Payroll administrator vs executive administrator

The differences between payroll administrators and executive administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a payroll administrator and an executive administrator. Additionally, an executive administrator has an average salary of $52,855, which is higher than the $46,596 average annual salary of a payroll administrator.

The top three skills for a payroll administrator include customer service, data entry and payroll system. The most important skills for an executive administrator are powerpoint, customer service, and expense reports.

Payroll administrator vs executive administrator overview

	Payroll Administrator	Executive Administrator
Yearly salary	$46,596	$52,855
Hourly rate	$22.40	$25.41
Growth rate	-3%	-8%
Number of jobs	55,490	141,235
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	48	49
Years of experience	4	4

What does a payroll administrator do?

A payroll administrator is responsible for processing the wages of employees in a company or organization. Aside from issuing payments, it is also the payroll administrator's task to audit, process taxes and other deductions, keep and maintain an organized record of data, respond to inquiries and resolve issues, and tally employee work hours. Furthermore, a payroll administrator needs to have efficient attention to detail as most of the tasks require accuracy and speed. It is also essential to communicate and coordinate with team members at all times.

What does an executive administrator do?

An executive administrator is responsible for assisting the senior management staff in planning strategies and analyzing business decisions to achieve the company's goals and objectives. Executive administrators schedule meetings and handle appointments, as well as helping with the implementation of training and programs for the employees to reach their maximum operational potential and increase productivity to meet projects' demands and ensure the highest customer satisfaction. They must have exceptional time-management and organizational skills, especially on performing administrative and clerical duties as needed, as well as excellent communication skills to respond to clients' inquiries, concerns, and requests.

Payroll administrator vs executive administrator salary

Payroll administrators and executive administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Payroll Administrator	Executive Administrator
Average salary	$46,596	$52,855
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $64,000	Between $35,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Seattle, WA
Highest paying state	Maine	New York
Best paying company	Northern Trust	JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Best paying industry	Construction	Technology

Differences between payroll administrator and executive administrator education

There are a few differences between a payroll administrator and an executive administrator in terms of educational background:

	Payroll Administrator	Executive Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Western Carolina University

Payroll administrator vs executive administrator demographics

Here are the differences between payroll administrators' and executive administrators' demographics:

	Payroll Administrator	Executive Administrator
Average age	48	49
Gender ratio	Male, 16.0% Female, 84.0%	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.1% Asian, 6.2% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 7.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 5.0% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between payroll administrator and executive administrator duties and responsibilities

Payroll administrator example responsibilities.

Manage year-end W2 audit/corrections and distribution.
Manage employee direct deposit accounts and initiate ACH reversals when necessary.
Manage all requisitions using PeopleSoft for the administrator and all assign departments.
Maintain KRONOS timekeeping system, review, sort and distribute employee upload file and multiple misc.
Maintain and monitor PTO balances and provide executive reports relate to vacation accruals.
Assist in implementing and training of MyTime and Lawson systems.

Executive administrator example responsibilities.

Manage grant funding from NIH, HRSA, and private foundations.
Manage on-site nursing services deliver to patients; oversee billing and supervise on-site personnel.
Manage day-to-day human resource functions: maintain HRIS database, conduct new employee orientation, and benefits administration.
Manage 200 staff personnel (145 FTE's), consisting of 15 classifications, two unions and exempt personnel.
Develop twitter marketing landing pages, manage and maintain social marketing sites, blogs, and constant contact marketing efforts.
Achieve JCAHO accreditation for ambulatory care facilities.

Payroll administrator vs executive administrator skills

Common payroll administrator skills

Customer Service, 9%
Data Entry, 7%
Payroll System, 6%
Human Resources, 5%
Payroll Data, 4%
Process Payroll, 4%

Common executive administrator skills

PowerPoint, 10%
Customer Service, 9%
Expense Reports, 7%
Office Procedures, 6%
Payroll, 5%
Data Entry, 5%

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Payroll Administrator vs Executive Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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