Payroll Specialist salary in Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
BLS publishes pay for this job in only one area of Rhode Island, and it is Providence-Warwick. The median is $59,720 a year1, about level with the Rhode Island statewide median of $59,370 and 2.5% above the US median of $58,260. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#96 of 486). BLS counts about 620 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Providence-Warwick, RI-MA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Providence-Warwick against Rhode Island and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $42,440 | $59,720 | $79,850 | |
| Rhode Island | $38,080 | $59,370 | $82,090 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
Payroll specialists at the 90th percentile earn $79,850, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.1. The middle half of payroll specialists in Providence-Warwick earns $48,320–$72,780. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $24,460 wide, wider than in Rhode Island as a whole ($23,490) and the US ($21,610), so what a payroll specialist earns in Providence-Warwick 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 | $42,440 | $3,537 | $20.40 | $54,761 |
| 25th percentile | $48,320 | $4,027 | $23.23 | $62,348 |
| Median | $59,720 | $4,977 | $28.71 | $77,058 |
| 75th percentile | $72,780 | $6,065 | $34.99 | $93,910 |
| 90th percentile | $79,850 | $6,654 | $38.39 | $103,032 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $13,060 a year in pay and about $16,852 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $11,400 in pay. 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 Providence-Warwick, and the Rhode Island statewide median of $59,370 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Providence-Warwick
At the $59,720 median, a local hire costs about $77,058 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,338 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 Providence-Warwick
Of the 17 roles we track in Providence-Warwick, this one ranks #8 by median pay, between office managers ($74,470) and paralegals ($57,100). Project Coordinator is the highest at $104,510.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | +28.0% | 1,520 | |
| Office Manager | +24.7% | 6,930 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 620 | |
| Paralegal | -4.4% | 2,420 | |
| Bookkeeper | -8.5% | 6,400 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in Providence-Warwick (+2.5%), between data entry specialists (+3.6%) and project coordinators (+2.1%). The typical role here is at +5.9%, so, measured against the US, payroll specialists cost less in Providence-Warwick than the area's general pay level would suggest. Payroll specialists hold 0.9% of the jobs in the 16 of these roles with a job count in Providence-Warwick, 0.8% across Rhode Island and 1.0% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Providence-Warwick against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Providence-Warwick is #45 of 482 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Rhode Island, Chico and Fresno pay just above Providence-Warwick and Reno and Wausau just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in Providence-Warwick. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Providence-Warwick | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | +0.5% | 630 | jobs | |
| Fresno, CA | +0.0% | 710 | pay | |
| Chico, CA | +0.0% | 80 | pay | |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | this area | 620 | ||
| Reno, NV | +0.0% | 320 | pay | |
| Wausau, WI | -0.1% | 60 | pay | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | -6.8% | 630 | jobs | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | -8.6% | 600 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Providence-Warwick, RI-MA?
About $77,058 a year at the median, or $6,422 a month: $59,720 in pay plus about $17,338 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do payroll specialists earn in Providence-Warwick?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $59,720 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $42,440, the 90th $79,850, and the middle half earned $48,320 to $72,780.
How many payroll specialists work in Providence-Warwick?
BLS counts about 620 in the May 2025 survey.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a paralegal in Providence-Warwick?
Yes: $2,620 a year more at the median. The medians are $59,720 and $57,100.
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.