Payroll Specialist salary in Springfield, MO
Hiring a payroll specialist costs less in Springfield than in Missouri or the country as a whole. The median is $47,980 a year1: 11.3% below the Missouri statewide median of $54,080 and 17.6% below the US median of $58,260. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#401 of 486). BLS counts about 280 payroll specialists here, 8% of the Missouri total: a small pool for a local search.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Springfield, MO. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Springfield against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MO | $37,040 | $47,980 | $84,280 | |
| Missouri | $37,030 | $54,080 | $79,470 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $84,280 or more, 2.3 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of payroll specialists in Springfield earns $41,140–$61,150. The mean ($53,750) is 12% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $20,010 wide, against $21,040 across Missouri and $21,610 nationally: employers in Springfield pay within a narrower band.
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 | $37,040 | $3,087 | $17.81 | $47,794 |
| 25th percentile | $41,140 | $3,428 | $19.78 | $53,084 |
| Median | $47,980 | $3,998 | $23.07 | $61,910 |
| 75th percentile | $61,150 | $5,096 | $29.40 | $78,903 |
| 90th percentile | $84,280 | $7,023 | $40.52 | $108,748 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $13,170 over the median, the 25th only $6,840 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $16,994 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 median and the 75th percentile in Springfield, and the Missouri statewide median of $54,080 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Springfield
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $13,930 to the $47,980 median and brings it to $61,910 a year. 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 Springfield
Of the 16 roles we track in Springfield, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($49,210) and bookkeepers ($45,330). Project Coordinator is the highest at $78,060.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +9.6% | 1,070 | |
| Paralegal | +2.6% | 530 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 280 | |
| Bookkeeper | -5.5% | 1,440 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -15.2% | 2,540 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #9 of the 16 roles we track in Springfield (-17.6%), between recruiters (-16.9%) and medical administrative assistants (-19.1%). The typical role here is at -17.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Payroll specialists hold 1.4% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Springfield, 1.2% across Missouri and 1.0% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 12 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $43,610 in Cape Girardeau to $59,190 in St. Louis, a gap of $15,580 a year. All 2 areas in Missouri with more payroll specialists than Springfield also pay more, among them St. Louis, MO-IL ($59,190) and Kansas City, MO-KS ($56,590).
| Area | Median | vs Springfield | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson City, MO | +5.1% | 70 | |
| Joplin, MO-KS | +1.1% | 100 | |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | +0.2% | 190 | |
| Springfield, MO | this area | 280 | |
| Columbia, MO | -0.8% | 100 | |
| North Missouri (Nonmetro) | -3.7% | 100 | |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | -5.6% | 180 |
Springfield against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Springfield is #86 of 482 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, yet its pay sits in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Missouri, Jacksonville and Evansville pay just above Springfield and Cleveland and Oklahoma City just below. All four are within $240 a year of the median in Springfield. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Springfield | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | +12.4% | 280 | jobs | |
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | +11.6% | 280 | jobs | |
| Fort Wayne, IN | +4.3% | 280 | jobs | |
| Evansville, IN | +0.5% | 140 | pay | |
| Jacksonville, FL | +0.5% | 880 | pay | |
| Springfield, MO | this area | 280 | ||
| Cleveland, TN | -0.1% | 40 | pay | |
| Oklahoma City, OK | -0.3% | 1,170 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Springfield, MO?
About $61,910 a year at the median, or $5,159 a month: $47,980 in pay plus about $13,930 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for payroll specialists in Springfield?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $47,980 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,040, the 90th $84,280, and the middle half earned $41,140 to $61,150.
Is Springfield cheaper than the rest of Missouri for payroll specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $47,980 against $54,080 statewide. The next area up in Missouri is the Southeast Missouri nonmetro area at $48,060, the next down Columbia at $47,620.
How many payroll specialists work in Springfield?
BLS counts about 280 in the May 2025 survey. That is 8% of the Missouri total of 3,460. Only St. Louis and Kansas City have more in Missouri.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in Springfield?
Yes: $2,650 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,980 and $45,330.
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 2026-11-13.