Benefits & payroll administrator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a benefits & payroll administrator. Benefits & payroll administrators usually study business, accounting, or human resources management. 55% of benefits & payroll administrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,534 real benefits & payroll administrator resumes to see exactly what benefits & payroll administrator education sections show.

The most common colleges for benefits & payroll administrators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online benefits & payroll administrator courses to help get the education required to be a benefits & payroll administrator.

There are certain benefits & payroll administrator certifications that you should consider. These benefits & payroll administrator certifications include Payroll Certification and Certified Payroll Professional (CPP).

What education do you need to become a benefits & payroll administrator?

What degree do you need to be a benefits & payroll administrator?

The most common degree for benefits & payroll administrators is bachelor's degree, with 55% of benefits & payroll administrators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 55%

Associate, 27%

High School Diploma, 7%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a benefits & payroll administrator?

You should major in business to become a benefits & payroll administrator. 39% of benefits & payroll administrators major in business. Other common majors for a benefits & payroll administrator include accounting and human resources management.

Business, 39%

Accounting, 23%

Human Resources Management, 10%

Psychology, 5%

Other Majors, 23%

Most common colleges for benefits & payroll administrators

Benefits & payroll administrators often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Southern New Hampshire University, and Northeastern University. Here are the most common colleges for benefits & payroll administrators in the US based on their resumes.

Benefits & payroll administrator common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	25.44%
Southern New Hampshire University	7.02%
Northeastern University	6.14%
University of Wisconsin Colleges	5.26%
DeVry University	4.39%

Show more common benefits & payroll administrator colleges

Best majors for benefits & payroll administrators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	38.9%
2	Accounting	22.8%
3	Human Resources Management	9.8%
4	Psychology	4.8%
5	Liberal Arts	2.7%

Show more common benefits & payroll administrator majors

Best colleges for benefits & payroll administrators

The best colleges for benefits & payroll administrators are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

A benefits & payroll administrator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for benefits & payroll administrators. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become benefits & payroll administrators.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

10. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

20 best online courses for benefits & payroll administrators

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Use free UK payroll software to perform essential payroll management...

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Payroll Data Analysis with Excel Pivot Tables,hr payroll, payroll management, payroll certification, Payroll, Excel...

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(319)

Processing Quick Books Online payroll for a small business, generating paychecks, processing payroll tax forms...

6. Understanding Payroll for Beginners

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(361)

Payroll calculation, processing payroll, taxes, and reporting...

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Understand the Basics of Processing Employee Payroll...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for benefits & payroll administrators

The most affordable schools for benefits & payroll administrators are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - dominguez hills, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for benefits & payroll administrators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for benefits & payroll administrators.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for benefits & payroll administrators

The hardest universities for benefits & payroll administrators to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for benefits & payroll administrators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for benefits & payroll administrators based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for benefits & payroll administrators

The easiest schools for benefits & payroll administrators to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a benefits & payroll administrator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for benefits & payroll administrators.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

Average benefits & payroll administrator salary by education level

Benefits & payroll administrators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $54,294 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, benefits & payroll administrators earn a median annual income of $53,854 compared to $50,327 for benefits & payroll administrators with an Associate degree.

Benefits & payroll administrator education level	Benefits & payroll administrator salary
Master's Degree	$54,294
High School Diploma or Less	$49,533
Bachelor's Degree	$53,854
Some College/ Associate Degree	$50,327

Benefits & payroll administrator education FAQs

What is the best college for Benefits & Payroll Administrators?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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