Senior Payroll Associate Salary in the United States

How much does a Senior Payroll Associate make in the United States?

As of February 01, 2026, the average salary for a Senior Payroll Associate in the United States is $57,718 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $28.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $68,197
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $51,403 to $63,203
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $45,654
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View as table View as graph 25% $51,403 10% $45,654 90% $68,197 75% $63,203 $57,718 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Senior Payroll Associate Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $63,203 $5,267 $1,215 $30
Average $57,718 $4,810 $1,110 $28
25th Percentile $51,403 $4,284 $989 $25
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Key Factors That Influence Senior Payroll Associate Salaries

A Senior Payroll Associate'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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Senior Payroll Associate Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Senior Payroll Associate'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): $46,416
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $51,866
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $58,156
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $63,959
  • Expert (over 8 years): $90,773
Levels Salary
Payroll C... Level Senior Payroll Associate$46,416
Payroll C... Level Senior Payroll Associate$51,866
Senior Pa... Level Senior Payroll Associate$58,156
Payroll C... Level Senior Payroll Associate$63,959
Payroll T... Level Senior Payroll Associate$90,773
$46,416 0 yr
$51,866 < 2 yrs
$58,156 2-4 yrs
$63,959 5-8 yrs
$90,773 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Senior Payroll Associate 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 Senior Payroll Associates. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $63,905.
  • California: $63,663.
  • Massachusetts: $62,814.

Top Paying Cities for Senior Payroll Associates

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: $72,799
  • San Francisco: $72,084
  • Oakland: $70,485

What Skills Can Increase a Senior Payroll Associate's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Customer Service (Mentioned in 5.95% 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.
  • HRIS (Mentioned in 2.23% Job Postings): HRIS is a management system designed specifically to provide managers with information to make HR decisions. Is a system that lets you keep track of all your employees and information about them.
  • Workday (Mentioned in 1.3% Job Postings): A cloud-based human resource management software system that unifies a wide range of HR functionality into a single system.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Customer Service 5.95%
HRIS 2.23%
Workday 1.3%
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 Senior Payroll Associate's salary.
  • ADP Workforce Now: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
ADP Workforce Now
$61,181
6%
Collaboration
$60,604
5%
Leadership
$60,604
5%
Process Improvement
$60,604
5%
Workday
$60,027
4%
HRIS
$60,027
4%
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How Education impacts a Senior Payroll Associate's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Senior Payroll Associates enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Senior Payroll Associate with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $60,969 and $64,955).

Senior Payroll Associate Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Senior Payroll Associate
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.6%
High School 49.0%
Associates 22.4%
Bachelors 25.0%
Masters 1.6%
Doctorate 0.0%
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Senior Payroll Associate Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Senior Payroll Associate'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 February 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Senior Payroll Associate

Salaries for a Senior Payroll Associate can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $49,910 in 2023 to around $49,825 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Senior Payroll Associate salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Senior Payroll Associate Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$49,910
2024
$50,116
2025
$49,825
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $49,910
2024 $50,116
2025 $49,825
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Senior Payroll Associate

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Senior Payroll Associate

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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