Payroll Specialist salary in Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH
Payroll specialists earn more in Boston-Cambridge than anywhere else in Massachusetts. Expect a median of $66,930 a year1, 5.1% above the Massachusetts statewide median of $63,670 and 14.9% above the US median of $58,260. Nationally that is #7 of 486 areas, in the top tenth. With about 2,500 payroll specialists, no area in Massachusetts employs more.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Boston-Cambridge against Massachusetts and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | $50,510 | $66,930 | $89,450 | |
| Massachusetts | $49,110 | $63,670 | $86,360 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
The middle half of payroll specialists in Boston-Cambridge earns $56,990–$79,440. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $89,450, 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 $22,450 wide, between the figure for Massachusetts ($23,070) and the US figure ($21,610).
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 | $50,510 | $4,209 | $24.28 | $65,174 |
| 25th percentile | $56,990 | $4,749 | $27.40 | $73,535 |
| Median | $66,930 | $5,578 | $32.18 | $86,361 |
| 75th percentile | $79,440 | $6,620 | $38.19 | $102,503 |
| 90th percentile | $89,450 | $7,454 | $43.00 | $115,419 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $9,940 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $12,510, or about $16,142 once benefits are added. 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 Boston-Cambridge, and the Massachusetts statewide median of $63,670 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Boston-Cambridge
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $19,431 to the $66,930 median and brings it to $86,361 a year. 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 Boston-Cambridge
Of the 17 roles we track in Boston-Cambridge, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between office managers ($77,990) and bookkeepers ($60,960). Project Coordinator is the highest at $114,990.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +19.3% | 6,300 | |
| Office Manager | +16.5% | 25,630 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 2,500 | |
| Bookkeeper | -8.9% | 21,170 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -11.4% | 28,540 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #11 of the 17 roles we track in Boston-Cambridge (+14.9%), between data entry specialists (+15.2%) and HR assistants (+13.5%). The typical role here is at +15.6%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Payroll specialists hold 0.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Boston-Cambridge, 0.8% across Massachusetts and 1.0% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Massachusetts
Across the 7 areas of Massachusetts with data for this job, the median runs from $58,440 in Springfield to $66,930 in Boston-Cambridge, a gap of $8,490 a year. No other area in Massachusetts has as many payroll specialists, and all 6 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Boston-Cambridge | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | this area | 2,500 | |
| Barnstable Town, MA | -4.5% | 60 | |
| Massachusetts (Nonmetro) | -6.8% | 30 | |
| Worcester, MA | -10.2% | 260 | |
| Pittsfield, MA | -12.3% | 60 | |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | -12.3% | 60 | |
| Springfield, MA | -12.7% | 220 |
Boston-Cambridge against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Boston-Cambridge is #9 of 482 US areas, one of the ten largest markets for this job. Outside Massachusetts, Fort Collins-Loveland and Kahului-Wailuku pay just above Boston-Cambridge and Bremerton-Silverdale and Mount Vernon-Anacortes just below. All four are within $810 a year of the median in Boston-Cambridge. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Boston-Cambridge | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | +1.2% | 110 | pay | |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | +1.2% | 100 | pay | |
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | this area | 2,500 | ||
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | -0.2% | 60 | pay | |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | -0.4% | 50 | pay | |
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | -12.1% | 2,410 | jobs | |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL | -24.6% | 2,300 | jobs | |
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | -24.8% | 2,650 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH?
About $86,361 a year at the median, or $7,197 a month: $66,930 in pay plus about $19,431 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do payroll specialists earn in Boston-Cambridge?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $66,930 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $50,510, the 90th $89,450, and the middle half earned $56,990 to $79,440.
Is Boston-Cambridge the most expensive area in Massachusetts for payroll specialists?
Yes. Its median of $66,930 is the highest of 7 areas in Massachusetts. Barnstable Town comes next at $63,910.
How many payroll specialists work in Boston-Cambridge?
BLS counts about 2,500 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Massachusetts has as many.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in Boston-Cambridge?
Yes: $5,970 a year more at the median. The medians are $66,930 and $60,960.
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.