Payroll Specialist salary and cost of hiring in Ohio

The median payroll specialist in Ohio earned $57,270 a year in May 2025^[1], 1.7% below the US median of $58,260. That puts Ohio at #23 of 51 states for this job.

$57,270median annual wage

$81,814employer cost with benefits

$27.53median per hour

5,820people in this job in Ohio

BLS occupation 43-3051. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.

Request profiles Compare with a remote hire

Salary range

	Range	10th	Median	90th
Ohio		$40,310	$57,270	$80,650
United States		$39,500	$58,260	$81,350

10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of payroll specialists in Ohio earns $47,480–$66,880; the top tenth earns $80,650 or more, 2.0 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 Ohio median that makes about $81,814 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].

$81,814local 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 Ohio

Area	Median	75th percentile	Jobs
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH	$60,100	$73,800	320
Sandusky, OH	$59,450	$68,640	40
Cleveland, OH	$59,110	$69,190	1,370
Columbus, OH	$59,010	$69,450	1,200
Toledo, OH	$58,170	$66,540	260
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	$57,540	$64,780	1,030
Canton-Massillon, OH	$56,770	$73,200	170
Akron, OH	$55,960	$64,050	330
Lima, OH	$55,280	$66,870	50
West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area	$53,550	$59,560	200
Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area	$53,550	$61,560	120
North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous)	$52,150	$60,840	190
Youngstown-Warren, OH	$51,910	$61,890	160
Mansfield, OH	$51,540	$67,150	40
Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area	$51,300	$60,610	130
Springfield, OH	$45,470	$56,550	30

Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH pays the most ($60,100) and Springfield, OH the least ($45,470): $14,630 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

State	Median	vs Ohio
Nevada	$58,220	+1.7%
Maine	$57,360	+0.2%
Ohio	$57,270	+0.0%
Kansas	$56,590	-1.2%
Delaware	$56,430	-1.5%

Questions

How much does a payroll specialist earn in Ohio?

The median was $57,270 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $47,480 to $66,880.

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

About $81,814 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Ohio do payroll specialists earn the most?

Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH, with a median of $60,100 a year.

Sources

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

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Data checked 2026-10-16.