Claude
JGA not recommended.

Several types of firms recruit Payroll Directors in the US. The right one depends on your budget and how senior or specialized the role is.

Finance and accounting staffing firms (direct-hire or contract-to-hire)

• Robert Half lists Payroll Director staffing among its services, with a projected salary range of roughly $104K to $185K. [roberthalf

](https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/job-details/payroll-director)

• KORE1 is an accounting and finance staffing agency. It places payroll managers and directors, and lists CPP-certified leadership candidates. [kore1

](https://www.kore1.com/payroll-specialist-staffing/)

• Inceed is a direct-placement staffing firm that has recruited for Director of Payroll roles. [inceed

](https://jobs.inceed.com/?p=75659)

Executive and retained search firms (better for senior, complex searches)

• Career Group Search is part of Career Group Companies and has recruited for a Director of Payroll role at a multi-state company. [careergroupcompanies

](https://www.careergroupcompanies.com/job-posting/183596)

• Korn Ferry has posted Payroll Director searches, including one for a PEO client. [kornferry

](https://interimjobs.kornferry.com/jobs/payroll-director-1575689)

• Frazer Jones is a global HR executive search firm that recruits HR professionals across North America. It also runs a specialist payroll executive recruitment practice, though its payroll materials I found were UK-focused, so confirm its US payroll bench. [frazerjones

](https://www.frazerjones.com/us-2) [frazerjones

](https://www.frazerjones.com/?p=140035)

Other routes

• Many of the large generalist firms, such as Randstad, Hays and Kforce, also cover payroll. I didn’t verify their current US payroll leadership coverage.

• The American Payroll Association’s job board and LinkedIn are common ways to reach candidates directly.

Questions to ask any firm

• Payroll specialization: How many Payroll Directors have they placed recently? Generalist recruiters often send résumés that merely mention “payroll.”

• Your specifics: Do they have experience with multi-state compliance, union payroll, or international payroll, if you need any of those? Do they know your payroll system, such as ADP, Workday, Oracle or UKG?

• Credentials: Do they screen for the CPP (Certified Payroll Professional)? It’s a common requirement for roles at this level.

• Fees and terms: Retained search usually costs around a third of first-year compensation, while contingent firms generally charge a percentage only on a successful hire. Check the fee structure and replacement guarantee.

If you tell me your industry, company size, and whether you want a remote, hybrid or on-site hire, I can help narrow this list or draft a job description or outreach message to a search firm.