Benefits clerk vs payroll & human resources assistant

The differences between benefits clerks and payroll & human resources assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a benefits clerk and a payroll & human resources assistant. Additionally, a payroll & human resources assistant has an average salary of $41,680, which is higher than the $34,841 average annual salary of a benefits clerk.

The top three skills for a benefits clerk include payroll system, data entry and open enrollment. The most important skills for a payroll & human resources assistant are data entry, assist human resources, and background checks.

Benefits clerk vs payroll & human resources assistant overview

	Benefits Clerk	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant
Yearly salary	$34,841	$41,680
Hourly rate	$16.75	$20.04
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	75,454	45,318
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Benefits clerk vs payroll & human resources assistant salary

Benefits clerks and payroll & human resources assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Benefits Clerk	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant
Average salary	$34,841	$41,680
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $44,000	Between $29,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Minnesota	New York
Best paying company	Monarch Casino & Resort	Compunetix
Best paying industry	Government	Manufacturing

Differences between benefits clerk and payroll & human resources assistant education

There are a few differences between a benefits clerk and a payroll & human resources assistant in terms of educational background:

	Benefits Clerk	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Benefits clerk vs payroll & human resources assistant demographics

Here are the differences between benefits clerks' and payroll & human resources assistants' demographics:

	Benefits Clerk	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 13.3% Female, 86.7%	Male, 10.3% Female, 89.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 5.9% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 6.2% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between benefits clerk and payroll & human resources assistant duties and responsibilities

Benefits clerk example responsibilities.

Examine HMO documents to verify eligibility to process or reject into or from a manage care plan when necessary.
Enter employee data in HRIS system.
Used ADP HR/B software for benefits enrollment and reports.
Maintain retirement (401k) plan, FMLA and personnel records.
Monitor FMLA, CFRA, PDL, and personal leave of absence and premiums payments.
Update and maintain benefits data in the HRIS system to ensure accuracy and integrity of employee information.

Payroll & human resources assistant example responsibilities.

Manage and track PTO eligibility.
Manage new employee orientation training, including e-verify.
Update HRIS system with election updates, notify carriers of changes and perform reconciliation of payroll deductions with vendor invoices.
Streamline and update payroll processes and procedures in addition to implementing new time and attendance systems, HRIS and record keeping.
Work on Microsoft outlook, word, excel, KRONOS timekeeper and other programs on AS400.
Maintain attendance tracking system by recording employee tardy/absentee information, vacation hours earn and used, and FMLA time used.

Benefits clerk vs payroll & human resources assistant skills

Common benefits clerk skills

Payroll System, 17%
Data Entry, 8%
Open Enrollment, 7%
Cobra, 7%
HRIS, 5%
Human Resources, 5%

Common payroll & human resources assistant skills

Data Entry, 6%
Assist Human Resources, 6%
Background Checks, 6%
ADP Payroll, 5%
Payroll Processing, 5%
Payroll System, 5%

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Benefits Clerk
Benefits Clerk vs Payroll & Human Resources Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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