Payroll Specialist salary in Fresno, CA
Fresno pays payroll specialists less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $59,730 a year1: 8.6% below the California statewide median of $65,340 and 2.5% above the US median of $58,260. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#94 of 486). BLS counts about 710 people in this job here, 3% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Fresno, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Fresno against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno, CA | $39,920 | $59,730 | $82,430 | |
| California | $46,120 | $65,340 | $92,080 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
The middle half of payroll specialists in Fresno earns $48,690–$71,000. The top tenth earns $82,430 or more, 2.1 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $22,310 wide, between the figure for California ($22,640) 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 | $39,920 | $3,327 | $19.19 | $51,510 |
| 25th percentile | $48,690 | $4,058 | $23.41 | $62,826 |
| Median | $59,730 | $4,978 | $28.72 | $77,071 |
| 75th percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34.13 | $91,613 |
| 90th percentile | $82,430 | $6,869 | $39.63 | $106,361 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $11,270 a year in pay and about $14,542 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $11,040 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 Fresno, and the California statewide median of $65,340 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Fresno
At the $59,730 median, a local hire costs about $77,071 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,341 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 Fresno
Of the 17 roles we track in Fresno, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($61,820) and bookkeepers ($54,170). Project Coordinator is the highest at $101,030.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +4.6% | 920 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +3.5% | 2,170 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 710 | |
| Bookkeeper | -9.3% | 4,310 | |
| HR Assistant | -15.9% | 310 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Fresno (+2.5%), between customer support specialists (+2.9%) and executive assistants (+1.3%). The typical role here is at +1.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Payroll specialists hold 2.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Fresno, 1.2% across California and 1.0% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $54,890 in Visalia to $80,510 in San Francisco-Oakland, a gap of $25,620 a year. All 6 areas in California with more payroll specialists than Fresno also pay more, among them Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($65,040) and San Francisco-Oakland, CA ($80,510).
| Area | Median | vs Fresno | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | +2.5% | 1,630 | |
| Merced, CA | +1.0% | 100 | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | +0.5% | 150 | |
| Fresno, CA | this area | 710 | |
| Chico, CA | -0.0% | 80 | |
| Salinas, CA | -0.3% | 270 | |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California (Nonmetro) | -1.1% | 100 |
Fresno against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Fresno is #40 of 482 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside California, Fargo and Ann Arbor pay just above Fresno and Providence-Warwick and Reno just below. All four are within $40 a year of the median in Fresno. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Fresno | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | +1.3% | 690 | jobs | |
| Ann Arbor, MI | +0.1% | 140 | pay | |
| Fargo, ND-MN | +0.0% | 130 | pay | |
| Fresno, CA | this area | 710 | ||
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | -0.0% | 620 | pay | |
| Reno, NV | -0.0% | 320 | pay | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | -6.8% | 630 | jobs | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | -10.9% | 660 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Fresno, CA?
About $77,071 a year at the median, or $6,423 a month: $59,730 in pay plus about $17,341 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do payroll specialists earn in Fresno?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $59,730 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,920, the 90th $82,430, and the middle half earned $48,690 to $71,000.
Is Fresno cheaper than the rest of California for payroll specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $59,730 against $65,340 statewide. The next area up in California is San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles at $60,040, the next down Chico at $59,720.
How many payroll specialists work in Fresno?
BLS counts about 710 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the California total of 20,590. 6 areas in California have more; the closest in size is San Jose-Sunnyvale, with about 1,000.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in Fresno?
Yes: $5,560 a year more at the median. The medians are $59,730 and $54,170.
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.