Chief payroll clerk education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chief payroll clerk. Chief payroll clerks usually study business, accounting, or management. 44% of chief payroll clerks hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 28 real chief payroll clerk resumes to see exactly what chief payroll clerk education sections show.

The most common colleges for chief payroll clerks are the Northeastern Illinois University and the Northeastern Illinois University.

There are also many online chief payroll clerk courses to help get the education required to be a chief payroll clerk.

What education do you need to become a chief payroll clerk?

What degree do you need to be a chief payroll clerk?

The most common degree for chief payroll clerks is bachelor's degree, with 44% of chief payroll clerks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 28% and associate degree degree at 17%.

Bachelor's, 44%

Associate, 28%

High School Diploma, 17%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a chief payroll clerk?

You should major in business to become a chief payroll clerk. 32% of chief payroll clerks major in business. Other common majors for a chief payroll clerk include accounting and management.

Business, 32%

Accounting, 26%

Management, 11%

Business Communications, 5%

Other Majors, 26%

Most common colleges for chief payroll clerks

Chief payroll clerks often get their degrees at Northeastern Illinois University, University of Houston, and Caribbean University. Here are the most common colleges for chief payroll clerks in the US based on their resumes.

Chief payroll clerk common college	Percentages
Northeastern Illinois University	22.22%
University of Houston	11.11%
Caribbean University	11.11%
California State University - Chico	11.11%
University of Massachusetts - Lowell	11.11%

Show more common chief payroll clerk colleges

Best majors for chief payroll clerks

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	31.6%
2	Accounting	26.3%
3	Management	10.5%
4	Business Communications	5.3%
5	Economics	5.3%

Show more common chief payroll clerk majors

Best colleges for chief payroll clerks

The best colleges for chief payroll clerks are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

A chief payroll clerk with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chief payroll clerks. 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 chief payroll clerks.

1. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

2. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

5. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$11,803

Enrollment

4,631

6. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

7. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

10. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

20 best online courses for chief payroll clerks

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Top 10 most affordable universities for chief payroll clerks

The most affordable schools for chief payroll clerks are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for chief payroll clerks 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 chief payroll clerks.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

10. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief payroll clerks

The hardest universities for chief payroll clerks to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

Some great schools for chief payroll clerks 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 chief payroll clerks 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,307

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief payroll clerks

The easiest schools for chief payroll clerks to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief payroll clerk 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 chief payroll clerks.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

7. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

Average chief payroll clerk salary by education level

According to our data, chief payroll clerks with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $58,393 annually. Chief payroll clerks with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $55,794.

Chief payroll clerk education level	Chief payroll clerk salary
High School Diploma or Less	$54,512
Bachelor's Degree	$58,393
Some College/ Associate Degree	$55,794

Chief payroll clerk education FAQs

What is the best college for Chief Payroll Clerks?

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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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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