Payroll Specialist salary in Seattle-Tacoma, WA
Budget above the national rate here. The median payroll specialist in Seattle-Tacoma earned $66,630 a year in May 20251, 3.2% above the Washington statewide median of $64,560 and 14.4% above the US median of $58,260. Nationally that is #10 of 486 areas, in the top tenth. It is the largest market for the job in Washington: about 1,980 people, 56% of the Washington total.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Seattle-Tacoma against Washington and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | $51,490 | $66,630 | $92,360 | |
| Washington | $50,220 | $64,560 | $89,290 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
The middle half of payroll specialists in Seattle-Tacoma earns $58,310–$79,620. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $92,360, only 1.8 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $21,310 wide, between the figure for Washington ($18,080) and the US figure ($21,610).
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 | $51,490 | $4,291 | $24.75 | $66,439 |
| 25th percentile | $58,310 | $4,859 | $28.03 | $75,239 |
| Median | $66,630 | $5,552 | $32.03 | $85,974 |
| 75th percentile | $79,620 | $6,635 | $38.28 | $102,735 |
| 90th percentile | $92,360 | $7,697 | $44.40 | $119,174 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $12,990 over the median, the 25th only $8,320 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $16,761 a year in employer cost. 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 10th and 25th percentiles in Seattle-Tacoma, and the Washington statewide median of $64,560 falls between the 25th percentile and the median. An offer at the national rate would be lower than what three quarters of local payroll specialists earn.
What a hire really costs in Seattle-Tacoma
At the $66,630 median, a local hire costs about $85,974 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $19,344 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 Seattle-Tacoma
Of the 17 roles we track in Seattle-Tacoma, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between executive assistants ($80,860) and bookkeepers ($60,460). Project Coordinator is the highest at $130,380.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office Manager | +22.5% | 18,020 | |
| Executive Assistant | +21.4% | 7,370 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 1,980 | |
| Bookkeeper | -9.3% | 17,860 | |
| HR Assistant | -9.3% | 1,480 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #14 of the 17 roles we track in Seattle-Tacoma (+14.4%), between office managers (+17.5%) and data entry specialists (+13.7%). The typical role here is at +19.4%, so, measured against the US, payroll specialists cost less in Seattle-Tacoma 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 Seattle-Tacoma, 1.0% across Washington and 1.0% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Washington
Across the 12 areas of Washington with data for this job, the median runs from $62,430 in Kennewick-Richland to $66,800 in Bremerton-Silverdale, a gap of $4,370 a year. No other area in Washington has as many payroll specialists, and 9 of the other 11 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Seattle-Tacoma | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bremerton-Silverdale, WA | +0.3% | 60 | |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | +0.0% | 50 | |
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | this area | 1,980 | |
| Olympia-Lacey, WA | -1.3% | 80 | |
| Western Washington (Nonmetro) | -1.8% | 130 | |
| Eastern Washington (Nonmetro) | -1.9% | 130 | |
| Bellingham, WA | -2.5% | 140 |
Seattle-Tacoma against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Seattle-Tacoma is #15 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 Washington, Boston-Cambridge and Fort Collins-Loveland pay just above Seattle-Tacoma and Boulder and Sacramento-Roseville just below. All four are within $1,080 a year of the median in Seattle-Tacoma. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Seattle-Tacoma | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | +1.6% | 100 | pay | |
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | +0.5% | 2,500 | pay | |
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | this area | 1,980 | ||
| Boulder, CO | -0.7% | n/a | pay | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | -1.2% | 2,000 | pay | |
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | -3.7% | 1,850 | jobs | |
| Washington-Arlington, DC-VA | -4.8% | 2,010 | jobs | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | -5.4% | 1,920 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Seattle-Tacoma, WA?
About $85,974 a year at the median, or $7,165 a month: $66,630 in pay plus about $19,344 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do payroll specialists earn in Seattle-Tacoma?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $66,630 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $51,490, the 90th $92,360, and the middle half earned $58,310 to $79,620.
Is Seattle-Tacoma cheaper than the rest of Washington for payroll specialists?
No, it costs more: a median of $66,630 against $64,560 statewide. The next area up in Washington is Mount Vernon-Anacortes at $66,650, the next down Olympia-Lacey at $65,790.
How many payroll specialists work in Seattle-Tacoma?
BLS counts about 1,980 in the May 2025 survey. That is 56% of the Washington total of 3,560. No other area in Washington has as many.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in Seattle-Tacoma?
Yes: $6,170 a year more at the median. The medians are $66,630 and $60,460.
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.