Trailing Dividend / Share
$4.00
Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) Dividend History
Income profile from 1988 to 2026 with payout safety and yield-on-cost trend
Dividend Yield
4.4%
Payout Ratio
87.4%
At Risk
Dividend Streak
14 years
PAYX Dividend Income Check
Safety
87.4% payout ratio with at risk safety profile.
Consistency
14 straight years of dividend increases.
Income Trend
Yield on cost is 4.7% and trend is rising.
PAYX Dividend Scorecard
Yield & Income
Dividend Yield4.4%
Trailing DPS$4.00
FrequencyAnnual
Payments / 12M4
Payout Safety
Earnings Payout87.4%
Earnings SafetyAt Risk
FCF Payout70.4%
FCF SafetyAdequate
Piotroski F-Score5/9
Growth
Growth Streak14 years
3Y CAGR11.7%
5Y CAGR11.2%
Yield on Cost (5Y)4.7%
YOC Trendrising
Total Returns
Buyback Yield0.3%
Total Shareholder Yield4.7%
1Y Total Return-35.8%
5Y Total Return7.3%
Div Contribution (5Y)17.3%
Estimated $10K growth (return + dividends):
5Y ago$10,72710Y ago$23,02420Y ago$33,036
Uses precomputed total return metrics from screening data (not lot-by-lot dividend reinvestment transactions). Different time windows can produce different outcomes depending on market regime and entry point.
PAYX Income Growth Story
Dividend per share and yield on cost over time (39 years of payments)
PAYX Dividend Safety Story
EPS is the container — dividend is what's drawn out
Dividend Analysis
Payout Safety
Paychex, Inc. distributes 87.4% of earnings as dividends (At Risk). When measured against free cash flow—a stricter test—the payout ratio stands at 70.4%, rated "Adequate".
Piotroski F-Score: 5/9 — moderate financial health.
Growth Track Record
PAYX has raised its dividend for 14 consecutive years, with a 3-year CAGR of 11.7% and 5-year CAGR of 11.2%.
Total Shareholder Returns
Beyond cash dividends, PAYX returns capital through share repurchases. The combined picture: 4.4% dividend yield, 0.3% buyback yield, 4.7% total shareholder yield.
Income Trend & Total Return
Yield on cost (5-year basis) has reached 4.7% and is currently rising. The 5-year total return is 7.3%, with dividends contributing 17.3% of that performance.
DRIP Growth
A $10,000 investment made 10 years ago with dividends reinvested would have grown to approximately $23,024 today.
Elevated payout ratio — dividend sustainability should be monitored closely.
PAYX Recent Dividend Payments
Last 20 payments · Annual
TTM Total$17.60
Avg/Payment$0.8800
| Ex-Date | Amount | Change | Yield % | Payment Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 28, 2026Latest | $1.0800 | — | 4.22% | Feb 27, 2026 |
| Nov 7, 2025 | $1.0800 | — | 3.77% | Nov 26, 2025 |
| Jul 21, 2025 | $1.0800 | — | 2.89% | Aug 29, 2025 |
| May 12, 2025 | $1.0800 | ↑ +10.2% | 2.65% | May 29, 2025 |
| Feb 7, 2025 | $0.9800 | — | 2.67% | Feb 27, 2025 |
| Nov 7, 2024 | $0.9800 | — | 2.61% | Nov 27, 2024 |
| Aug 8, 2024 | $0.9800 | — | 3.01% | Aug 29, 2024 |
| May 9, 2024 | $0.9800 | ↑ +10.1% | 3.01% | May 30, 2024 |
PAYX Dividend vs Peers
Comparable companies in the same industry
#4 yield in peer group
Div Yield
4.4%
#4 of 7
Safety
At Risk
87.4% payout
Streak
14Y
11.2% 5Y CAGR
Total Shareholder
4.7%
#6 of 7
| Company | Mkt Cap | Yield | Payout | Streak | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAYXPaychex, Inc. | $32.8B | 4.4% | 87.4% | 14 | At Risk |
 ADPAutomatic Data Proce… | $83.4B | 2.8% | 58.8% | 37 | Sustainable |
 PAYCPaycom Software, Inc… | $6.9B | 1.2% | 18.7% | 3 | Sustainable |
 TNETTriNet Group, Inc. | $1.9B | 2.6% | 33.5% | 1 | Sustainable |
2nd  NSPInsperity, Inc. | $1.1B | 8.2% | — | 3 | Unknown |
3rd  HCKTThe Hackett Group, I… | $257M | 4.6% | 99.7% | 1 | At Risk |
1st  ALITAlight, Inc. | $491M | 17.4% | — | 2 | Unknown |
PAYX Annual Dividend History (1988–2026)
39 years of dividend data
GrowthDecline
| Year | DPS | YoY | Pmts | EPS | Payout | Coverage | YOC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | $1.08 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1.2% |
| 2025 | $4.22 | 10.2% | 4 | $4.58 | 92.1% | 1.09x | 4.7% |
| 2024 | $3.83 | 10.7% | 4 | $4.67 | 82.0% | 1.22x | 4.2% |
| 2023 | $3.46 | 14.2% | 4 | $4.30 | 80.5% | 1.24x | 3.8% |
| 2022 | $3.03 | 16.5% | 4 | $3.84 | 78.9% | 1.27x | 3.4% |
| 2021 | $2.60 | 4.8% | 4 | $3.03 | 85.8% | 1.17x | 2.9% |
| 2020 | $2.48 | 2.5% | 4 | $3.04 | 81.6% | 1.23x | 2.7% |
| 2019 | $2.42 | 11.0% | 4 | $2.86 | 84.6% | 1.18x | 2.7% |
| 2018 | $2.18 | 13.5% | 4 | $2.58 | 84.5% | 1.18x | 2.4% |
| 2017 | $1.92 | 9.1% | 4 | $2.25 | 85.3% | 1.17x | 2.1% |
Full PAYX Stock Analysis
Analyst consensus, bull case, AI-generated risk factors, and peer comparison — all in one place.
See PAYX's True Return
Price is only half the story. See total return with reinvested dividends.
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DCF intrinsic value, peer multiples, and analyst estimates — see what the stock is really worth.
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Start ComparisonPAYX — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying PAYX stock.
How much dividend does PAYX pay per share?
Paychex, Inc. (PAYX) pays a trailing 12-month dividend of $4.00 per share, with a current dividend yield of +4.4%. Payments are made Annual.
When is PAYX's next ex-dividend date?
PAYX's most recent ex-dividend date is N/A. You must own shares before the ex-dividend date to receive the next payment. PAYX typically pays dividends Annual.
Is PAYX's dividend safe?
PAYX's dividend safety is rated "At Risk" based on an earnings payout ratio of +87.4% and FCF payout ratio of +70.4%. With 14 consecutive years of dividend growth, the track record supports sustainability.
Is PAYX a Dividend Achiever?
Yes, Paychex, Inc. is classified as a Dividend Achiever with 14 consecutive years of dividend increases. The 5-year dividend CAGR is +11.2%, demonstrating above-inflation dividend growth.
How often does PAYX pay dividends?
Paychex, Inc. pays dividends Annual. The trailing 12-month total is $4.00 per share. Dividend data on this page covers 38+ years from 1988 to 2026.
How much would $10,000 invested in PAYX grow with dividend reinvestment?
With dividends reinvested (DRIP), $10,000 invested in PAYX five years ago would be worth approximately $10,727 today. This includes both price appreciation and compounded dividend reinvestment. Use the DRIP calculator above for other time periods.
What is PAYX's yield on cost for long-term holders?
PAYX's yield on cost — the current dividend divided by the original purchase price — is +4.7% for a 5-year holding period. This means long-term holders earn a higher effective yield than today's +4.4% market yield, thanks to consistent dividend growth.