Payroll Specialist salary in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA
Riverside-San Bernardino pays payroll specialists less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $61,200 a year1: 6.3% below the California statewide median of $65,340 and 5.0% above the US median of $58,260. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#66 of 486). BLS counts about 1,630 people in this job here, 8% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Riverside-San Bernardino against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $42,840 | $61,200 | $84,670 | |
| California | $46,120 | $65,340 | $92,080 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
The middle half of payroll specialists in Riverside-San Bernardino earns $51,330–$75,440. The top tenth earns $84,670 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $24,110 wide, wider than in California as a whole ($22,640) and the US ($21,610), so what a payroll specialist earns in Riverside-San Bernardino 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 | $42,840 | $3,570 | $20.60 | $55,277 |
| 25th percentile | $51,330 | $4,278 | $24.68 | $66,232 |
| Median | $61,200 | $5,100 | $29.42 | $78,968 |
| 75th percentile | $75,440 | $6,287 | $36.27 | $97,342 |
| 90th percentile | $84,670 | $7,056 | $40.71 | $109,252 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $9,870 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $14,240, or about $18,374 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 Riverside-San Bernardino, and the California statewide median of $65,340 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Riverside-San Bernardino
At the $61,200 median, a local hire costs about $78,968 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $17,768 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 Riverside-San Bernardino
Of the 17 roles we track in Riverside-San Bernardino, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($61,460) and bookkeepers ($55,610). Project Coordinator is the highest at $100,770.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +1.7% | 9,270 | |
| Paralegal | +0.4% | 2,460 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 1,630 | |
| Bookkeeper | -9.1% | 12,710 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -13.5% | 13,210 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #8 of the 17 roles we track in Riverside-San Bernardino (+5.0%), between customer support specialists (+5.3%) and HR assistants (+3.3%). The typical role here is at +3.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Payroll specialists hold 1.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Riverside-San Bernardino, 1.2% across California and 1.0% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in California
Across the 28 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $54,890 in Visalia to $80,510 in San Francisco-Oakland, a gap of $25,620 a year. All 4 areas in California with more payroll specialists than Riverside-San Bernardino also pay more, among them Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($65,040) and San Francisco-Oakland, CA ($80,510).
| Area | Median | vs Riverside-San Bernardino | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CA | +1.3% | 260 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | +0.2% | 320 | |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | +0.0% | 340 | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | this area | 1,630 | |
| Merced, CA | -1.4% | 100 | |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | -1.9% | 150 | |
| Fresno, CA | -2.4% | 710 |
Riverside-San Bernardino against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Riverside-San Bernardino is #21 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 California, Waterbury-Shelton and Colorado Springs pay just above Riverside-San Bernardino and Savannah and Honolulu just below. All four are within $390 a year of the median in Riverside-San Bernardino. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Riverside-San Bernardino | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora, CO | +5.8% | 1,580 | jobs | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | +0.1% | 210 | pay | |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | +0.1% | 160 | pay | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | this area | 1,630 | ||
| Savannah, GA | -0.2% | 200 | pay | |
| Honolulu, HI | -0.6% | 530 | pay | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | -9.4% | 1,690 | jobs | |
| Orlando-Kissimmee, FL | -18.6% | 1,690 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA?
About $78,968 a year at the median, or $6,581 a month: $61,200 in pay plus about $17,768 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for payroll specialists in Riverside-San Bernardino?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $61,200 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $42,840, the 90th $84,670, and the middle half earned $51,330 to $75,440.
Is Riverside-San Bernardino cheaper than the rest of California for payroll specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $61,200 against $65,340 statewide. The next area up in California is Stockton-Lodi at $61,230, the next down Merced at $60,350.
How many payroll specialists work in Riverside-San Bernardino?
BLS counts about 1,630 in the May 2025 survey. That is 8% of the California total of 20,590. 4 areas in California have more; the closest in size is San Diego-Chula Vista, with about 1,840.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in Riverside-San Bernardino?
Yes: $5,590 a year more at the median. The medians are $61,200 and $55,610.
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.