Payroll Specialist salary in New York-Newark, NY-NJ
No other area in New York pays payroll specialists more than New York-Newark: the median is $63,500 a year1. That is 4.0% above the New York statewide median of $61,040, and 9.0% above the US median of $58,260. Only 33 of 486 US areas pay more for this job. It is the largest market for the job in New York: about 7,770 people.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in New York-Newark against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | $45,730 | $63,500 | $88,940 | |
| New York | $45,140 | $61,040 | $86,470 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
The middle half of payroll specialists in New York-Newark earns $53,070–$75,790. The top tenth earns $88,940 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 $22,720 wide, wider than in New York as a whole ($22,520) and the US ($21,610), so what a payroll specialist earns in New York-Newark 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 | $45,730 | $3,811 | $21.99 | $59,006 |
| 25th percentile | $53,070 | $4,422 | $25.51 | $68,477 |
| Median | $63,500 | $5,292 | $30.53 | $81,935 |
| 75th percentile | $75,790 | $6,316 | $36.44 | $97,794 |
| 90th percentile | $88,940 | $7,412 | $42.76 | $114,761 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $10,430 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $12,290, or about $15,858 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 25th percentile and the median in New York-Newark, and the New York statewide median of $61,040 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in New York-Newark
At the $63,500 median, a local hire costs about $81,935 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $18,435 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 New York-Newark
Of the 17 roles we track in New York-Newark, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($75,330) and bookkeepers ($60,640). Project Coordinator is the highest at $126,660.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +27.2% | 95,180 | |
| Paralegal | +18.6% | 33,850 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 7,770 | |
| Bookkeeper | -4.5% | 77,010 | |
| HR Assistant | -10.5% | 7,640 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #14 of the 17 roles we track in New York-Newark (+9.0%), between executive assistants (+9.5%) and administrative assistants (+8.2%). The typical role here is at +16.2%, so, measured against the US, payroll specialists cost less in New York-Newark than the area's general pay level would suggest. Payroll specialists hold 0.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in New York-Newark, 0.8% across New York and 1.0% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in New York
Across the 15 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $49,940 in Utica-Rome to $63,500 in New York-Newark, a gap of $13,560 a year. No other area in New York has as many payroll specialists, and all 14 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs New York-Newark | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | this area | 7,770 | |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | -6.9% | 250 | |
| Rochester, NY | -9.5% | 590 | |
| Southwest New York (Nonmetro) | -10.4% | 160 | |
| Glens Falls, NY | -11.1% | 60 | |
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | -11.2% | 570 | |
| Capital/Northern New York (Nonmetro) | -11.5% | 140 |
New York-Newark against other US metro areas
New York-Newark has more payroll specialists than any other US area. Outside New York, Madison and Rochester pay just above New York-Newark and Washington-Arlington and Spokane-Spokane Valley just below. All four are within $100 a year of the median in New York-Newark. Of the three markets closest in size, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs New York-Newark | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +2.4% | 6,600 | jobs | |
| Rochester, MN | +0.1% | 80 | pay | |
| Madison, WI | +0.0% | 360 | pay | |
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | this area | 7,770 | ||
| Washington-Arlington, DC-VA | -0.1% | 2,010 | pay | |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | -0.2% | 230 | pay | |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | -0.9% | 4,170 | jobs | |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | -1.2% | 4,260 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in New York-Newark, NY-NJ?
About $81,935 a year at the median, or $6,828 a month: $63,500 in pay plus about $18,435 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for payroll specialists in New York-Newark?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $63,500 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $45,730, the 90th $88,940, and the middle half earned $53,070 to $75,790.
Is New York-Newark the most expensive area in New York for payroll specialists?
Yes. Its median of $63,500 is the highest of 15 areas in New York. Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie comes next at $59,110.
How many payroll specialists work in New York-Newark?
BLS counts about 7,770 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in New York has as many.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in New York-Newark?
Yes: $2,860 a year more at the median. The medians are $63,500 and $60,640.
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.