Chief payroll clerk vs payroll bookkeeper

The differences between chief payroll clerks and payroll bookkeepers 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 bookkeeper. Additionally, a chief payroll clerk has an average salary of $53,799, which is higher than the $46,087 average annual salary of a payroll bookkeeper.

The top three skills for a chief payroll clerk include budget, payroll and customer service. The most important skills for a payroll bookkeeper are reconciliations, general ledger, and journal entries.

Chief payroll clerk vs payroll bookkeeper overview

	Chief Payroll Clerk	Payroll Bookkeeper
Yearly salary	$53,799	$46,087
Hourly rate	$25.86	$22.16
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	84,588	8,176
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Chief payroll clerk vs payroll bookkeeper salary

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

	Chief Payroll Clerk	Payroll Bookkeeper
Average salary	$53,799	$46,087
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $72,000	Between $34,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between chief payroll clerk and payroll bookkeeper education

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

	Chief Payroll Clerk	Payroll Bookkeeper
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Accounting
Most common college	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	University of Pennsylvania

Chief payroll clerk vs payroll bookkeeper demographics

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

	Chief Payroll Clerk	Payroll Bookkeeper
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 44.0% Female, 56.0%	Male, 12.8% Female, 87.2%
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, 18.5% Asian, 6.1% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between chief payroll clerk and payroll bookkeeper 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 bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Perform financial management functions including monthly financial statement preparation and bank reconciliations.
Maintain accounts receivable/accounts payable including handling cash and deposits; process reconciliations and financial reports using SchoolFunds.
Process 1099 and W2's.
Process ACH rejections and stop payments.
Post receivables of checks, ACH and credit card payments.

Chief payroll clerk vs payroll bookkeeper skills

Common chief payroll clerk skills

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

Common payroll bookkeeper skills

Reconciliations, 9%
General Ledger, 7%
Journal Entries, 5%
Tax Returns, 4%
Bank Reconciliations, 4%
Payroll Processing, 4%

Chief Payroll Clerk vs. similar jobs

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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