How Much Do Payroll and Benefits Administrators Make?

Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary payroll and benefits administrators make, you've come to the right place.

Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for payroll and benefits administrators and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of payroll and benefits administrators are offering as compensation.

Keep reading to learn more about how much payroll and benefits administrators can expect to make in the United States.

At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Payroll and Benefits Administrators

According to data from 2022, there were about 97,425 positions for payroll and benefits administrators in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for payroll and benefits administrators was reported to be $67,787. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 71,786 job postings related to positions for payroll and benefits administrators.

How Much Money Do Payroll and Benefits Administrators Make?

Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money payroll and benefits administrators and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.

Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for payroll and benefits administrators.

Annual Salary for Payroll and Benefits Administrators

According to the BLS, the lowest earners for payroll and benefits administrators and related professions earned about $42,245 per year in 2022. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $117,062 annually.

As mentioned previously, the median salary for payroll and benefits administrators in the United States in 2022 was $67,787.

Hourly Salary for Payroll and Benefits Administrators

The BLS also breaks down compensation for payroll and benefits administrators by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for payroll and benefits administrators in 2022 was $33. Lowest hourly earners took home $20 while the highest reported hourly salaries for payroll and benefits administrators was $56.

Top Online College For Working Adults

Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.

Degree Options for Payroll and Benefits Administrators

Advertised Compensation for Payroll and Benefits Administrators

Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for payroll and benefits administrators, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for payroll and benefits administrators.

Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™

Annual Salary from Job Postings for Payroll and Benefits Administrators

During a review of 75,004 job postings related to payroll and benefits administrators, advertised salary was included in 21,422 of them, which was 29%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for payroll and benefits administrators was $62,848 per year.

Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Payroll and Benefits Administrators

A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for payroll and benefits administrators. Based on 30% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for payroll and benefits administrators in the United States is about $30.

Salary Trend for Payroll and Benefits Administrators

If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for payroll and benefits administrators. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.

Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for payroll and benefits administrators dating back to September 2019, advertised salaries for payroll and benefits administrators have increased 3%.

What's the Job Growth for Payroll and Benefits Administrators?

Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for payroll and benefits administrators over the next 10 years.

According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 97,330 jobs for payroll and benefits administrators in the United States in 2022. By 2032, it is expected that about 12,550 jobs will be added. That's a 12.9% increase over the next 10-year period.

Additional Links

Ready to dig deeper into career information about payroll and benefits administrators? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for payroll and benefits administrators.

What do payroll and benefits administrators do?
Payroll and Benefits Administrators: How do you become one?

All Occupations

The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.

View Other Occupations