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Payroll administrator vs payroll bookkeeper

The differences between payroll administrators 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 payroll administrator and a payroll bookkeeper. Additionally, a payroll administrator has an average salary of $46,596, which is higher than the $46,087 average annual salary of a payroll bookkeeper.

The top three skills for a payroll administrator include customer service, data entry and payroll system. The most important skills for a payroll bookkeeper are reconciliations, general ledger, and journal entries.

Payroll administrator vs payroll bookkeeper overview

Payroll AdministratorPayroll Bookkeeper
Yearly salary$46,596$46,087
Hourly rate$22.40$22.16
Growth rate-3%-3%
Number of jobs55,4908,176
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 51%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age4848
Years of experience44

Payroll administrator vs payroll bookkeeper salary

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

Payroll AdministratorPayroll Bookkeeper
Average salary$46,596$46,087
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $64,000Between $34,000 And $60,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DC-
Highest paying stateMaine-
Best paying companyNorthern Trust-
Best paying industryConstruction-

Differences between payroll administrator and payroll bookkeeper education

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

Payroll AdministratorPayroll Bookkeeper
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 51%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common majorBusinessAccounting
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Payroll administrator vs payroll bookkeeper demographics

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

Payroll AdministratorPayroll Bookkeeper
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 16.0% Female, 84.0%Male, 12.8% Female, 87.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 18.5% Asian, 6.1% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between payroll administrator and payroll bookkeeper 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.
    • Show more

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.
    • Show more

Payroll administrator vs payroll bookkeeper 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 bookkeeper skills
  • Reconciliations, 9%
  • General Ledger, 7%
  • Journal Entries, 5%
  • Tax Returns, 4%
  • Bank Reconciliations, 4%
  • Payroll Processing, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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