Source: https://deftridge.com/side-work/payroll-manager/ Title: Side work for Payroll Managers | Deftridge Summary: Part-time roles for payroll managers: what they pay per hour, which tasks are open and how to start in about five hours a week. Side work for Payroll Managers · **Updated November 4, 2026** # Side work for Payroll Managers Payroll Manager is one of the titles we hear most. These are the part-time roles where your experience carries over, what they pay per hour, and the tasks open now. About five hours a week, next to your main job. **3** roles that fit a payroll manager **1,172** open tasks in those roles **$50/hr** typical US rate, Payroll Specialist **5 h** a week is enough By [Grace Huang](https://deftridge.com/team/grace-huang/), Director, Finance & Accounting · Edited by [Helena Voss](https://deftridge.com/team/helena-voss/) · Published 2 November 2026 ## Side work as a payroll manager: what to know Payroll is unforgiving, and that is why companies pay well for a calm second pair of eyes. Part-time payroll work is mostly review: check the run before it goes, reconcile the payroll journal to the ledger, fix year-end forms and document the process so the next person can follow it. Work across borders is common. A company with staff in two countries often has no one in-house who understands both systems, and an experienced payroll manager can cover the gap in a few hours a month. Confidentiality matters more here than in most roles: salary data stays in the company's tools, and the brief always states what you may download. In our data: 1,172 open tasks across the 3 roles that fit a payroll manager, 58% of them remote. The typical senior rate for Payroll Specialist is $50 in the US, £25 in the UK, CA$45 in Canada and €35 in Germany an hour, before the company's 15% fee. The other roles that fit are HR Operations & HRIS Administrator, Compensation & Benefits Analyst. Most of these tasks are sized for 3 to 8 hours a week. Rates come from official wage statistics aged to October 2026; see [the full table by country](https://deftridge.com/rates/payroll-specialist/). ## Where a payroll manager's experience fits The best match is first. Each role page shows the rate by country and level. - [594 open tasks Payroll Specialist Runs payroll cycles, checks changes and filings, and answers employee pay questions. typical US rate $50/hr](https://deftridge.com/jobs/payroll-specialist/) - [394 open tasks HR Operations & HRIS Administrator Keeps employee records, HRIS data and the HR calendar accurate. typical US rate $55/hr](https://deftridge.com/jobs/hr-operations-hris-admin/) - [184 open tasks Compensation & Benefits Analyst Pay benchmarking, salary bands and benefits comparisons for a growing company. typical US rate $105/hr](https://deftridge.com/jobs/compensation-and-benefits-analyst/) ## Open now for a payroll manager Tasks in the roles above, newest first, each with the hourly rate. One-off Posted Nov 3 ### [Payroll Provider Handover Pack](https://deftridge.com/job/payroll-provider-handover-pack-germany-dt-1932136/) Senior · Payroll Specialist Series A online retailer · 51–200 employees **€39–€47** / hour About €260–€520 in total - about 9 h in total - Remote · Germany - Starts within 7 days - Top 25% for the role - English and German [View task](https://deftridge.com/job/payroll-provider-handover-pack-germany-dt-1932136/) One-off Posted Nov 3 ### [HRIS Data Audit · Consumer goods](https://deftridge.com/job/hris-data-audit-canada-dt-2135084/) Senior · HR Operations & HRIS Administrator Packaged-food brand in cleaning products · 501–1,000 employees **CA$54–CA$69** / hour About CA$370–CA$740 in total - about 9 h in total - Remote · Canada - Starts within 2 weeks - Top 25% for the role [View task](https://deftridge.com/job/hris-data-audit-canada-dt-2135084/) Regular Posted Nov 3 ### [Bi-Weekly Payroll Run (ADP)](https://deftridge.com/job/bi-weekly-payroll-run-copenhagen-dt-3047516/) Manager · Payroll Specialist Home-goods retailer selling electronics · 1,001–5,000 employees **€50–€62** / hour About €1,090 a month at 5 h a week - 3–6 h a week - Hybrid · Copenhagen - Starts next week - Top 25% for the role [View task](https://deftridge.com/job/bi-weekly-payroll-run-copenhagen-dt-3047516/) One-off Posted Nov 3 ### [Payroll Audit](https://deftridge.com/job/payroll-audit-netherlands-dt-3637766/) Manager · Payroll Specialist Retail chain with 120 stores · 201–500 employees **€43–€52** / hour About €240–€570 in total - about 8 h in total - Remote · Netherlands - Starts within 7 days - Top 25% for the role [View task](https://deftridge.com/job/payroll-audit-netherlands-dt-3637766/) One-off Posted Nov 3 ### [Employee Lifecycle Process Setup](https://deftridge.com/job/employee-lifecycle-process-setup-berlin-dt-3676663/) Specialist · HR Operations & HRIS Administrator Regional bank serving farmers and food producers · 501–1,000 employees **€34–€42** / hour About €230–€460 in total - about 9 h in total - Hybrid · Berlin - Starts within 7 days - Top 25% for the role [View task](https://deftridge.com/job/employee-lifecycle-process-setup-berlin-dt-3676663/) One-off Posted Nov 3 ### [Payroll Provider Migration](https://deftridge.com/job/payroll-provider-migration-dublin-dt-4973854/) Specialist · Payroll Specialist Education foundation · 501–1,000 employees **€33–€42** / hour About €300–€750 in total - about 14 h in total - Hybrid · Dublin - Starts within 7 days - Top 25% for the role [View task](https://deftridge.com/job/payroll-provider-migration-dublin-dt-4973854/) ## Before you take side work Three checks that take ten minutes. - Read the outside-work, conflict-of-interest and confidentiality clauses in your employment contract. If it asks for consent, ask in writing. - Do not take tasks from a direct competitor of your employer. - Use your own equipment and your own time. [Read the guide](https://deftridge.com/guides/check-your-contract-before-side-work/) ## 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.