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IA · United States · Updated November 3, 2026

Payroll Specialist hourly rate in Iowa

The market median wage for a Payroll Specialist in Iowa is $31.66 an hour. A senior part-time contractor typically receives $45 an hour on Deftridge, -10% against the United States rate.

$45/hrtypical contractor rate, senior
$31.66/hrmedian wage
$26-39middle half of wages
$980a month at 5 hours a week

Payroll Specialist wage percentiles in Iowa

Employee wages for the role. The yellow row is the median.

PercentilePer hour5 h a week, per monthFull time, per year
10th$22.98$500$47,800
25th$25.86$560$53,800
Median$31.66$690$65,900
75th$39.01$850$81,100
90th$43.79$950$91,100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024; aged to October 2026; about 1,240 people employed in the role. How rates are built.

Iowa in numbers

What sets Iowa apart for a Payroll Specialist, from the same sources as the table above.

-6%
median wage against the United States median of $33.84
40th of 51
states by median wage for this role
1,240
people employed in the role in this place
$35.32
median wage in the Des Moines 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 Iowa by level and by format. The company adds 15% on top; you keep all of the rate shown.

LevelPer hourPer month at 5 h/week
Specialist$40$870
Senior$45$980
Manager$55$1,190
  • Regular role$45
  • One-off task$50
  • Task bundle$45

Payroll Specialist pay across United States

Typical contractor rate for a senior Payroll Specialist, highest first; 10 of 51 places shown. By median wage Iowa ranks 40 of 51.

PlaceMedian wageContractor rate
California$44.07$65
District of Columbia$43.85$65
New York$38.66$55
Montana$31.84$45
Kentucky$31.79$45
Kansas$31.72$45
Iowa$31.66$45
Tennessee$31.61$45
Louisiana$31.57$45
Indiana$30.50$45

Metro areas in Iowa

Median employee wage for the role in the metro area (BLS OEWS).

Payroll Specialist rates in every country · Payroll Specialist jobs in Iowa · Methodology

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