Payroll analyst vs payroll representative

The differences between payroll analysts and payroll representatives 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 analyst and a payroll representative. Additionally, a payroll analyst has an average salary of $54,217, which is higher than the $45,054 average annual salary of a payroll representative.

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

Payroll analyst vs payroll representative overview

	Payroll Analyst	Payroll Representative
Yearly salary	$54,217	$45,054
Hourly rate	$26.07	$21.66
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	15,555	6,076
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

What does a payroll analyst do?

A payroll analyst is primarily in charge of overseeing a company's payroll processes and transactions, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating with human resources for accurate and complete timesheets and employee data, managing calendars and schedules, calculating wages and deductions, and performing consistent audits. There are also instances when a payroll analyst must perform clerical tasks such as processing documents, prepare progress reports, and respond to employee inquiries. Furthermore, it is essential to report to managers should there be any issues and concerns.

What does a payroll representative do?

A payroll representative typically works in a company's human resources department, where their role focuses on processing payrolls and assisting employees. Although the extent of their duties depends on their company or industry of employment, it often includes answering employee inquiries about salaries and benefits, preparing and processing requests, and resolving issues and concerns. Moreover, a payroll representative is also responsible for tracking employee work hours, updating databases, and maintaining an active communication line with team members for a smooth and efficient workflow.

Payroll analyst vs payroll representative salary

Payroll analysts and payroll representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Payroll Analyst	Payroll Representative
Average salary	$54,217	$45,054
Salary range	Between $39,000 And $74,000	Between $31,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Olympia, WA	Hartford, CT
Highest paying state	Washington	New Jersey
Best paying company	Varian Medical Systems	ABB
Best paying industry	Technology	Health Care

Differences between payroll analyst and payroll representative education

There are a few differences between a payroll analyst and a payroll representative in terms of educational background:

	Payroll Analyst	Payroll Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Payroll analyst vs payroll representative demographics

Here are the differences between payroll analysts' and payroll representatives' demographics:

	Payroll Analyst	Payroll Representative
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 24.2% Female, 75.8%	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.1% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 6.1% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between payroll analyst and payroll representative duties and responsibilities

Payroll analyst example responsibilities.

Manage all activities relate to base pay, overtime, PTO, garnishments and payroll tax.
Perform monthly accounting functions including journal entries, general ledger account reconciliations, benefit and salary accruals, and headcount reconciliations.
Create PowerPoint slides to train new timekeepers and managers in KRONOS.
Lead functional tester in support of timekeeping, payroll and labor upgrades and conversion projects.
Support the third-party web applications like KRONOS and custom-built time entry systems to input the time data
Enter new hires, terminations, and employee maintenance changes into HRIS & ADP including process employee benefit elections.

Payroll representative example responsibilities.

Initial set up of associates and day to day processes within Kronos
Field and answer employee payroll questions, assisting staff with determining quota balances, union contract terms, and proper timekeeping.
Prepare tax reports and reconciliations.
Provide individual assistance with timekeeping system as needed.
Compile and provide earning statements while utilizing PeopleSoft and excel spreadsheets.
Prepare and analyze payroll management reports for supervisors and managers, utilizing PeopleSoft reporting.

Payroll analyst vs payroll representative skills

Common payroll analyst skills

Customer Service, 11%
Payroll System, 6%
Payroll Data, 4%
Human Resources, 4%
Reconciliations, 4%
Data Entry, 3%

Common payroll representative skills

Data Entry, 7%
Payroll Data, 7%
Payroll System, 6%
Human Resources, 6%
Kronos, 4%
Customer Service, 4%

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Payroll Analyst
Payroll Analyst vs Payroll Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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