Payroll Manager Salary in South East
Official ONS earnings for South East, covering 40,000 jobs.
Median salary — South East
£27,031
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 4.3% change on the previous year
Mean
£27,815
Jobs measured
40,000
What a typical payroll manager takes home
On the median of £27,031, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£1,915
Take-home a year
£22,982
Income Tax
£2,892
National Insurance
£1,157
What most payroll managers actually earn
Half of payroll managers in South East earn between £18,140 and £33,911. Earning above £33,911 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
ONS suppresses the detailed spread for this occupation at regional level, so this range describes the wider “Administrative Occupations: Finance” group in South East.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of payroll managers earn less than this.
How South East ranks for payroll manager pay
5th
of 10 GB regions with a published figure
London tops the table on £33,217 and East Midlands sits at the bottom on £25,187. South East is £6,186 short of the top.
Ranking compares published regional medians for the same occupation. It says nothing about cost of living — a higher median doesn't survive contact with rent. The cost of living calculator is the honest next step.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks
- SOC 2020 code
- 4122
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
ONS doesn't measure “payroll manager” as its own category. These figures are for the wider group “Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks”, which includes this role alongside others. ONS group combines book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Payroll Manager salary FAQs
What is the average Payroll Manager salary in South East?
The median is £27,031 a year and the mean is £27,815, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a payroll manager earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £16.33 excluding overtime, or £16.65 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for South East.
What is a good Payroll Manager salary?
Half of payroll managers earn between £18,140 and £33,911. Anything above £33,911 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a payroll manager?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of payroll managers earn under £11,007 and the lowest quarter under £18,140 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Do payroll managers in South East earn more than the UK average?
The median in South East is £27,031 against £27,743 across the UK, 2.6% lower, which places it 5th highest of the 10 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has payroll manager pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +4.3% for this occupation in South East. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many payroll managers are there in South East?
ASHE counts around 40,000 employee jobs in “Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks” (SOC 4122) in South East. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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