Payroll Specialist salary in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY
Hiring a payroll specialist costs less in Buffalo-Cheektowaga than in New York or the country as a whole. The median is $55,650 a year1: 8.8% below the New York statewide median of $61,040 and 4.5% below the US median of $58,260. Among US areas it comes in at #207 of 486. About 630 payroll specialists work here, 8% of the New York total.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Buffalo-Cheektowaga against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $42,320 | $55,650 | $73,300 | |
| New York | $45,140 | $61,040 | $86,470 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
The middle half of payroll specialists in Buffalo-Cheektowaga earns $48,250–$63,690. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $73,300, only 1.7 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 $15,440 wide, against $22,520 across New York and $21,610 nationally: employers in Buffalo-Cheektowaga 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 | $42,320 | $3,527 | $20.35 | $54,606 |
| 25th percentile | $48,250 | $4,021 | $23.20 | $62,258 |
| Median | $55,650 | $4,638 | $26.75 | $71,806 |
| 75th percentile | $63,690 | $5,308 | $30.62 | $82,181 |
| 90th percentile | $73,300 | $6,108 | $35.24 | $94,581 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,040 a year in pay and about $10,374 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,400 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 median and the 75th percentile in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, and the New York statewide median of $61,040 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Buffalo-Cheektowaga
At the $55,650 median, a local hire costs about $71,806 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $16,156 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga
Of the 17 roles we track in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($58,270) and bookkeepers ($51,610). Project Coordinator is the highest at $101,180.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +25.8% | 4,410 | |
| Paralegal | +4.7% | 2,060 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 630 | |
| Bookkeeper | -7.3% | 5,890 | |
| HR Assistant | -11.9% | 550 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in Buffalo-Cheektowaga (-4.5%), between marketing specialists (-3.5%) and paralegals (-7.3%). The typical role here is at -1.1%, so, measured against the US, payroll specialists cost less in Buffalo-Cheektowaga than the area's general pay level would suggest. Payroll specialists hold 1.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, 0.8% across New York and 1.0% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in New York
Across the 15 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $49,940 in Utica-Rome to $63,500 in New York-Newark, a gap of $13,560 a year. The one area in New York with more payroll specialists, New York-Newark, NY-NJ ($63,500), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Buffalo-Cheektowaga | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | +1.3% | 570 | |
| Capital/Northern New York (Nonmetro) | +1.0% | 140 | |
| Central East New York (Nonmetro) | +0.6% | 220 | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | this area | 630 | |
| Syracuse, NY | -0.4% | 290 | |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | -7.2% | 40 | |
| Ithaca, NY | -8.3% | 40 |
Buffalo-Cheektowaga against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Buffalo-Cheektowaga is #43 of 482 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside New York, Greeley and Sioux City pay just above Buffalo-Cheektowaga and Rockford and Indianapolis-Carmel just below. All four are within $290 a year of the median in Buffalo-Cheektowaga. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Buffalo-Cheektowaga | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | +7.8% | 630 | jobs | |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | +7.3% | 620 | jobs | |
| Sioux City, IA-NE | +0.5% | 50 | pay | |
| Greeley, CO | +0.1% | 110 | pay | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | this area | 630 | ||
| Rockford, IL | -0.0% | 120 | pay | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | -0.4% | 1,690 | pay | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | -4.4% | 660 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY?
About $71,806 a year at the median, or $5,984 a month: $55,650 in pay plus about $16,156 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for payroll specialists in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
The median was $55,650 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $42,320, the 90th $73,300, and the middle half earned $48,250 to $63,690.
Is Buffalo-Cheektowaga cheaper than the rest of New York for payroll specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $55,650 against $61,040 statewide. The next area up in New York is the Central East New York nonmetro area at $56,000, the next down Syracuse at $55,410.
How many payroll specialists work in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
BLS counts about 630 in the May 2025 survey. That is 8% of the New York total of 8,400. Only New York-Newark has more in New York.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in Buffalo-Cheektowaga?
Yes: $4,040 a year more at the median. The medians are $55,650 and $51,610.
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.