 | $18.48 |
| 33 | Maine | $42,533 | $20.45 |
| 34 | Florida | $38,723 | $18.62 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $40,522 | $19.48 |
| 36 | Montana | $38,551 | $18.53 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $37,303 | $17.93 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $37,832 | $18.19 |
| 39 | Texas | $36,995 | $17.79 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $39,933 | $19.20 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $35,338 | $16.99 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $39,311 | $18.90 |
| 43 | Missouri | $37,400 | $17.98 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $36,949 | $17.76 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $33,060 | $15.89 |
| 46 | Georgia | $36,414 | $17.51 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $37,549 | $18.05 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $35,674 | $17.15 |
| 49 | South Carolina | $35,023 | $16.84 |
| 50 | Alabama | $30,734 | $14.78 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $33,015 | $15.87 |
Highest paying cities for payroll assistants
The highest-paying cities for payroll assistants are Riverhead, NY, Hayward, CA, and Brockton, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverhead, NY | $60,193 | $28.94 |
| 2 | Hayward, CA | $58,380 | $28.07 |
| 3 | Brockton, MA | $55,204 | $26.54 |
| 4 | Skokie, IL | $51,234 | $24.63 |
| 5 | Gaithersburg, MD | $49,180 | $23.64 |
| 6 | Bridgeton, NJ | $47,585 | $22.88 |
| 7 | Horsham, PA | $44,855 | $21.56 |
| 8 | Salem, OR | $44,501 | $21.39 |
| 9 | Greeley, CO | $44,434 | $21.36 |
| 10 | Minneapolis, MN | $44,158 | $21.23 |
| 11 | Richmond, VA | $43,178 | $20.76 |
| 12 | Hammond, IN | $42,537 | $20.45 |
| 13 | Raleigh, NC | $41,032 | $19.73 |
| 14 | Lakeland, FL | $39,032 | $18.77 |
| 15 | Scottsdale, AZ | $38,643 | $18.58 |
| 16 | Albuquerque, NM | $37,744 | $18.15 |
| 17 | Kansas City, MO | $37,442 | $18.00 |
| 18 | Austin, TX | $37,213 | $17.89 |
| 19 | Atlanta, GA | $36,449 | $17.52 |
Payroll assistant salary details
A payroll assistant's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $65,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a payroll assistant's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 75th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
| Average | $45,023 | $3,752 | $22 |
| 25th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
Highest paying payroll assistant jobs
The highest paying types of payroll assistants are payroll manager, paymaster, and payroll supervisor.
| 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 Supervisor | $64,422 | $5,368 | $30.97 | 6,668 |
| Payroll Processor | $44,307 | $3,692 | $21.30 | 11,795 |
| Payroll Representative | $45,054 | $3,755 | $21.66 | 6,076 |
| Payroll Manager | $86,147 | $7,179 | $41.42 | 6,972 |
Top companies hiring payroll assistants now:
Which companies pay payroll assistants the most?
Payroll assistant salaries at Sidley Austin and PROLIM are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average payroll assistant salary at companies like Moss & Associates and Queens Health Systems are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidley Austin | $68,815 | $33.08 |
| 2 | PROLIM | $63,597 | $30.58 |
| 3 | Moss & Associates | $60,754 | $29.21 |
| 4 | Queens Health Systems | $59,386 | $28.55 |
| 5 | New York University | $58,847 | $28.29 |
| 6 | Great Southern Bank | $57,538 | $27.66 |
| 7 | Burns & McDonnell | $56,944 | $27.38 |
| 8 | Calvary Hospital | $55,534 | $26.70 |
| 9 | Donatech | $55,138 | $26.51 |
| 10 | Northrop Grumman | $54,781 | $26.34 |
| 11 | New York State Restaurant Association | $53,913 | $25.92 |
| 12 | Flynn Restaurant Group | $52,338 | $25.16 |
| 13 | University of California | $50,813 | $24.43 |
| 14 | Aqua | $50,663 | $24.36 |
| 15 | University of California-Berkeley | $50,450 | $24.25 |
| 16 | G.R. Birdwell Construction | $49,417 | $23.76 |
| 17 | Gypsum Management and Supply | $48,331 | $23.24 |
| 18 | MYR Group | $47,859 | $23.01 |
| 19 | PulteGroup | $46,979 | $22.59 |
| 20 | Dreamstyle Remodeling | $46,875 | $22.54 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Payroll Assistant salary by industry
The average payroll assistant salary varies across industries:
- The average payroll assistant salary in the construction industry is $48,755, the highest of any industry.
- The average payroll assistant salary in the finance industry is $47,264.
- Payroll assistants in the retail industry earn an average salary of $36,553, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for payroll assistants
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction | $48,755 | $23.44 |
| 2 | Hospitality | $47,264 | $22.72 |
| 3 | Technology | $46,950 | $22.57 |
| 4 | Professional | $44,452 | $21.37 |
| 5 | Health Care | $42,892 | $20.62 |
| 6 | Education | $42,812 | $20.58 |
| 7 | Manufacturing | $42,406 | $20.39 |
| 8 | Retail | $36,553 | $17.57 |
High paying payroll assistant jobs
Payroll assistant salary trends
The average payroll assistant salary has risen by $9,442 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average payroll assistant earned $35,581 annually, but today, they earn $45,023 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for payroll assistants over the last decade.
Compare payroll assistant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average payroll assistant salary over time
Compare payroll assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Payroll assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $45,000 | $21.65 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $44,200 | $21.26 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $43,100 | $20.74 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $42,000 | $20.20 | +3.4% |
| 2021 | $40,600 | $19.51 | +3.3% |
Recently added payroll assistant salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Ranches | Payroll Assistant (Remote) | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2025 | $45,914 |
| Aerotek | Temporary Payroll Assistant | Jacksonville, FL | 06/28/2025 | $42,137 |
| Suny Oneonta | Payroll Assistant (NY Helps)-Suny Oneonta | Oneonta, NY | 06/26/2025 | $42,641 |
| State of New York | Payroll Assistant/Payroll Assistant Trainee-Central Office | Albany, NY | 06/26/2025 | $42,641 |
| Gategroup | Payroll Assistant | Schiller Park, IL | 06/21/2025 | $43,827 |
| Gate Gourmet | Payroll Assistant | Schiller Park, IL | 06/20/2025 | $43,827 |
| CRH Plc | Accounting Payroll Assistant | Spokane, WA | 06/18/2025 | $52,175 |
| Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Tx | Payroll Assistant-Transportation Department | Houston, TX | 06/13/2025 | $32,513 |
| Virtue Core Technology | Payroll Assistant | Houston, TX | 06/11/2025 | $62,610 |
| Windeck123 | Payroll Assistant | Chicago, IL | 06/10/2025 | $62,610 |
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