How Much It Costs to Hire a Payroll Assistant in Yorkshire in 2026
Hiring a payroll assistant in Yorkshire costs close to £32,000 in the first year, once salary, employer National Insurance, pension and a recruitment fee are added together. The base salary sits at £22,000-£30,000, with a median near £25,000 (Indeed, 2026). This guide breaks down every line of the true cost.
Key Takeaways
- A payroll assistant in Yorkshire earns £22,000-£30,000, with a median near £25,000 (Indeed, 2026).
- Employer National Insurance adds around £3,000 on a £25,000 salary, charged at 15% above the £5,000 secondary threshold (HMRC, 2025-26).
- The employer pension contribution adds £560-£750, at the 3% auto-enrolment minimum (The Pensions Regulator, 2025-26).
- A recruitment fee for an entry-level payroll role runs about 15% of salary, near £3,750 on a £25,000 hire (Mason Bedford, 2026).
- The full first-year cost of a permanent payroll assistant in Yorkshire lands near £32,000, or about £28,500 without an agency fee.
What a Payroll Assistant Earns in Yorkshire
A payroll assistant in Yorkshire earns £22,000-£30,000 in 2026, with a median near £25,000 (Indeed, 2026). Live roles across Leeds, Halifax, Harrogate and York cluster in this band, with junior positions from £20,000 and experienced roles reaching £30,000. The UK average sits at £27,144 (Indeed, 2025). Setting the right band before you budget starts with benchmarking the salary against live market data.
What does a payroll assistant do?
A payroll assistant supports the payroll cycle, processing starter and leaver data, running pay calculations and handling employee queries. The role assists with Real Time Information submissions to HMRC, statutory payments and pension data, working under a payroll manager or finance team. It's an entry-level finance position, which is why the salary sits below payroll manager and administrator-plus roles.
The Employer On-Costs on Top of Salary
Employer on-costs add roughly £3,600-£3,750 to a £25,000 payroll assistant salary before any recruitment fee. Two statutory costs apply to every permanent hire: employer National Insurance and the pension contribution. Both are fixed by legislation, so they cannot be negotiated away.
How much is employer National Insurance on a payroll assistant?
Employer National Insurance on a £25,000 payroll assistant is about £3,000, charged at 15% on earnings above the £5,000 secondary threshold (HMRC, 2025-26). The calculation is 15% of £20,000, the amount above the threshold. This rate rose and the threshold fell from April 2025, which raised the employer cost of every hire across Yorkshire.
How much does the employer pension add?
The employer pension adds £560-£750 on a £25,000 payroll assistant, at the 3% auto-enrolment minimum (The Pensions Regulator, 2025-26). At 3% on qualifying earnings between £6,240 and £50,270, the figure is around £560, rising to £750 where an employer pays 3% on full salary. Many employers contribute more than the minimum to stay competitive on total reward.
The Recruitment Cost of a Payroll Assistant
The recruitment cost of a payroll assistant is about 15% of salary through an agency, near £3,750 on a £25,000 hire. Entry-level and high-volume roles sit at the lower end of the 15-30% fee range, because a larger candidate pool makes them faster to fill (Mason Bedford, 2026). A contingency fee is payable only when the candidate starts, and most agencies include a rebate period of 8-12 weeks. Reaching pre-vetted payroll candidates quickly is where the fee earns its value, set out in using a specialist recruiter to save hiring time.
The Full First-Year Cost
The full first-year cost of a permanent payroll assistant in Yorkshire lands near £32,000. The build on a £25,000 hire reads:
| Cost line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base salary | £25,000 |
| Employer National Insurance (15% above £5,000) | £3,000 |
| Employer pension (3% minimum) | £560-£750 |
| Recruitment fee (15% contingency) | £3,750 |
| First-year total | £32,310-£32,500 |
Without an agency fee, the first-year cost falls to around £28,500, though the employer then carries the sourcing and screening time in-house. Budgeting the wrong figure at the start is a frequent error, covered in the common mistakes in accountancy and finance recruitment.
Is a temporary payroll assistant cheaper than a permanent hire?
A temporary payroll assistant costs an hourly rate of around £14-£15.40 in Yorkshire, plus an agency margin, with no permanent recruitment fee or long-term on-costs (Reed, 2026). Temporary cover suits a busy payroll period, a maternity gap or a project, and it deploys within days. The trade-off is a higher hourly rate against no permanent commitment, examined in why temporary payroll cover works for a busy period.
How to Work Out Your Payroll Assistant Hiring Cost
Four steps produce the full cost before you hire.
Step 1: Set the base salary against the £22,000-£30,000 Yorkshire band by experience.
Step 2: Add employer National Insurance at 15% on earnings above £5,000.
Step 3: Add the pension at the 3% auto-enrolment minimum.
Step 4: Include the recruitment fee at around 15% for a permanent agency hire, or the hourly margin for temporary cover.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to hire a payroll assistant in Yorkshire?
Hiring a permanent payroll assistant in Yorkshire costs near £32,000 in the first year, combining a £25,000 median salary, around £3,000 employer National Insurance, £560-£750 pension and a £3,750 recruitment fee (Indeed and HMRC, 2026). Without an agency fee, the first-year cost falls to about £28,500.
What is the salary of a payroll assistant in Yorkshire?
A payroll assistant in Yorkshire earns £22,000-£30,000, with a median near £25,000 (Indeed, 2026). Junior roles start from £20,000 and experienced roles reach £30,000. Live positions across Leeds, Halifax, Harrogate and York cluster within this band, with the UK average at £27,144.
How much are employer on-costs for a payroll assistant?
Employer on-costs add around £3,600-£3,750 to a £25,000 payroll assistant. Employer National Insurance is about £3,000 at 15% above the £5,000 threshold, and the pension adds £560-£750 at the 3% minimum (HMRC and The Pensions Regulator, 2025-26). Both are statutory and apply to every permanent hire.
Should I hire a temporary or permanent payroll assistant?
Hire permanent for an ongoing role and temporary for cover or a project. A temporary payroll assistant costs around £14-£15.40 an hour plus margin, with no recruitment fee, and deploys within days (Reed, 2026). A permanent hire carries the full first-year cost near £32,000 but secures the role long term.
Talk to Sewell Wallis About Your Payroll Hire
Sewell Wallis recruits payroll assistants and the wider finance support function across Leeds, Sheffield and York, and our accountancy and finance recruitment team can price your role and shortlist against the Yorkshire market.
About the Author
Sue Wallis is Joint Managing Director of Sewell Wallis, overseeing the accountancy, finance and HR recruitment desks across Yorkshire. With a recruitment career spanning more than 30 years, she advises businesses on hiring costs, salary benchmarking and the market conditions that shape finance recruitment.
