Payroll administrator vs payroll & human resources assistant

The differences between payroll administrators and payroll & human resources 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 & human resources assistant. Additionally, a payroll administrator has an average salary of $46,596, which is higher than the $41,680 average annual salary of a payroll & human resources assistant.

The top three skills for a payroll administrator include customer service, data entry and payroll system. The most important skills for a payroll & human resources assistant are data entry, assist human resources, and background checks.

Payroll administrator vs payroll & human resources assistant overview

	Payroll Administrator	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant
Yearly salary	$46,596	$41,680
Hourly rate	$22.40	$20.04
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	55,490	45,318
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
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 & human resources assistant do?

The main duty of a Payroll & Human Resources Assistant is to provide payroll information through collecting time and attendance records. They also answer questions regarding examinations, eligibility, salaries, benefits, and other important information.

Payroll administrator vs payroll & human resources assistant salary

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

	Payroll Administrator	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant
Average salary	$46,596	$41,680
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $64,000	Between $29,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Maine	New York
Best paying company	Northern Trust	Compunetix
Best paying industry	Construction	Manufacturing

Differences between payroll administrator and payroll & human resources assistant education

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

	Payroll Administrator	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Payroll administrator vs payroll & human resources assistant demographics

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

	Payroll Administrator	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 16.0% Female, 84.0%	Male, 10.3% Female, 89.7%
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, 8.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 6.2% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between payroll administrator and payroll & human resources 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 & human resources assistant example responsibilities.

Manage and track PTO eligibility.
Manage new employee orientation training, including e-verify.
Update HRIS system with election updates, notify carriers of changes and perform reconciliation of payroll deductions with vendor invoices.
Streamline and update payroll processes and procedures in addition to implementing new time and attendance systems, HRIS and record keeping.
Work on Microsoft outlook, word, excel, KRONOS timekeeper and other programs on AS400.
Maintain attendance tracking system by recording employee tardy/absentee information, vacation hours earn and used, and FMLA time used.

Payroll administrator vs payroll & human resources 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 & human resources assistant skills

Data Entry, 6%
Assist Human Resources, 6%
Background Checks, 6%
ADP Payroll, 5%
Payroll Processing, 5%
Payroll System, 5%

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Payroll Administrator vs Payroll & Human Resources Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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