Payroll Specialist salary in Louisville, KY-IN
Louisville pays payroll specialists more than Kentucky as a whole but less than the country. The median is $54,600 a year1: 3.2% above the Kentucky statewide median of $52,890 and 6.3% below the US median of $58,260. Nationally it ranks #226 of 486 areas. With about 600 payroll specialists, no area in Kentucky employs more.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Louisville against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY-IN | $39,870 | $54,600 | $77,180 | |
| Kentucky | $36,600 | $52,890 | $76,590 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
The middle half of payroll specialists in Louisville earns $45,850–$65,120. The top tenth earns $77,180 or more, 1.9 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $19,270 wide, between the figure for Kentucky ($18,910) 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 | $39,870 | $3,322 | $19.17 | $51,445 |
| 25th percentile | $45,850 | $3,821 | $22.04 | $59,161 |
| Median | $54,600 | $4,550 | $26.25 | $70,452 |
| 75th percentile | $65,120 | $5,427 | $31.31 | $84,026 |
| 90th percentile | $77,180 | $6,432 | $37.11 | $99,587 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $8,750 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $10,520, or about $13,574 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 median and the 75th percentile in Louisville, and the Kentucky statewide median of $52,890 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Louisville
At the $54,600 median, a local hire costs about $70,452 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $15,852 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 Louisville
Of the 17 roles we track in Louisville, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($55,190) and HR assistants ($48,870). Project Coordinator is the highest at $82,660.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralegal | +12.2% | 1,460 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +1.1% | 5,190 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 600 | |
| HR Assistant | -10.5% | 400 | |
| Bookkeeper | -12.1% | 7,730 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in Louisville (-6.3%), between e-commerce order specialists (-5.6%) and customer support specialists (-7.1%). The typical role here is at -5.6%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Payroll specialists hold 0.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Louisville, 0.8% across Kentucky and 1.0% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Kentucky
Across the 10 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $41,110 in the East Kentucky nonmetro area to $59,390 in Elizabethtown, a gap of $18,280 a year. No other area in Kentucky has as many payroll specialists, and 6 of the other 9 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Louisville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown, KY | +8.8% | 50 | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | +4.8% | 40 | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | +3.0% | 190 | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | this area | 600 | |
| Owensboro, KY | -0.5% | 30 | |
| Bowling Green, KY | -1.9% | 90 | |
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -8.4% | 180 |
Louisville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Louisville is #46 of 482 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Kentucky, Rome and Lewiston-Auburn pay just above Louisville and Baton Rouge and Columbus just below. All four are within $150 a year of the median in Louisville. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Louisville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford, CT | +14.3% | 590 | jobs | |
| Rochester, NY | +5.2% | 590 | jobs | |
| Lewiston-Auburn, ME | +0.3% | 40 | pay | |
| Rome, GA | +0.2% | n/a | pay | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | this area | 600 | ||
| Baton Rouge, LA | -0.0% | 540 | pay | |
| Columbus, GA-AL | -0.0% | 130 | pay | |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | -0.9% | 590 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Louisville, KY-IN?
About $70,452 a year at the median, or $5,871 a month: $54,600 in pay plus about $15,852 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do payroll specialists earn in Louisville?
The median was $54,600 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $39,870, the 90th $77,180, and the middle half earned $45,850 to $65,120.
Is Louisville cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for payroll specialists?
No, it costs more: a median of $54,600 against $52,890 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is Lexington-Fayette at $56,230, the next down Owensboro at $54,350.
How many payroll specialists work in Louisville?
BLS counts about 600 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Kentucky has as many.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than an HR assistant in Louisville?
Yes: $5,730 a year more at the median. The medians are $54,600 and $48,870.
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.