Source: https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/california/ Title: Payroll Specialist hourly rate in California | Deftridge Summary: Payroll Specialist pay in California: median wage $44 an hour, typical part-time contractor rate $65. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024. CA · United States · **Updated November 3, 2026** # Payroll Specialist hourly rate in California The market median wage for a Payroll Specialist in California is **$44.07 an hour**. A senior part-time contractor typically receives **$65 an hour** on Deftridge, +30% against the United States rate. **$65/hr** typical contractor rate, senior **$44.07/hr** median wage **$36-54** middle half of wages **$1,410** a month at 5 hours a week ## Payroll Specialist wage percentiles in California Employee wages for the role. The yellow row is the median. | Percentile | Per hour | 5 h a week, per month | Full time, per year | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 10th | $25.43 | $550 | $52,900 | | 25th | $35.67 | $770 | $74,200 | | Median | $44.07 | $950 | $91,700 | | 75th | $54.02 | $1,170 | $112,400 | | 90th | $62.99 | $1,360 | $131,000 | Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024; aged to October 2026; about 23,180 people employed in the role. [How rates are built](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/). ## California in numbers What sets California apart for a Payroll Specialist, from the same sources as the table above. - **+30%** median wage against the United States median of $33.84 - **1st of 51** states by median wage for this role - **23,180** people employed in the role in this place - **$57.26** median wage in the San Jose metro area, the highest here - **$35** country floor: no United States rate is published below it ## What contractors receive The Deftridge rate for a Payroll Specialist in California by level and by format. The company adds 15% on top; you keep all of the rate shown. | Level | Per hour | Per month at 5 h/week | | --- | --- | --- | | Specialist | $55 | $1,190 | | Senior | $65 | $1,410 | | Manager | $75 | $1,630 | - Regular role **$65** - One-off task **$75** - Task bundle **$65** ## Payroll Specialist pay across United States Typical contractor rate for a senior Payroll Specialist, highest first; 4 of 51 places shown. By median wage California ranks **1 of 51**. | Place | Median wage | Contractor rate | | --- | --- | --- | | California | $44.07 | $65 | | District of Columbia | $43.85 | $65 | | New York | $38.66 | $55 | | New Hampshire | $38.43 | $55 | ## Metro areas in California Median employee wage for the role in the metro area (BLS OEWS). - [San Jose $57.26/hr median wage · range $47-68](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/california/) - [San Francisco $55.87/hr median wage · range $46-66](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/california/) - [Napa $48.05/hr median wage · range $40-58](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/california/) - [Vallejo $46.24/hr median wage · range $40-52](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/california/) - [San Diego $45.28/hr median wage · range $39-54](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/california/) - [Sacramento $45.08/hr median wage · range $39-53](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/california/) - [Santa Rosa $44.59/hr median wage · range $36-54](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/california/) - [Santa Cruz $44.44/hr median wage · range $35-53](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/california/) - [San Luis Obispo $43.28/hr median wage · range $35-52](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/california/) - [Riverside $42.92/hr median wage · range $36-52](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/california/) ## Questions about pay, fees and privacy The same rules apply to every task, so they live on two pages: [Pricing](https://deftridge.com/pricing/) explains the 15% fee, prepayment and when you are paid; [How it works](https://deftridge.com/how-it-works/) covers matching, what a company sees and side work next to a job. [Payroll Specialist rates in every country](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/) · [Payroll Specialist jobs in California](https://deftridge.com/jobs/payroll-specialist/california/) · [Methodology](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/)