Source: https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/washington/ Title: Payroll Specialist hourly rate in Washington | Deftridge Summary: Payroll Specialist pay in Washington: median wage $38 an hour, typical part-time contractor rate $55. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024. WA · United States · **Updated November 3, 2026** # Payroll Specialist hourly rate in Washington The market median wage for a Payroll Specialist in Washington is **$37.82 an hour**. A senior part-time contractor typically receives **$55 an hour** on Deftridge, +10% against the United States rate. **$55/hr** typical contractor rate, senior **$37.82/hr** median wage **$33-46** middle half of wages **$1,190** a month at 5 hours a week ## Payroll Specialist wage percentiles in Washington 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 | $28.05 | $610 | $58,300 | | 25th | $32.69 | $710 | $68,000 | | Median | $37.82 | $820 | $78,700 | | 75th | $45.74 | $990 | $95,100 | | 90th | $52.38 | $1,140 | $109,000 | Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024; aged to October 2026; about 3,880 people employed in the role. [How rates are built](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/). ## Washington in numbers What sets Washington apart for a Payroll Specialist, from the same sources as the table above. - **+12%** median wage against the United States median of $33.84 - **5th of 51** states by median wage for this role - **3,880** people employed in the role in this place - **$39.13** median wage in the Olympia metro area, the highest here - **$35** country floor: no United States rate is published below it - RCW 49.62.020: a non-competition covenant is void and unenforceable unless the employee's annualised earnings exceed $100,000 a year, adjusted annually under RCW 49.62.040. [Source](https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=49.62.020) ## What contractors receive The Deftridge rate for a Payroll Specialist in Washington 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 | $45 | $980 | | Senior | $55 | $1,190 | | Manager | $65 | $1,410 | - Regular role **$55** - One-off task **$60** - Task bundle **$55** ## Payroll Specialist pay across United States Typical contractor rate for a senior Payroll Specialist, highest first; 8 of 51 places shown. By median wage Washington ranks **5 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 | | Washington | $37.82 | $55 | | Rhode Island | $37.69 | $55 | | Alaska | $37.60 | $55 | | Vermont | $37.51 | $55 | ## Metro areas in Washington Median employee wage for the role in the metro area (BLS OEWS). - [Olympia $39.13/hr median wage · range $32-49](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/washington/) - [Mount Vernon $38.97/hr median wage · range $32-44](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/washington/) - [Seattle $38.62/hr median wage · range $34-47](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/washington/) - [Walla Walla $37.82/hr median wage · range $33-46](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/washington/) - [Yakima $37.74/hr median wage · range $31-42](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/washington/) - [Bremerton $37.55/hr median wage · range $32-45](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/washington/) - [Longview $36.69/hr median wage · range $27-42](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/washington/) - [Bellingham $35.27/hr median wage · range $29-38](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/washington/) - [Spokane $35.22/hr median wage · range $30-39](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/washington/) - [Kennewick $34.69/hr median wage · range $30-42](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/washington/) ## 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 Washington](https://deftridge.com/jobs/payroll-specialist/washington/) · [Methodology](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/)