Payroll Specialist salary in Honolulu, HI
Honolulu is the least expensive place in Hawaii to hire a payroll specialist. The median is $60,810 a year1, 2.0% below the Hawaii statewide median of $62,070 and 4.4% above the US median of $58,260. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#68 of 486). It is the largest market for the job in Hawaii: about 530 people, 76% of the Hawaii total.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Urban Honolulu, HI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Honolulu against Hawaii and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $43,940 | $60,810 | $81,940 | |
| Hawaii | $45,140 | $62,070 | $83,810 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
Payroll specialists at the 90th percentile earn $81,940, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.1. The middle half of payroll specialists in Honolulu earns $53,890–$77,040. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $23,150 wide, wider than in Hawaii as a whole ($22,190) and the US ($21,610), so what a payroll specialist earns in Honolulu depends more on the employer.
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 | $43,940 | $3,662 | $21.12 | $56,697 |
| 25th percentile | $53,890 | $4,491 | $25.91 | $69,535 |
| Median | $60,810 | $5,068 | $29.24 | $78,465 |
| 75th percentile | $77,040 | $6,420 | $37.04 | $99,406 |
| 90th percentile | $81,940 | $6,828 | $39.39 | $105,729 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $16,230 over the median, the 25th only $6,920 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $20,942 a year in employer cost. 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 Honolulu, and the Hawaii statewide median of $62,070 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Honolulu
At the $60,810 median, a local hire costs about $78,465 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,655 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 Honolulu
Of the 17 roles we track in Honolulu, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($61,710) and administrative assistants ($50,020). Executive Assistant is the highest at $80,600.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +3.3% | 880 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +1.5% | 2,430 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 530 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -17.7% | 5,130 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -18.7% | 1,580 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #6 of the 17 roles we track in Honolulu (+4.4%), between virtual receptionists (+5.1%) and e-commerce order specialists (+1.3%). The typical role here is at -0.3%, so, measured against the US, payroll specialists cost more in Honolulu than the area's general pay level would suggest. Payroll specialists hold 1.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Honolulu, 1.3% across Hawaii and 1.0% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Hawaii
Across the 3 areas of Hawaii with data for this job, the median runs from $60,810 in Honolulu to $67,740 in Kahului-Wailuku, a gap of $6,930 a year. No other area in Hawaii has as many payroll specialists, and none of the others pays less.
| Area | Median | vs Honolulu | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | +11.4% | 110 | |
| Hawaii-Kauai (Nonmetro) | +2.3% | 70 | |
| Honolulu, HI | this area | 530 |
Honolulu against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Honolulu is #53 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 Hawaii, Savannah and Riverside-San Bernardino pay just above Honolulu and Bozeman and Staunton-Stuarts Draft just below. All four are within $390 a year of the median in Honolulu. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Honolulu | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | +0.6% | 1,630 | pay | |
| Savannah, GA | +0.4% | 200 | pay | |
| Honolulu, HI | this area | 530 | ||
| Bozeman, MT | -0.0% | 60 | pay | |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | -0.3% | 40 | pay | |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | -7.6% | 530 | jobs | |
| Baton Rouge, LA | -10.2% | 540 | jobs | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | -12.2% | 520 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Honolulu, HI?
About $78,465 a year at the median, or $6,539 a month: $60,810 in pay plus about $17,655 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for payroll specialists in Honolulu?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $60,810 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $43,940, the 90th $81,940, and the middle half earned $53,890 to $77,040.
Is Honolulu the cheapest area in Hawaii for payroll specialists?
Yes. Its median of $60,810 is the lowest of 3 areas in Hawaii. The Hawaii-Kauai nonmetro area is next at $62,200.
How many payroll specialists work in Honolulu?
BLS counts about 530 in the May 2025 survey. That is 76% of the Hawaii total of 700. No other area in Hawaii has as many.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than an administrative assistant in Honolulu?
Yes: $10,790 a year more at the median. The medians are $60,810 and $50,020.
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.