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Payroll Director Salary in Cardinal, VA

How much does a Payroll Director make in Cardinal, VA?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Payroll Director in Cardinal, VA is $151,963 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $73.

However, a Payroll Director's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $172,358
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $139,465 to $162,638
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $128,086
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Payroll Director Salaries

A Payroll Director's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Payroll Director Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Payroll Director's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Payroll Administrator IV (7+ years): $97,323
  • Payroll Team Lead (7+ years): $84,240
  • Payroll Supervisor (7+ years): $90,397
  • Payroll Manager (7+ years): $105,587
  • Payroll Director (7+ years): $151,963
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Payroll Administrator IV7+ years$97,323
Payroll Team Lead7+ years$84,240
Payroll Supervisor7+ years$90,397
Payroll Manager7+ years$105,587
Payroll Director7+ years$151,963
View as Graph

Top Paying Cities for Payroll Directors

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $202,436
  • San Francisco: $200,220
  • Oakland: $196,000

What Skills Can Increase a Payroll Director's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 7.52% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
  • Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 2.82% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
  • Data Integrity (Mentioned in 1.25% Job Postings): Data integrity refers to the accuracy and consistency (validity) of data over its lifecycle. Compromised data, after all, is of little use to enterprises, not to mention the dangers presented by sensitive data loss.
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 7.52%
Microsoft Office 2.82%
Data Integrity 1.25%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Payroll Director's salary.

  • ADP Workforce Now: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
  • Oracle: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Payroll Administration: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
ADP Workforce Now $164,120
8%
Oracle $161,080
6%
Payroll Administration $159,561
5%
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Payroll Director Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Payroll Director salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $169,825. While startup companies pay approximate $143,654.

Payroll Director Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $143,654
Growth Stage 51~500 $151,929
Established 501~5000 $163,987
Enterprise 5000+ $169,825

Payroll Director Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Payroll Director roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Financial Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 10% above the average. In contrast, Payroll Director positions in Chemicals or Healthcare typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Payroll Director as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Payroll Director

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$176,548$85.010%
Financial Services$173,338$83.08%
Media$170,128$82.06%
Business Services$168,523$81.05%
MFG Nondurable$166,918$80.04%

Payroll Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Payroll Director's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$139,465
Average $151,963/year
$162,638
$11,622
Average $12,664/month
$13,553
$2,682
Average $2,922/week
$3,128
$67
Average $73/hour
$78
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $162,638 $13,553 $3,128 $78
Average $151,963 $12,664 $2,922 $73
25th Percentile $139,465 $11,622 $2,682 $67

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

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