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Payroll Specialist salary and cost of hiring in Virginia

The median payroll specialist in Virginia earned $58,250 a year in May 2025[1], 0.0% below the US median of $58,260. That puts Virginia at #20 of 51 states for this job.

$58,250median annual wage
$83,214employer cost with benefits
$28.00median per hour
3,400people in this job in Virginia

BLS occupation 43-3051. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Virginia$43,890$58,250$78,800
United States$39,500$58,260$81,350
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of payroll specialists in Virginia earns $49,380–$68,140; the top tenth earns $78,800 or more, 1.8 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the Virginia median that makes about $83,214 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. 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 fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$83,214local hire, first year incl. benefits
-remote hire, first year incl. fee
-difference in year one
-of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Virginia

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA
$60,600
$66,94040
Charlottesville, VA
$60,380
$65,83080
Richmond, VA
$60,010
$66,620630
Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area
$59,980
$73,57040
Lynchburg, VA
$59,950
$63,89050
Harrisonburg, VA
$56,800
$63,34050
Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area
$54,820
$64,36070
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$53,190
$61,790660
Winchester, VA-WV
$53,080
$59,38030
Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area
$51,730
$62,40070
Roanoke, VA
$51,060
$60,960140
Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area
$50,900
$64,36040
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
$46,770
$59,04060

Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA pays the most ($60,600) and Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA the least ($46,770): $13,830 a year apart for the same job.

What a payroll specialist does

A payroll specialist prepares payroll runs, checks hours and deductions, keeps employee pay records and answers staff questions about their pay.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Virginia
Rhode Island
$59,370
+1.9%
Wisconsin
$59,310
+1.8%
Virginia
$58,250
+0.0%
Nevada
$58,220
-0.1%
Maine
$57,360
-1.5%

Questions

How much does a payroll specialist earn in Virginia?

The median was $58,250 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $49,380 to $68,140.

What does it cost to employ a payroll specialist in Virginia?

About $83,214 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Virginia do payroll specialists earn the most?

Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, with a median of $60,600 a year.

Other roles in Virginia

Hire payroll specialists remotely

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3051: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes433051.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Data checked 2026-10-16.