Paychex (PAYX) Operating Margin (2009 - 2026)
Paychex recorded quarterly Operating Margin of 43.78% in Q1 2026, up 15.09% quarter-over-quarter from 38.04% in Q4 2025, and down 340.0% year-over-year from 18.24% in Q1 2025.
Paychex's Operating Margin history runs 18 years deep, the most recent figure standing at 43.78% for Q1 2026.
- In Q1 2026, Operating Margin fell 340.0% year-over-year to 43.78%; the TTM figure through Feb 2026 stood at 37.5% (down 463.0% YoY), while the FY2025 annual figure was 39.62%, down 157.0% from the prior year.
- Operating Margin came in at 43.78% for Q1 2026 at Paychex, up from 38.04% in the prior quarter.
- In the past five years, Operating Margin ranged from a high of 47.19% in Q1 2025 to a low of 30.2% in Q2 2025.
- A 5-year average of 40.58% and a median of 41.46% in 2024 frame the typical range for Operating Margin.
- Across the five-year window, Operating Margin soared 444 bps in 2023 and plunged 700 bps in 2025, its largest moves.
- Paychex's Operating Margin stood at 40.42% in 2022, then rose by 2 bps to 41.28% in 2023, then rose by 2 bps to 42.01% in 2024, then fell by 9 bps to 38.04% in 2025, then rose by 15 bps to 43.78% in 2026.
- According to Business Quant data, Operating Margin over the past three periods registered 43.78%, 38.04%, and 36.31% for Q1 2026, Q4 2025, and Q3 2025 respectively.
Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | Operating Margin (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sap Se | 253.17 Bn | 235.20 Bn | 8.16 Bn | 28.69% |
| 2 | Salesforce | 171.07 Bn | 161.50 Bn | 8.69 Bn | 16.69% |
| 3 | Uber Technologies | 151.10 Bn | 150.06 Bn | 11.88 Bn | 14.56% |
| 4 | Shopify | 134.25 Bn | 128.50 Bn | 1.55 Bn | 12.05% |
| 5 | ServiceNow | 105.72 Bn | 100.54 Bn | 2.83 Bn | 13.34% |
| 6 | Cadence Design Systems | 101.64 Bn | 100.23 Bn | 1.26 Bn | 29.26% |
| 7 | Adobe | 100.35 Bn | 93.46 Bn | 5.73 Bn | 37.79% |
| 8 | Automatic Data Processing | 90.91 Bn | 87.68 Bn | 2.87 Bn | -22.99% |
| 9 | Intuit | 88.30 Bn | 81.52 Bn | 6.77 Bn | 46.97% |
| 10 | Paychex | 34.86 Bn | 33.07 Bn | 1.38 Bn | 43.78% |
Historic Data
Download Data| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Feb 28, 2026 | 43.78% |
| Nov 30, 2025 | 38.04% |
| Aug 31, 2025 | 36.31% |
| May 31, 2025 | 30.20% |
| Feb 28, 2025 | 47.19% |
| Nov 30, 2024 | 42.01% |
| Aug 31, 2024 | 41.46% |
| May 31, 2024 | 37.20% |
| Feb 29, 2024 | 46.57% |
| Nov 30, 2023 | 41.28% |
| Aug 31, 2023 | 42.79% |
| May 31, 2023 | 37.63% |
| Feb 28, 2023 | 45.47% |
| Nov 30, 2022 | 40.42% |
| Aug 31, 2022 | 41.71% |
| May 31, 2022 | 33.18% |
| Feb 28, 2022 | 44.61% |
| Nov 30, 2021 | 39.72% |
| Aug 31, 2021 | 40.90% |
| May 31, 2021 | 36.48% |
| Feb 28, 2021 | 42.15% |
| Nov 30, 2020 | 36.02% |
| Aug 31, 2020 | 30.96% |
| May 31, 2020 | 33.67% |
| Feb 29, 2020 | 41.92% |
| Nov 30, 2019 | 35.20% |
| Aug 31, 2019 | 35.93% |
| May 31, 2019 | 32.08% |
| Feb 28, 2019 | 40.11% |
| Nov 30, 2018 | 35.77% |
| Aug 31, 2018 | 37.87% |
| May 31, 2018 | 36.49% |
| Feb 28, 2018 | 39.42% |
| Nov 30, 2017 | 37.75% |
| Aug 31, 2017 | 40.72% |
| May 31, 2017 | 38.10% |
| Feb 28, 2017 | 38.53% |
| Nov 30, 2016 | 40.93% |
| Aug 31, 2016 | 41.12% |
| May 31, 2016 | 37.26% |
| Feb 29, 2016 | 37.80% |
| Nov 30, 2015 | 41.36% |
| Aug 31, 2015 | 40.95% |
| May 31, 2015 | 36.92% |
| Feb 28, 2015 | 37.53% |
| Nov 30, 2014 | 39.95% |
| Aug 31, 2014 | 40.74% |
| May 31, 2014 | 35.73% |
| Feb 28, 2014 | 39.18% |
| Nov 30, 2013 | 41.00% |
| Aug 31, 2013 | 42.30% |
| May 31, 2013 | 36.19% |
| Feb 28, 2013 | 38.63% |
| Nov 30, 2012 | 40.39% |
| Aug 31, 2012 | 41.16% |
| May 31, 2012 | 36.23% |
| Feb 29, 2012 | 36.94% |
| Nov 30, 2011 | 40.73% |
| Aug 31, 2011 | 41.61% |
| May 31, 2011 | 34.97% |
| Feb 28, 2011 | 38.28% |
| Nov 30, 2010 | 40.78% |
| Aug 31, 2010 | 38.74% |
| May 31, 2010 | 35.98% |
| Feb 28, 2010 | 33.12% |
| Nov 30, 2009 | 39.98% |
| Aug 31, 2009 | 39.03% |
| May 31, 2009 | 36.25% |
| Feb 28, 2009 | 38.54% |