Payroll Specialist salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
Hiring a payroll specialist costs less in Tampa-St. Petersburg than in Florida or the country as a whole. The median is $50,440 a year1: 2.8% below the Florida statewide median of $51,910 and 13.4% below the US median of $58,260. Among US areas it comes in at #337 of 486. About 2,300 payroll specialists work here, 21% of the Florida total.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg against Florida and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL | $34,510 | $50,440 | $76,170 | |
| Florida | $35,730 | $51,910 | $76,710 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
The middle half of payroll specialists in Tampa-St. Petersburg earns $46,680–$61,950. The top tenth earns $76,170 or more, 2.2 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.1 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $15,270 wide, against $18,720 across Florida and $21,610 nationally: employers in Tampa-St. Petersburg 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 | $34,510 | $2,876 | $16.59 | $44,529 |
| 25th percentile | $46,680 | $3,890 | $22.44 | $60,232 |
| Median | $50,440 | $4,203 | $24.25 | $65,084 |
| 75th percentile | $61,950 | $5,162 | $29.78 | $79,935 |
| 90th percentile | $76,170 | $6,348 | $36.62 | $98,284 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $11,510 over the median, the 25th only $3,760 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $14,852 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg, and the Florida statewide median of $51,910 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Tampa-St. Petersburg
At the $50,440 median, a local hire costs about $65,084 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $14,644 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg
Of the 16 roles we track in Tampa-St. Petersburg, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between HR assistants ($52,420) and bookkeepers ($50,090). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,780.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +18.2% | 16,050 | |
| HR Assistant | +3.9% | 530 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 2,300 | |
| Bookkeeper | -0.7% | 12,750 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -2.5% | 650 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #13 of the 16 roles we track in Tampa-St. Petersburg (-13.4%), between office managers (-8.4%) and recruiters (-13.6%). The typical role here is at -4.7%, so, measured against the US, payroll specialists cost less in Tampa-St. Petersburg than the area's general pay level would suggest. Payroll specialists hold 1.4% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Tampa-St. Petersburg, 1.0% across Florida and 1.1% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Florida
Across the 22 areas of Florida with data for this job, the median runs from $40,580 in the North Florida nonmetro area to $59,560 in Naples-Marco Island, a gap of $18,980 a year. The one area in Florida with more payroll specialists, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL ($57,450), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Tampa-St. Petersburg | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Florida (Nonmetro) | +0.8% | 100 | |
| Punta Gorda, FL | +0.2% | 50 | |
| Gainesville, FL | +0.1% | 110 | |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL | this area | 2,300 | |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | -0.9% | 70 | |
| Orlando-Kissimmee, FL | -1.2% | 1,690 | |
| Tallahassee, FL | -1.2% | 130 |
Tampa-St. Petersburg against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Tampa-St. Petersburg is #11 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 Florida, Beaumont-Port Arthur and Lafayette pay just above Tampa-St. Petersburg and Kingston and Jefferson City just below. All four are within $70 a year of the median in Tampa-St. Petersburg. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Tampa-St. Petersburg | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +59.6% | 2,260 | jobs | |
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | +32.7% | 2,500 | jobs | |
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | +16.6% | 2,410 | jobs | |
| Lafayette, LA | +0.1% | 200 | pay | |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | +0.0% | 160 | pay | |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL | this area | 2,300 | ||
| Kingston, NY | -0.0% | 60 | pay | |
| Jefferson City, MO | -0.0% | 70 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL?
About $65,084 a year at the median, or $5,424 a month: $50,440 in pay plus about $14,644 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for payroll specialists in Tampa-St. Petersburg?
The median was $50,440 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $34,510, the 90th $76,170, and the middle half earned $46,680 to $61,950.
Is Tampa-St. Petersburg cheaper than the rest of Florida for payroll specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $50,440 against $51,910 statewide. The next area up in Florida is Gainesville at $50,480, the next down Panama City-Panama City Beach at $49,970.
How many payroll specialists work in Tampa-St. Petersburg?
BLS counts about 2,300 in the May 2025 survey. That is 21% of the Florida total of 10,910. Only Miami-Fort Lauderdale has more in Florida.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in Tampa-St. Petersburg?
Yes: $350 a year more at the median. The medians are $50,440 and $50,090.
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.