Payroll Specialist salary in Washington-Arlington, DC-VA
BLS publishes pay for this job in only one area of the District of Columbia, and it is Washington-Arlington. The median is $63,440 a year1, 15.0% below the District of Columbia median of $74,670 and 8.9% above the US median of $58,260. Only 34 of 486 US areas pay more for this job. BLS counts about 2,010 people in this job here.
BLS occupation 43-3051, area Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Washington-Arlington against the District of Columbia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington, DC-VA | $31,750 | $63,440 | $88,090 | |
| District of Columbia | $49,270 | $74,670 | $98,760 | |
| United States | $39,500 | $58,260 | $81,350 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $88,090 or more, 2.8 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 Washington-Arlington earns $53,870–$75,040. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $21,170 wide, against $28,430 across the District of Columbia and $21,610 nationally: employers in Washington-Arlington 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 | $31,750 | $2,646 | $15.26 | $40,968 |
| 25th percentile | $53,870 | $4,489 | $25.90 | $69,510 |
| Median | $63,440 | $5,287 | $30.50 | $81,858 |
| 75th percentile | $75,040 | $6,253 | $36.08 | $96,826 |
| 90th percentile | $88,090 | $7,341 | $42.35 | $113,665 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $11,600 a year in pay and about $14,968 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $9,570 in pay. 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 25th percentile and the median in Washington-Arlington, and the District of Columbia median of $74,670 falls between the median and the 75th percentile.
What a hire really costs in Washington-Arlington
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 $18,418 to the $63,440 median and brings it to $81,858 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 Washington-Arlington
Of the 17 roles we track in Washington-Arlington, this one ranks #9 by median pay, between office managers ($76,400) and bookkeepers ($59,290). Project Coordinator is the highest at $127,030.
| Role | Median | vs payroll specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +23.1% | 29,300 | |
| Office Manager | +20.4% | 23,390 | |
| Payroll Specialist | this role | 2,010 | |
| Bookkeeper | -6.5% | 18,550 | |
| HR Assistant | -6.8% | 1,610 |
Measured against the US median, payroll specialists rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in Washington-Arlington (+8.9%), between office managers (+9.9%) and virtual receptionists (+8.5%). The typical role here is at +11.6%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Payroll specialists hold 0.6% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Washington-Arlington, 0.4% across the District of Columbia and 1.0% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Washington-Arlington against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Washington-Arlington is #13 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 the District of Columbia, New York-Newark and Madison pay just above Washington-Arlington and Spokane-Spokane Valley and Vallejo just below. All four are within $270 a year of the median in Washington-Arlington. Of the three markets with about as many payroll specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Washington-Arlington | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | +5.0% | 1,980 | jobs | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | +3.7% | 2,000 | jobs | |
| Madison, WI | +0.1% | 360 | pay | |
| New York-Newark, NY-NJ | +0.1% | 7,770 | pay | |
| Washington-Arlington, DC-VA | this area | 2,010 | ||
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | -0.1% | 230 | pay | |
| Vallejo, CA | -0.4% | 190 | pay | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | -0.6% | 1,920 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll specialist in Washington-Arlington, DC-VA?
About $81,858 a year at the median, or $6,822 a month: $63,440 in pay plus about $18,418 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do payroll specialists earn in Washington-Arlington?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $63,440 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,750, the 90th $88,090, and the middle half earned $53,870 to $75,040.
How many payroll specialists work in Washington-Arlington?
BLS counts about 2,010 in the May 2025 survey.
Does a payroll specialist cost more than a bookkeeper in Washington-Arlington?
Yes: $4,150 a year more at the median. The medians are $63,440 and $59,290.
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.