Payroll Specialist salary in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA
Budget above the national rate here. The median payroll specialist in Atlanta-Sandy Springs earned $62,710 a year in May 20251, 4.5% above the Georgia statewide median of $59,990 and 7.6% above the US median of $58,260. Only 42 of 486 US areas pay more for this job. With about 4,260 payroll specialists, 63% of the Georgia total, no area in Georgia employs more.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Atlanta-Sandy Springs against Georgia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | $43,820 | $62,710 | $78,850 | |
| Georgia (US state) | $39,590 | $59,990 | $76,790 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
The middle half of payroll specialists in Atlanta-Sandy Springs earns $51,890–$69,990. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $78,850, only 1.8 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $18,100 wide, against $21,230 across Georgia and $21,610 nationally: employers in Atlanta-Sandy Springs pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a payroll specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,820 | $3,652 | $21.07 | $56,542 |
| 25th percentile | $51,890 | $4,324 | $24.95 | $66,955 |
| Median | $62,710 | $5,226 | $30.15 | $80,916 |
| 75th percentile | $69,990 | $5,832 | $33.65 | $90,310 |
| 90th percentile | $78,850 | $6,571 | $37.91 | $101,742 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,280 a year in pay and about $9,394 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $10,820 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $58,260 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, and the Georgia statewide median of $59,990 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Atlanta-Sandy Springs
At the $62,710 median, a local hire costs about $80,916 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $18,206 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for payroll specialists we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Atlanta-Sandy Springs
Of the 17 roles we track in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($64,080) and bookkeepers ($51,170). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,400.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +11.6% | 25,800 | |
| Paralegal | +2.2% | 10,290 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 4,260 | |
| Bookkeeper | -18.4% | 22,480 | |
| HR Assistant | -22.2% | 1,360 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Atlanta-Sandy Springs (+7.6%), between sales development representatives (+12.8%) and data entry specialists (+5.5%). The typical role here is at +0.7%, so, measured against the US, payroll specialists cost more in Atlanta-Sandy Springs than the area's general pay level would suggest. Payroll specialists hold 1.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, 1.3% across Georgia and 1.0% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Georgia
Across the 18 areas of Georgia with data for this job, the median runs from $49,750 in Valdosta to $62,880 in Warner Robins, a gap of $13,130 a year. No other area in Georgia has as many payroll specialists, and 16 of the other 17 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Atlanta-Sandy Springs | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Robins, GA | +0.3% | 60 | |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | this area | 4,260 | |
| Savannah, GA | -2.6% | 200 | |
| Hinesville, GA | -7.3% | 40 | |
| Gainesville, GA | -10.0% | 110 | |
| Rome, GA | -12.8% | n/a | |
| Columbus, GA-AL | -13.0% | 130 |
Atlanta-Sandy Springs against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Atlanta-Sandy Springs is #3 of 482 US areas, one of the ten largest markets for this job. Outside Georgia, Napa and Chicago-Naperville pay just above Atlanta-Sandy Springs and Kennewick-Richland and Bloomington just below. All four are within $310 a year of the median in Atlanta-Sandy Springs. Of the three markets closest in size, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Atlanta-Sandy Springs | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +0.3% | 4,170 | pay | |
| Napa, CA | +0.3% | 100 | pay | |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | this area | 4,260 | ||
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | -0.4% | 110 | pay | |
| Bloomington, IL | -0.5% | 60 | pay | |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | -4.0% | 3,800 | jobs | |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL | -8.4% | 2,750 | jobs | |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | -13.7% | 3,260 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA?
About $80,916 a year at the median, or $6,743 a month: $62,710 in pay plus about $18,206 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do payroll specialists earn in Atlanta-Sandy Springs?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $62,710 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $43,820, the 90th $78,850, and the middle half earned $51,890 to $69,990.
Is Atlanta-Sandy Springs cheaper than the rest of Georgia for payroll specialists?
No, it costs more: a median of $62,710 against $59,990 statewide. The next area up in Georgia is Warner Robins at $62,880, the next down Savannah at $61,080.
How many payroll specialists work in Atlanta-Sandy Springs?
BLS counts about 4,260 in the May 2025 survey. That is 63% of the Georgia total of 6,720. No other area in Georgia has as many.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in Atlanta-Sandy Springs?
Yes: $11,540 a year more at the median. The medians are $62,710 and $51,170.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3051: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.