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Payroll Specialist salary and cost of hiring in Maryland

The median payroll specialist in Maryland earned $59,760 a year in May 2025[1], 2.6% above the US median of $58,260. That puts Maryland at #17 of 51 states for this job.

$4,980median pay per month in Maryland
$7,114employer cost per month with benefits
$28.73median pay per hour
1,870people in this job in Maryland

BLS occupation 43-3051. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Maryland$31,750$59,760$82,140
United States$39,500$58,260$81,350
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of payroll specialists in Maryland earns $48,740–$69,350; the top tenth earns $82,140 or more, 2.6 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the Maryland median that makes about $85,371 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. 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 fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$85,371local hire, first year incl. benefits
-remote hire, first year incl. fee
-difference in year one
-of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Maryland

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
$60,330
$69,750840
Salisbury, MD
$59,200
$61,99050
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
$58,690
$64,550n/a
Maryland nonmetropolitan area
$56,040
$62,72070

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD pays the most ($60,330) and Maryland nonmetropolitan area the least ($56,040): $4,290 a year apart for the same job.

What a payroll specialist does

A payroll specialist prepares payroll runs, checks hours and deductions, keeps employee pay records and answers staff questions about their pay.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Maryland
North Dakota
$60,600
+1.4%
Georgia (US state)
$59,990
+0.4%
Maryland
$59,760
+0.0%
Rhode Island
$59,370
-0.7%
Wisconsin
$59,310
-0.8%

Questions

How much does a payroll specialist earn in Maryland?

The median was $59,760 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $48,740 to $69,350.

What does it cost to employ a payroll specialist in Maryland?

About $85,371 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Maryland do payroll specialists earn the most?

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, with a median of $60,330 a year.

Other roles in Maryland

Hire payroll specialists remotely

How to hire payroll specialists

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3051: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes433051.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-05.