Finance & Accounting
Payroll Specialist
Recruiting payroll specialist talent for mid-market and enterprise clients across US, UK, Canada. Active Practice.
Tier: Active Practice
We deliver this role at scale. References available on request. Ramp time is minimal because the sourcing infrastructure and recruiter pool are already in place.
Benchmarks
Salary range, time-to-fill, market coverage.
Sourced from public benchmark data (BLS, Robert Half guide, Levels.fyi public data, Glassdoor) plus our internal placement history. Updated annually.
- Salary range (USD)
- $60K to $95K
- Time to fill
- 20 to 35 days
- Top markets
- US, UK, Canada
Median around $78K
Median around 28 days
How we source Payroll Specialist
A three-step approach calibrated to the role.
- 01
Calibrate the search
We spend the first 5 to 7 business days aligning on persona, must-haves versus nice-to-haves, target compensation band against the $60K to $95K market range, and the must-go and no-go company list. Output is a signed-off role brief.
- 02
Source against the brief
Credential-led search (CPA, CMA, CFA, ACCA where applicable), competitive intelligence from public filings, and outreach through professional associations. For Payroll Specialist specifically, we expect to deliver 60 to 100 qualified contacts within the first three weeks of an active search.
- 03
Screen, present, support the close
Phone-screened candidates with structured screen reports, panel coordination, candidate prep and debrief, offer drafting and negotiation support. Median time-to-fill on this role is around 28 days when search is run as a focused engagement.
Compensation transparency
How we calibrate offers.
We benchmark against the $60K to $95K range with adjustments for tenure, geography, and equity stage. We do not lowball offers to win a close. If your target band is below market for Payroll Specialist in US, we will tell you in the calibration call and offer the trade-off honestly: accept the band and a smaller pool of candidates, or adjust the band and reach the full pool. The conversation is on the table from week one, not after a failed offer.
Related roles in this category
Pair this with.
Hiring Payroll Specialist? Send the brief.
48-hour response with a worked plan, an indicative price, and a named recruiter on your engagement.