Q: Do I need a degree to do payroll?

No, you do not need a degree to do payroll. While a college degree is recommended, there are no formal educational requirements needed to work in payroll. It is recommended that those interested in a career in payroll look into earning certifications or completing a two-year associate's degree program in payroll.

Question 1

How long does it take to become a Payroll Administrator?

Accepted Answer

It takes 6 years of professional experience to become a payroll administrator. That is the time it takes to learn specific payroll administrator skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 9 to 11 years years to become a payroll administrator.

Question 2

Do I need a degree to do payroll?

Accepted Answer

No, you do not need a degree to do payroll. While a college degree is recommended, there are no formal educational requirements needed to work in payroll. It is recommended that those interested in a career in payroll look into earning certifications or completing a two-year associate's degree program in payroll.

Question 3

How do I start a career in payroll?

Accepted Answer

To start a career in payroll, you must have a high school diploma and some work experience. There are many certifications and programs available that can help payroll professionals in their careers.

Question 4

How do you become a certified payroll professional?

Accepted Answer

To become a certified payroll professional, you need to meet the qualification requirements, pass the CPP exam, and maintain your certification. Here are some details on these three steps that you can take to become a certified payroll professional (CPP):

Question 5

How much do payroll administrators make?

Accepted Answer

Payroll administrators make, on average, $21.22 an hour ($46,863 a year). The range in how much a payroll administrator makes is between $18 and $34 an hour. Factors such as location and company type impact how much a payroll administrator can make.

Question 6

What is payroll accounting?

Accepted Answer

Payroll accounting relates to all the costs an employer builds to properly pay employees for their work. This includes obvious costs like annual salaries, hourly wages, and other forms of compensation, but it also includes other factors.

Question 7

What is the difference between a payroll specialist and a payroll administrator?

Accepted Answer

The difference between a payroll specialist and a payroll administrator has to do with the scope of their role. A payroll administrator, for instance, is responsible for overseeing the entire payroll of a company, while a payroll specialist is only responsible for the department in which she works.

Question 8

What qualifications do I need to be a payroll administrator?

Accepted Answer

The qualifications needed to be a payroll administrator are the right mixture of training and experience working in payroll. To be a payroll administrator, you must have worked in payroll for several years and thoroughly understand how the payroll system works.

Question 9

What is a good starting salary for a Payroll Administrator?

Accepted Answer

A good starting salary for a payroll administrator is $35,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a payroll administrator in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for payroll administrators is $46,665, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a payroll administrator can vary by state.

Question 10

How much do people who do payroll get paid?

Accepted Answer

People who do payroll get paid, on average, $34,561 a year ($21.16 an hour). There is a range on how much a payroll clerk can make - starting from as little as $28,000 a year to as high as $75,5000 a year. Factors such as position type, location, and company type.

Question 11

Can a payroll administrator make 100k?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can make $100,000 per year as a payroll administrator. While possible, it is unlikely to earn over $100k as a payroll administrator because even higher-paid positions do not typically earn more than $62,000 per year. The average annual salary for a payroll administrator is $46,665. For example, payroll administrators in District of Columbia whose salaries are in the 90th percentile earn an average salary of $100,000.

Question 12

Is being a payroll administrator a good job?

Accepted Answer

Yes, being a payroll administrator is a good job. There are not a lot of prerequisites needed to work in payroll. After some experience, a payroll administrator can make pretty good money. There are also many different fields and industries that require payroll and provide some opportunity to advance in a payroll career.

Question 13

Is payroll a stressful job?

Accepted Answer

Yes, payroll is a stressful job. Factors such as payroll deadlines and high costs associated with making mistakes can cause stress. Well, they may not be busy all of the time; there are moments when the pressure is intense for those working in payroll.

Question 14

What percentage of Payroll Administrators are female?

Accepted Answer

81.9% of payroll administrators are female in the United States. This is -1.4 percentage points lower than last year. Additionally, the percentage of female payroll administrators has decreased by -1.4 percentage points since 2010. That means there are a total of 112,622 female payroll administrators in the U.S. and 24,890 male payroll administrators in the United States. Note that Zippia's estimate accounts only for the 137,512 people with the specific job title of payroll administrator and doesn't include grouping similar job titles, or people with potentially similar credentialing.

Question 15

How do you list payroll experience on a resume?

Accepted Answer

You list payroll experience on a resume by writing down all experience in providing payroll services and focusing on key soft skills and educational knowledge. Additionally, for resumes for payroll experience, it will be important to note any relevant certifications you have earned as well as any licensing that is required.

Question 16

What is a payroll administrator's job description?

Accepted Answer

A payroll administrator's job description involves everything associated with paying an organization's employees. This generally includes tracking hours worked and ensuring that employees are accurately paid for their time.

Question 17

How difficult is the certified payroll professional exam?

Accepted Answer

The certified payroll professional (CPP) exam is a fairly challenging exam that requires the test-taker to commit to considerable preparation and study. The exact difficulty of the exam might vary with each individual, based on their experience, knowledge, preparation, and the amount of studying they have done prior to taking the CPP exam.

Frequently asked questions about payroll administrators

Questions about becoming a payroll administrator