Payroll Specialist salary in Jacksonville, FL
Hiring a payroll specialist costs less in Jacksonville than in Florida or the country as a whole. The median is $48,210 a year1: 7.1% below the Florida statewide median of $51,910 and 17.3% below the US median of $58,260. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#397 of 486). About 880 payroll specialists work here, 8% of the Florida total.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Jacksonville, FL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Jacksonville against Florida and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville, FL | $39,990 | $48,210 | $79,550 | |
| Florida | $35,730 | $51,910 | $76,710 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
The middle half of payroll specialists in Jacksonville earns $42,900–$63,460. The top tenth earns $79,550 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. The mean ($54,380) is 13% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $20,560 wide, between the figure for Florida ($18,720) 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 | $39,990 | $3,332 | $19.23 | $51,600 |
| 25th percentile | $42,900 | $3,575 | $20.62 | $55,355 |
| Median | $48,210 | $4,018 | $23.18 | $62,206 |
| 75th percentile | $63,460 | $5,288 | $30.51 | $81,884 |
| 90th percentile | $79,550 | $6,629 | $38.25 | $102,645 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $15,250 over the median, the 25th only $5,310 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $19,677 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 Jacksonville, and the Florida statewide median of $51,910 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Jacksonville
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 $13,996 to the $48,210 median and brings it to $62,206 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 Jacksonville
Of the 17 roles we track in Jacksonville, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between HR assistants ($49,730) and e-commerce order specialists ($46,460). Project Coordinator is the highest at $99,270.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | +3.4% | 6,780 | |
| HR Assistant | +3.2% | 270 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 880 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -3.6% | 170 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -5.0% | 6,930 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the lowest paid of the 17 roles we track in Jacksonville (-17.3%); e-commerce order specialists come first (+0.6%). The typical role here is at -4.3%, so, measured against the US, payroll specialists cost less in Jacksonville than the area's general pay level would suggest. Payroll specialists hold 1.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Jacksonville, 0.9% across Florida and 1.0% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Florida
Across the 22 areas of Florida with data for this job, the median runs from $40,580 in the North Florida nonmetro area to $59,560 in Naples-Marco Island, a gap of $18,980 a year. All 3 areas in Florida with more payroll specialists than Jacksonville also pay more, among them Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL ($57,450) and Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL ($50,440).
| Area | Median | vs Jacksonville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tallahassee, FL | +3.3% | 130 | |
| Ocala, FL | +2.2% | 80 | |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | +1.4% | 40 | |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass, FL | +0.2% | 210 | |
| Jacksonville, FL | this area | 880 | |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | -2.4% | 40 | |
| North Florida (Nonmetro) | -15.8% | 100 |
Jacksonville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Jacksonville is #37 of 482 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, yet its pay sits in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Florida, Evansville and Wichita Falls pay just above Jacksonville and Springfield and Cleveland just below. All four are within $270 a year of the median in Jacksonville. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Jacksonville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | +25.1% | 840 | jobs | |
| Las Vegas-Henderson, NV | +21.5% | 940 | jobs | |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | +17.1% | 850 | jobs | |
| Wichita Falls, TX | +0.2% | 50 | pay | |
| Evansville, IN | +0.0% | 140 | pay | |
| Jacksonville, FL | this area | 880 | ||
| Springfield, MO | -0.5% | 280 | pay | |
| Cleveland, TN | -0.6% | 40 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Jacksonville, FL?
About $62,206 a year at the median, or $5,184 a month: $48,210 in pay plus about $13,996 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for payroll specialists in Jacksonville?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $48,210 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,990, the 90th $79,550, and the middle half earned $42,900 to $63,460.
Is Jacksonville cheaper than the rest of Florida for payroll specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $48,210 against $51,910 statewide. The next area up in Florida is Pensacola-Ferry Pass at $48,320, the next down Homosassa Springs at $47,050.
How many payroll specialists work in Jacksonville?
BLS counts about 880 in the May 2025 survey. That is 8% of the Florida total of 10,910. 3 areas in Florida have more; the closest in size is Orlando-Kissimmee, with about 1,690.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Jacksonville?
Yes: $1,750 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,210 and $46,460.
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.