Chief payroll clerk vs payroll assistant

The differences between chief payroll clerks and payroll 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 chief payroll clerk and a payroll assistant. Additionally, a chief payroll clerk has an average salary of $53,799, which is higher than the $45,023 average annual salary of a payroll assistant.

The top three skills for a chief payroll clerk include budget, payroll and customer service. The most important skills for a payroll assistant are data entry, payroll system, and payroll data.

Chief payroll clerk vs payroll assistant overview

	Chief Payroll Clerk	Payroll Assistant
Yearly salary	$53,799	$45,023
Hourly rate	$25.86	$21.65
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	84,588	7,063
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Chief payroll clerk vs payroll assistant salary

Chief payroll clerks and payroll assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chief Payroll Clerk	Payroll Assistant
Average salary	$53,799	$45,023
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $72,000	Between $31,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	-	Riverhead, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	Sidley Austin
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between chief payroll clerk and payroll assistant education

There are a few differences between a chief payroll clerk and a payroll assistant in terms of educational background:

	Chief Payroll Clerk	Payroll Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	University of Pennsylvania

Chief payroll clerk vs payroll assistant demographics

Here are the differences between chief payroll clerks' and payroll assistants' demographics:

	Chief Payroll Clerk	Payroll Assistant
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 44.0% Female, 56.0%	Male, 16.0% Female, 84.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 6.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 5.2% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 6.1% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between chief payroll clerk and payroll assistant duties and responsibilities

Chief payroll clerk example responsibilities.

Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
Research and advise upper management orally and in writing on issues impacting payroll and/or budget.
Administer the payroll for the firm, using the ADP manual data entry payroll service.
Process payroll and supervise timekeeping functions.
Maintain cleanliness of the company warehouse, operate warehouse machinery and organize the warehouse to ensure proper product placement.
Provide help desk support DTS travelers.

Payroll assistant example responsibilities.

Enter and update new employees into the timekeeping system KRONOS.
Perform payroll functions such as timekeeping and vacation days and submit to payroll.
Assist with the payroll process, time cards input and personal time off (PTO).
Prepare and input both weekly and biweekly payroll information using ADP software, ensuring information receive and transmit is accurate.
Process employee terminations including final pay calculations, PTO payment, deductions, and ensure payment meets state final pay requirements.
Maintain accurate records in PeopleSoft.

Chief payroll clerk vs payroll assistant skills

Common chief payroll clerk skills

Budget, 44%
Payroll, 44%
Customer Service, 12%

Common payroll assistant skills

Data Entry, 16%
Payroll System, 7%
Payroll Data, 6%
Human Resources, 5%
ADP, 5%
Payroll Checks, 4%

Chief Payroll Clerk vs. similar jobs

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Office and Administrative Industry
Chief Payroll Clerk
Chief Payroll Clerk vs Payroll Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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