Payroll administrator vs payroll assistant

The differences between payroll administrators 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 payroll administrator and a payroll assistant. Additionally, a payroll administrator has an average salary of $46,596, which is higher than the $45,023 average annual salary of a payroll assistant.

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

Payroll administrator vs payroll assistant overview

	Payroll Administrator	Payroll Assistant
Yearly salary	$46,596	$45,023
Hourly rate	$22.40	$21.65
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	55,490	7,063
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	48	48
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 a payroll assistant do?

A payroll assistant is primarily in charge of performing support tasks to help payroll managers maintain smooth workflow operations. Their duties entail maintaining databases, entering relevant data into systems, coordinating with different departments, handling tax forms and other paperwork, establishing schedules, processing deductions, and preparing regular reports. They may also manage calls and other forms of correspondence, perform research and assessments, keep records, and run errands as necessary. Additionally, a payroll assistant must maintain an open communication line with fellow staff and managers to solve potential or existing issues.

Payroll administrator vs payroll assistant salary

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

	Payroll Administrator	Payroll Assistant
Average salary	$46,596	$45,023
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $64,000	Between $31,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Riverhead, NY
Highest paying state	Maine	New York
Best paying company	Northern Trust	Sidley Austin
Best paying industry	Construction	Construction

Differences between payroll administrator and payroll assistant education

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

	Payroll Administrator	Payroll Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Payroll administrator vs payroll assistant demographics

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

	Payroll Administrator	Payroll Assistant
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 16.0% Female, 84.0%	Male, 16.0% Female, 84.0%
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, 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 payroll administrator and payroll assistant 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.

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.

Payroll administrator vs payroll assistant skills

Common payroll administrator skills

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

Common payroll assistant skills

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

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Payroll Administrator vs Payroll Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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