Hire a payroll Officer in Australia or New Zealand

A named, vetted payroll officer from South Africa, on the overlap you agree, or full Australian hours at a premium. Direct Hire or Managed Hire, your call.

Book a call → Build this role → Send us a brief

What they take off your desk

Payroll Officer duties

Running end-to-end payroll each cycle, including leave, overtime and allowance calculations
Keeping statutory compliance current across super, KiwiSaver, PAYG or PAYE and other on-costs
Managing new starter, termination and variation paperwork without missing a cut-off
Answering employee pay queries directly, so they don't land in your inbox
Reconciling payroll to the general ledger each period

Who you're hiring

Credentials to expect

A South African payroll officer matched to this role is typically SAIPA payroll specialisation or equivalent, familiar with Xero Payroll, MYOB AccountRight or a dedicated payroll platform, used to cross-border compliance nuance.

Most payroll Officer candidates come with hands-on experience in Xero Payroll, MYOB AccountRight and Employment Hero, and every shortlist is screened for the specific systems your team runs before you see a name.

South Africa's accounting profession trains through SAICA and SAIPA, with English as the working language and a curriculum built around IFRS, so the qualification and the on-the-job experience both translate directly to AU/NZ practice.

Sample brief

What a real payroll Officer brief looks like

This is the level of detail we work from once you book a call. We fill in the rest with you.

Role: Payroll Officer Hours: 20 hrs/week, shared overlap with Melbourne System: Xero Payroll, ~60 employees, fortnightly cycle Scope: full payroll run, super compliance, leave management Start: within 3 weeks of brief

Cost

What a payroll Officer costs through Sameroom

Sydney shown here. Local figures are fully loaded: base salary plus employer on-costs. See the Payroll Officer salary page for your city, with base ranges, sources and the Sameroom figure:

Sydney hire, fully loaded

AUD 114,000

Base AUD 83,000 to AUD 113,000 (Glassdoor + Robert Half Australia 2026) plus super, payroll tax, leave and workers comp.

Sameroom, indicative

AUD 44,000

Johannesburg cost-to-company, from published South African salary data, plus Sameroom's fee, times 1.5.

You save, per year

AUD 70,000 (61%)

Indicative. Local bands from published 2026 recruitment-agency guides; Sameroom figure is an estimate confirmed on a call. Indicative cost assumes a shared overlap. Full Australian-hours coverage attracts a shift premium.

Sydney Melbourne Brisbane Auckland Wellington

Direct Hire

Payroll Officer joins your payroll directly
Placement fee on hire
You run their local payroll and benefits

Managed Hire

Sameroom is the payroll Officer's legal employer
Monthly fee, no upfront cost or deposit
Payroll, benefits, equipment and compliance handled for you

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Sameroom vs other options

Sameroom vs Somewhere Sameroom vs Cloudstaff Sameroom vs Outsourced.ph Sameroom vs Teamed Sameroom vs a local recruiter

Questions

Frequently asked

What does a payroll officer hired through Sameroom actually cost?

Indicatively, a payroll Officer in Sydney costs about AUD 114,000 a year fully loaded (base plus super, payroll tax, leave and workers comp). Through Sameroom, about AUD 44,000. That is a saving of about AUD 70,000 a year (61%). Actual cost depends on scope and seniority. See the Payroll Officer salary comparisons for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland and Wellington.

Will the payroll officer work our business hours?

Hours are agreed per hire. A shared overlap with your team is standard. Full Australian-hours coverage is available at a shift premium, because South Africa sits 8 to 9 hours behind Australia and that is a night shift for the person.

What is the difference between Direct Hire and Managed Hire for this role?

With Direct Hire, the payroll officer joins your payroll directly and you pay a placement fee on hire. With Managed Hire, Sameroom employs them as their legal employer and you pay a monthly fee, with no upfront cost and no local payroll admin.

How long does it take to hire a payroll officer?

Most payroll Officer briefs get a shortlist of 3 to 5 vetted candidates within 7 days, with placement 14 to 21 days after that, depending on seniority and how specific the software or industry requirement is.

What happens if the payroll officer isn't the right fit?

Tell us and we'll work with you on next steps, whether that's a further shortlist or a different match. Vetting and reference checks happen before you see a name, on both Direct and Managed Hire.

Start hiring

Brief us on a payroll Officer

A 20-minute call to understand the role, then we go to work. You only pay when you hire.