Payroll Specialist salary in Houston-Pasadena, TX
Houston-Pasadena pays payroll specialists close to the Texas norm. The median is $54,090 a year1, about level with the Texas statewide median of $54,090 and 7.2% below the US median of $58,260. Among US areas it comes in at #241 of 486. About 3,260 payroll specialists work here, 25% of the Texas total.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Houston-Pasadena against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | $38,470 | $54,090 | $77,110 | |
| Texas | $36,040 | $54,090 | $75,850 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
The middle half of payroll specialists in Houston-Pasadena earns $48,790–$64,050. The top tenth earns $77,110 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $15,260 wide, against $18,720 across Texas and $21,610 nationally: employers in Houston-Pasadena 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 | $38,470 | $3,206 | $18.50 | $49,639 |
| 25th percentile | $48,790 | $4,066 | $23.46 | $62,955 |
| Median | $54,090 | $4,508 | $26.00 | $69,794 |
| 75th percentile | $64,050 | $5,338 | $30.79 | $82,645 |
| 90th percentile | $77,110 | $6,426 | $37.07 | $99,497 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $9,960 over the median, the 25th only $5,300 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $12,852 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 median and the 75th percentile in Houston-Pasadena, and the Texas statewide median of $54,090 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Houston-Pasadena
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 $15,704 to the $54,090 median and brings it to $69,794 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 Houston-Pasadena
Of the 17 roles we track in Houston-Pasadena, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($62,730) and bookkeepers ($49,460). Project Coordinator is the highest at $99,510.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +16.6% | 28,720 | |
| Paralegal | +16.0% | 7,320 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 3,260 | |
| Bookkeeper | -8.6% | 26,090 | |
| HR Assistant | -9.6% | 1,140 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #14 of the 17 roles we track in Houston-Pasadena (-7.2%), between virtual receptionists (-7.0%) and customer support specialists (-9.8%). The typical role here is at -3.7%, so, measured against the US, payroll specialists cost less in Houston-Pasadena than the area's general pay level would suggest. Payroll specialists hold 0.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Houston-Pasadena, 0.8% across Texas and 1.0% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Texas
Across the 30 areas of Texas with data for this job, the median runs from $40,810 in McAllen-Edinburg to $60,230 in Dallas-Fort Worth, a gap of $19,420 a year. The one area in Texas with more payroll specialists, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ($60,230), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Houston-Pasadena | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midland, TX | +10.0% | 100 | |
| Waco, TX | +3.6% | 100 | |
| Odessa, TX | +3.5% | 60 | |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | this area | 3,260 | |
| Longview, TX | -1.1% | 110 | |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | -1.5% | 190 | |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | -6.0% | 980 |
Houston-Pasadena against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Houston-Pasadena is #6 of 482 US areas, one of the ten largest markets for this job. Outside Texas, Raleigh-Cary and Macon-Bibb County pay just above Houston-Pasadena and Brunswick-St. Simons and York-Hanover just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in Houston-Pasadena. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Houston-Pasadena | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +16.3% | 4,170 | jobs | |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +6.2% | 2,750 | jobs | |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | +0.0% | 100 | pay | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +0.0% | 590 | pay | |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | this area | 3,260 | ||
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | -0.0% | 50 | pay | |
| York-Hanover, PA | -0.2% | 170 | pay | |
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | -6.9% | 2,650 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Houston-Pasadena, TX?
About $69,794 a year at the median, or $5,816 a month: $54,090 in pay plus about $15,704 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for payroll specialists in Houston-Pasadena?
The median was $54,090 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $38,470, the 90th $77,110, and the middle half earned $48,790 to $64,050.
Is Houston-Pasadena cheaper than the rest of Texas for payroll specialists?
About the same: a median of $54,090 against $54,090 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Odessa at $56,000, the next down Longview at $53,470.
How many payroll specialists work in Houston-Pasadena?
BLS counts about 3,260 in the May 2025 survey. That is 25% of the Texas total of 13,220. Only Dallas-Fort Worth has more in Texas.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in Houston-Pasadena?
Yes: $4,630 a year more at the median. The medians are $54,090 and $49,460.
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.