Payroll Specialist salary in Syracuse, NY
Syracuse is a lower-cost market for payroll specialists: the median of $55,410 a year1 is 9.2% below the New York statewide median of $61,040, and 4.9% below the US median of $58,260. Among US areas it comes in at #212 of 486. BLS counts about 290 payroll specialists here, 3% of the New York total: a small pool for a local search.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Syracuse, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Syracuse against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse, NY | $44,690 | $55,410 | $75,220 | |
| New York | $45,140 | $61,040 | $86,470 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
The middle half of payroll specialists in Syracuse earns $48,690–$64,270. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $75,220, only 1.7 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 only $15,580 wide, against $22,520 across New York and $21,610 nationally: employers in Syracuse 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 | $44,690 | $3,724 | $21.49 | $57,665 |
| 25th percentile | $48,690 | $4,058 | $23.41 | $62,826 |
| Median | $55,410 | $4,618 | $26.64 | $71,497 |
| 75th percentile | $64,270 | $5,356 | $30.90 | $82,929 |
| 90th percentile | $75,220 | $6,268 | $36.16 | $97,058 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $6,720 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $8,860, or about $11,432 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 median and the 75th percentile in Syracuse, and the New York statewide median of $61,040 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Syracuse
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 $16,087 to the $55,410 median and brings it to $71,497 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 Syracuse
Of the 17 roles we track in Syracuse, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between paralegals ($61,150) and bookkeepers ($52,000). Project Coordinator is the highest at $105,390.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +15.2% | 1,720 | |
| Paralegal | +10.4% | 970 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 290 | |
| Bookkeeper | -6.2% | 2,980 | |
| HR Assistant | -9.4% | 280 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in Syracuse (-4.9%), between paralegals (-2.8%) and sales development representatives (-8.8%). The typical role here is at +1.3%, so, measured against the US, payroll specialists cost less in Syracuse than the area's general pay level would suggest. Payroll specialists hold 0.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Syracuse, 0.8% across New York and 1.0% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in New York
Across the 15 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $49,940 in Utica-Rome to $63,500 in New York-Newark, a gap of $13,560 a year. All 4 areas in New York with more payroll specialists than Syracuse also pay more, among them New York-Newark, NY-NJ ($63,500) and Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY ($55,650).
| Area | Median | vs Syracuse | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital/Northern New York (Nonmetro) | +1.4% | 140 | |
| Central East New York (Nonmetro) | +1.1% | 220 | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | +0.4% | 630 | |
| Syracuse, NY | this area | 290 | |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | -6.8% | 40 | |
| Ithaca, NY | -7.9% | 40 | |
| Binghamton, NY | -8.4% | 100 |
Syracuse against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Syracuse is #80 of 482 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside New York, Redding and Burlington pay just above Syracuse and Great Falls and Lima just below. All four are within $130 a year of the median in Syracuse. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Syracuse | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | +11.2% | 290 | jobs | |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | +5.8% | 300 | jobs | |
| Burlington, NC | +0.1% | 50 | pay | |
| Redding, CA | +0.0% | 80 | pay | |
| Syracuse, NY | this area | 290 | ||
| Great Falls, MT | -0.2% | 30 | pay | |
| Lima, OH | -0.2% | 50 | pay | |
| Albuquerque, NM | -1.8% | 300 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Syracuse, NY?
About $71,497 a year at the median, or $5,958 a month: $55,410 in pay plus about $16,087 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do payroll specialists earn in Syracuse?
The median was $55,410 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $44,690, the 90th $75,220, and the middle half earned $48,690 to $64,270.
Is Syracuse cheaper than the rest of New York for payroll specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $55,410 against $61,040 statewide. The next area up in New York is Buffalo-Cheektowaga at $55,650, the next down Watertown-Fort Drum at $51,630.
How many payroll specialists work in Syracuse?
BLS counts about 290 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the New York total of 8,400. 4 areas in New York have more; the closest in size is Albany-Schenectady, with about 570.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in Syracuse?
Yes: $3,410 a year more at the median. The medians are $55,410 and $52,000.
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.