Payroll Specialist salary in Hartford-West Hartford, CT
Hartford-West Hartford pays payroll specialists close to the Connecticut norm. The median is $62,400 a year1, about level with the Connecticut statewide median of $62,200 and 7.1% above the US median of $58,260. Nationally that is #47 of 486 areas, in the top tenth. It is the largest market for the job in Connecticut: about 590 people, 38% of the Connecticut total.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Hartford-West Hartford against Connecticut and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | $47,430 | $62,400 | $83,840 | |
| Connecticut | $47,120 | $62,200 | $83,950 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
The middle half of payroll specialists in Hartford-West Hartford earns $55,010–$72,870. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $83,840, 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 $17,860 wide, against $19,470 across Connecticut and $21,610 nationally: employers in Hartford-West Hartford 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 | $47,430 | $3,952 | $22.80 | $61,200 |
| 25th percentile | $55,010 | $4,584 | $26.45 | $70,981 |
| Median | $62,400 | $5,200 | $30.00 | $80,516 |
| 75th percentile | $72,870 | $6,072 | $35.03 | $94,026 |
| 90th percentile | $83,840 | $6,987 | $40.31 | $108,181 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $7,390 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $10,470, or about $13,510 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 Hartford-West Hartford, and the Connecticut statewide median of $62,200 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Hartford-West Hartford
At the $62,400 median, a local hire costs about $80,516 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $18,116 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 Hartford-West Hartford
Of the 17 roles we track in Hartford-West Hartford, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($67,500) and bookkeepers ($59,470). Project Coordinator is the highest at $105,720.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +18.9% | 3,800 | |
| Paralegal | +8.2% | 1,930 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 590 | |
| Bookkeeper | -4.7% | 4,660 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -10.4% | 6,980 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #9 of the 17 roles we track in Hartford-West Hartford (+7.1%), between customer support specialists (+7.3%) and sales development representatives (+6.0%). The typical role here is at +7.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Payroll specialists hold 0.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Hartford-West Hartford, 0.9% across Connecticut and 1.0% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Connecticut
Across the 6 areas of Connecticut with data for this job, the median runs from $60,230 in Norwich-New London to $65,190 in New Haven, a gap of $4,960 a year. No other area in Connecticut has as many payroll specialists, and 3 of the other 5 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Hartford-West Hartford | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | +4.5% | 250 | |
| Bridgeport-Stamford, CT | +2.6% | 310 | |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | this area | 590 | |
| Connecticut (Nonmetro) | -1.5% | 70 | |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | -1.8% | 160 | |
| Norwich-New London, CT | -3.5% | 100 |
Hartford-West Hartford against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Hartford-West Hartford is #47 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 Connecticut, Bloomington and Kennewick-Richland pay just above Hartford-West Hartford and Sheboygan and Coeur d'Alene just below. All four are within $30 a year of the median in Hartford-West Hartford. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Hartford-West Hartford | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +0.0% | 110 | pay | |
| Bloomington, IL | +0.0% | 60 | pay | |
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | this area | 590 | ||
| Sheboygan, WI | +0.0% | 50 | pay | |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | -0.0% | 80 | pay | |
| Rochester, NY | -7.9% | 590 | jobs | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | -12.5% | 600 | jobs | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | -13.3% | 590 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Hartford-West Hartford, CT?
About $80,516 a year at the median, or $6,710 a month: $62,400 in pay plus about $18,116 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for payroll specialists in Hartford-West Hartford?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $62,400 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,430, the 90th $83,840, and the middle half earned $55,010 to $72,870.
Is Hartford-West Hartford cheaper than the rest of Connecticut for payroll specialists?
About the same: a median of $62,400 against $62,200 statewide. The next area up in Connecticut is Bridgeport-Stamford at $64,000, the next down the Connecticut nonmetro area at $61,470.
How many payroll specialists work in Hartford-West Hartford?
BLS counts about 590 in the May 2025 survey. That is 38% of the Connecticut total of 1,540. No other area in Connecticut has as many.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in Hartford-West Hartford?
Yes: $2,930 a year more at the median. The medians are $62,400 and $59,470.
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.