Accounting/Payroll Specialist Salary in the United States
How much does an Accounting/Payroll Specialist make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for an Accounting/Payroll Specialist in the United States is $68,619 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $33.
However, an Accounting/Payroll Specialist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $81,267
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $61,690 to $75,240
Key Factors That Influence Accounting/Payroll Specialist Salaries
An Accounting/Payroll Specialist'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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Accounting/Payroll Specialist Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of an Accounting/Payroll Specialist'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:
Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $56,861
Early Career (1-2 years): $67,240
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $76,159
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $91,321
Expert (over 8 years): $71,494
Levels
Salary
Accounts ... Level Accounting/Payroll Specialist
$56,861
Accountin... Level Accounting/Payroll Specialist
$67,240
Accounts ... Level Accounting/Payroll Specialist
$76,159
Accounts ... Level Accounting/Payroll Specialist
$91,321
Accounts ... Level Accounting/Payroll Specialist
$71,494
$56,8610 yr
$67,240< 2 yrs
$76,1592-4 yrs
$91,3215-8 yrs
$71,494> 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?
How Do Accounting/Payroll Specialist Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract Accounting/Payroll Specialists.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $75,975.
California: $75,687.
Massachusetts: $74,678.
District of Columbia$75,975
California$75,687
Massachusetts$74,678
Washington$74,404
New Jersey$74,376
Alaska$74,280
Connecticut$73,333
New York$72,949
Hawaii$71,721
Rhode Island$71,144
Maryland$70,753
Minnesota$70,218
Colorado$70,012
Illinois$69,944
Oregon$69,683
Delaware$69,491
New Hampshire$69,370
Virginia$69,100
Pennsylvania$68,310
Nevada$67,912
North Dakota$67,782
Michigan$67,576
Wisconsin$67,501
Vermont$67,350
Texas$66,931
Maine$66,904
Arizona$66,863
Ohio$66,815
Georgia$66,183
Indiana$65,868
Wyoming$65,806
Utah$65,710
Iowa$65,669
Kansas$65,339
Louisiana$65,243
North Carolina$65,209
Missouri$65,195
Florida$64,927
Montana$64,783
Nebraska$64,646
Kentucky$64,571
South Carolina$64,296
Tennessee$64,125
Idaho$64,056
New Mexico$63,555
Oklahoma$63,445
Alabama$63,040
South Dakota$62,361
Arkansas$61,991
West Virginia$61,792
Mississippi$61,195
Top Paying Cities for Accounting/Payroll Specialists
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: $86,549
San Francisco: $85,602
Oakland: $83,798
San Jose, CA$86,549
San Francisco, CA$85,602
Oakland, CA$83,798
New York, NY$79,007
Paramus, NJ$78,047
Queens Village, NY$78,043
Passaic, NJ$77,978
Bergenfield, NJ$77,972
Stamford, CT$77,821
Huntington, NY$77,793
Newark, NJ$77,286
Bridgeport, CT$77,141
Vallejo, CA$77,004
New Brunswick, NJ$76,977
Petaluma, CA$76,936
Middlesex, NJ$76,805
Somerset, NJ$76,757
Santa Cruz, CA$76,668
Boston, MA$76,250
Monterey, CA$76,009
Seattle, WA$75,852
Santa Rosa, CA$75,838
Los Angeles, CA$75,817
Juneau, AK$75,639
Washington, DC$75,563
Orange, CA$75,319
Santa Ana, CA$75,138
Long Beach, CA$75,069
Anaheim, CA$75,056
Anchorage, AK$75,021
Santa Maria, CA$74,816
Everett, WA$74,802
Danbury, CT$74,560
Bremerton, WA$74,466
Tacoma, WA$74,219
New Suffolk, NY$74,217
Sacramento, CA$74,198
Santa Barbara, CA$74,122
Trenton, NJ$74,047
San Diego, CA$74,047
Brockton, MA$73,971
Fairbanks, AK$73,803
Lompoc, CA$73,628
Lowell, MA$73,573
Ventura, CA$73,560
Nashua, NH$73,546
Stockton, CA$73,539
Modesto, CA$73,038
Poughkeepsie, NY$72,887
Olympia, WA$72,757
Kennewick, WA$72,757
New Haven, CT$72,729
Lawrence, MA$72,482
Hartford, CT$72,414
Riverside, CA$72,400
New Bedford, MA$72,331
Richland, WA$72,331
Bakersfield, CA$72,235
San Bernardino, CA$72,208
New Britain, CT$72,201
Atlantic City, NJ$72,201
New London, CT$72,174
Norwich, CT$72,153
Portsmouth, NH$72,139
Boulder, CO$71,994
Portland, OR$71,899
Worcester, MA$71,892
Minneapolis, MN$71,680
Philadelphia, PA$71,584
Honolulu, HI$71,357
Saint Paul, MN$71,324
Vineland, NJ$71,309
Providence, RI$71,110
Chicago, IL$70,911
Bellingham, WA$70,829
Springfield, MA$70,774
Baltimore, MD$70,753
Chico, CA$70,582
Pittsfield, MA$70,396
Manchester, NH$70,266
Spokane, WA$69,964
Denver, CO$69,957
Albany, NY$69,635
Troy, NY$69,607
Nassau, NY$69,534
Schenectady, NY$69,463
Wilmington, DE$69,408
Burlington, VT$69,312
Salem, OR$69,285
Portland, ME$69,072
Yakima, WA$69,003
Rochester, MN$68,791
Reno, NV$68,756
Fresno, CA$68,756
Milwaukee, WI$68,695
Detroit, MI$68,626
Ann Arbor, MI$68,614
Allentown, PA$68,605
Colorado Springs, CO$68,489
Syracuse, NY$68,455
Carson City, NV$68,455
Houston, TX$68,358
Eugene, OR$68,324
Gary, IN$68,242
Springfield, OR$68,187
Bismarck, ND$68,173
Galveston, TX$68,125
Medford, OR$68,022
Fort Collins, CO$67,995
Concord, NH$67,960
Austin, TX$67,940
Mesa, AZ$67,796
Reading, PA$67,789
Phoenix, AZ$67,782
Dallas, TX$67,761
Saint Cloud, MN$67,696
Madison, WI$67,604
Utica, NY$67,418
Rochester, NY$67,309
Des Moines, IA$67,302
Raleigh, NC$67,295
Atlanta, GA$67,192
Battle Creek, MI$67,171
Salt Lake City, UT$67,151
Lancaster, PA$67,048
Harrisburg, PA$66,952
Kansas City, MO$66,883
Champaign, IL$66,869
Kansas City, KS$66,869
Fort Worth, TX$66,863
Columbus, OH$66,851
Boca Raton, FL$66,835
Pittsburgh, PA$66,808
Richmond, VA$66,780
Indianapolis, IN$66,766
Cleveland, OH$66,760
Las Vegas, NV$66,677
Cincinnati, OH$66,677
Petersburg, VA$66,574
Huntsville, AL$66,471
Lansing, MI$66,425
Lebanon, PA$66,417
Pueblo, CO$66,410
Appleton, WI$66,389
Buffalo, NY$66,362
Dayton, OH$66,341
Racine, WI$66,327
Charlotte, NC$66,320
Saint Louis, MO$66,300
York, PA$66,259
Elkhart, IN$66,259
Gastonia, NC$66,246
Billings, MT$66,229
Beaumont, TX$66,211
Lorain, OH$66,197
Benton Harbor, MI$66,183
Toledo, OH$66,169
Binghamton, NY$66,135
Rock Hill, SC$66,128
Rockford, IL$66,094
Springfield, IL$66,067
Elyria, OH$66,060
Fargo, ND$66,060
Flagstaff, AZ$66,012
Fort Lauderdale, FL$65,970
Duluth, MN$65,929
Miami, FL$65,929
Cheyenne, WY$65,881
Grand Forks, ND$65,881
Bangor, ME$65,730
Cedar Rapids, IA$65,655
Durham, NC$65,626
Louisville, KY$65,621
Grand Rapids, MI$65,607
Hialeah, FL$65,600
Casper, WY$65,504
Scranton, PA$65,422
New Orleans, LA$65,401
Virginia Beach, VA$65,394
Akron, OH$65,360
Peoria, IL$65,271
Sarasota, FL$65,257
Nashville, TN$65,209
Omaha, NE$65,209
Green Bay, WI$65,209
Baton Rouge, LA$65,175
Charleston, SC$65,161
Jamestown, NY$65,126
Davenport, IA$65,126
Tucson, AZ$65,092
Saint Petersburg, FL$65,051
Tampa, FL$65,037
Evansville, IN$64,996
Port Arthur, TX$64,996
Bradenton, FL$64,969
Santa Fe, NM$64,845
Orlando, FL$64,722
Clearwater, FL$64,701
Canton, OH$64,557
La Crosse, WI$64,557
Albuquerque, NM$64,516
Newport News, VA$64,509
High Point, NC$64,488
Ogden, UT$64,461
Corpus Christi, TX$64,406
Norfolk, VA$64,365
Laramie, WY$64,365
Rock Island, IL$64,324
Saginaw, MI$64,310
Jacksonville, FL$64,303
Salisbury, NC$64,289
Boise, ID$64,276
Moline, IL$64,241
Fort Myers, FL$64,221
Memphis, TN$64,207
Tulsa, OK$64,173
Waterloo, IA$64,132
Spartanburg, SC$64,063
Lincoln, NE$64,029
Fort Wayne, IN$64,015
Provo, UT$64,008
Cedar Falls, IA$63,926
San Antonio, TX$63,898
Greensboro, NC$63,871
South Bend, IN$63,864
Savannah, GA$63,788
Muskegon, MI$63,761
Birmingham, AL$63,754
Winston Salem, NC$63,720
Lake Charles, LA$63,555
Anderson, IN$63,541
Lexington, KY$63,521
Augusta, GA$63,500
Greenville, SC$63,500
Lima, OH$63,445
Wichita, KS$63,438
Tuscaloosa, AL$63,438
Columbia, SC$63,377
Springfield, OH$63,363
Asheville, NC$63,253
Bloomington, IN$63,205
Knoxville, TN$62,958
Shreveport, LA$62,951
Wilmington, NC$62,862
Roanoke, VA$62,862
Topeka, KS$62,739
Frankfort, KY$62,731
Oklahoma City, OK$62,684
Chillicothe, OH$62,656
Longview, TX$62,649
Melbourne, FL$62,642
Sioux Falls, SD$62,533
Mobile, AL$62,526
Terre Haute, IN$62,498
Altoona, PA$62,457
Amarillo, TX$62,409
Killeen, TX$62,389
Fayetteville, AR$62,334
Chattanooga, TN$62,313
Sioux City, IA$62,251
Idaho Falls, ID$62,238
Lynchburg, VA$62,183
Gainesville, FL$62,094
Portsmouth, OH$62,059
Little Rock, AR$62,045
Lafayette, LA$62,018
Youngstown, OH$62,018
Daytona Beach, FL$61,977
Clarksville, TN$61,970
Pensacola, FL$61,963
Temple, TX$61,958
Hopkinsville, KY$61,757
Erie, PA$61,744
Florence, SC$61,716
Charleston, WV$61,606
Great Falls, MT$61,572
Macon, GA$61,476
Tallahassee, FL$61,469
Fayetteville, NC$61,455
Waco, TX$61,442
Helena, MT$61,394
Pine Bluff, AR$61,368
Vincennes, IN$61,284
Lubbock, TX$61,256
Alamogordo, NM$61,215
Twin Falls, ID$61,153
Rapid City, SD$61,133
Jackson, MS$61,009
Huntington, WV$61,005
Greenville, MS$61,002
Parkersburg, WV$60,932
Montgomery, AL$60,920
Wichita Falls, TX$60,852
Springfield, MO$60,852
Biloxi, MS$60,817
Monroe, LA$60,749
Johnstown, PA$60,701
Sumter, SC$60,673
Columbus, GA$60,666
Pascagoula, MS$60,536
Abilene, TX$60,536
Kingsport, TN$60,357
Albany, GA$60,357
Gulfport, MS$60,337
Alexandria, LA$60,110
Fort Smith, AR$59,939
El Paso, TX$59,754
Las Cruces, NM$59,445
Harlingen, TX$59,271
Pocatello, ID$59,260
Florence, AL$59,170
Brownsville, TX$59,157
Mcallen, TX$59,013
Dothan, AL$58,916
Columbus, MS$58,509
Altus, OK$58,189
Lawton, OK$58,059
Pierre, SD$57,812
What Skills Can Increase an Accounting/Payroll Specialist's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Customer Service (Mentioned in 2.09% 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.
General Ledger (Mentioned in 3.06% Job Postings): Creating and keeping track of business transactions and activities to monitor financial operations.
Account Reconciliation (Mentioned in 0.79% Job Postings): Account Reconcilation is the process of ensuring internal financial records to external spending.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Customer Service
2.09%
General Ledger
3.06%
Account Reconciliation
0.79%
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 an Accounting/Payroll Specialist's salary.
Coordination: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
Word Processing: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Internal Control: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Coordination
$79,598
16%
Word Processing
$76,854
12%
Internal Control
$74,109
8%
Scheduling
$73,423
7%
Presentation
$73,423
7%
Collaboration
$73,423
7%
Get Latest Data
Accounting/Payroll Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Accounting/Payroll Specialist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Retail & Wholesale and Insurance
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average.
In contrast, Accounting/Payroll Specialist positions in Software & Networking or Internet typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Accounting/Payroll Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for an Accounting/Payroll Specialist
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Retail & Wholesale
$89,205
$43.0
30%
Insurance
$85,774
$41.0
25%
Aerospace & Defense
$82,343
$40.0
20%
Healthcare
$78,912
$38.0
15%
Telecom
$76,854
$37.0
12%
Accounting/Payroll Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how an Accounting/Payroll Specialist'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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$61,690
Average$68,619/year
$75,240
$5,141
Average$5,718/month
$6,270
$1,186
Average$1,320/week
$1,447
$30
Average$33/hour
$36
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$75,240
$6,270
$1,447
$36
Average
$68,619
$5,718
$1,320
$33
25th Percentile
$61,690
$5,141
$1,186
$30
Salary Trends for Accounting/Payroll Specialist
Salaries for an Accounting/Payroll Specialist can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $65,336 in 2023
to around $64,033 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Accounting/Payroll Specialist salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Accounting/Payroll Specialist Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$65,336
2024
$64,608
2025
$64,033
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$65,336
2024
$64,608
2025
$64,033
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Accounting/Payroll Specialist
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.
Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for Accounting/Payroll Specialist
Here are companies hiring for Accounting/Payroll Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.
C
$128,509/per year
C R Bard Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
H
$124,697/per year
Henry Schein Canada
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$123,899/per year
Nordex Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$120,416/per year
Nipro Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$115,870/per year
Enovis
Biotechnology
the United States
A
$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy
Biotechnology
the United States
M
$112,110/per year
MiniMed Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug Development
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$110,229/per year
Life Technologies Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
Z
$106,224/per year
Zimmer Biomet
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$103,077/per year
Promontory Therapeutics
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$102,181/per year
Steris PLC
Biotechnology
the United States
G
$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicines
Biotechnology
the United States
R
$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLC
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$94,235/per year
Pleno Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$93,666/per year
Simulaids Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CAS
Biotechnology
the United States
O
$86,468/per year
Onward Technology
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$84,682/per year
Eyeco Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$84,523/per year
Paerosol
Biotechnology
the United States
I
$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$82,815/per year
Stateside PPE
Biotechnology
the United States
D
$82,041/per year
Digi Bio
Biotechnology
the United States
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