Payroll Specialist salary and cost of hiring in Wisconsin

The median payroll specialist in Wisconsin earned $59,310 a year in May 2025^[1], 1.8% above the US median of $58,260. That puts Wisconsin at #19 of 51 states for this job.

$4,942median pay per month in Wisconsin

$7,061employer cost per month with benefits

$28.51median pay per hour

2,590people in this job in Wisconsin

BLS occupation 43-3051. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

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Salary range

	Range	10th	Median	90th
Wisconsin		$42,730	$59,310	$76,830
United States		$39,500	$58,260	$81,350

10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of payroll specialists in Wisconsin earns $50,850–$66,980; the top tenth earns $76,830 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 Wisconsin median that makes about $84,729 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].

$84,729local 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 Wisconsin

Area	Median	75th percentile	Jobs
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI	$64,690	$75,140	70
Madison, WI	$63,500	$69,010	360
Sheboygan, WI	$62,400	$72,010	50
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI	$60,510	$67,640	690
Appleton, WI	$60,240	$68,950	100
Kenosha, WI	$59,790	$67,710	80
Wausau, WI	$59,650	$66,160	60
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN	$59,460	$63,940	80
Janesville-Beloit, WI	$58,500	$66,420	70
Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI	$58,180	$67,680	70
Eau Claire, WI	$58,150	$67,730	80
Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area	$57,950	$64,940	170
Green Bay, WI	$57,510	$67,220	150
Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area	$55,690	$64,390	170
Fond du Lac, WI	$54,400	$72,710	50
South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area	$53,940	$63,960	150
Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area	$50,100	$61,990	40

Oshkosh-Neenah, WI pays the most ($64,690) and Northwestern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area the least ($50,100): $14,590 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

State	Median	vs Wisconsin
Maryland	$59,760	+0.8%
Rhode Island	$59,370	+0.1%
Wisconsin	$59,310	+0.0%
Virginia	$58,250	-1.8%
Nevada	$58,220	-1.8%

Questions

How much does a payroll specialist earn in Wisconsin?

The median was $59,310 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $50,850 to $66,980.

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

About $84,729 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Wisconsin do payroll specialists earn the most?

Oshkosh-Neenah, WI, with a median of $64,690 a year.

Sources

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

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-05.