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Payroll and benefits specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a payroll and benefits specialist. Payroll and benefits specialists usually study business, accounting, or human resources management. 57% of payroll and benefits specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,266 real payroll and benefits specialist resumes to see exactly what payroll and benefits specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for payroll and benefits specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online payroll and benefits specialist courses to help get the education required to be a payroll and benefits specialist.
There are certain payroll and benefits specialist certifications that you should consider. These payroll and benefits specialist certifications include Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) and Payroll Certification.
What education do you need to become a payroll and benefits specialist?
What degree do you need to be a payroll and benefits specialist?
- Bachelor's, 57%
- Associate, 26%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a payroll and benefits specialist?
- Business, 36%
- Accounting, 20%
- Psychology, 7%
- Other Majors, 30%
Most common colleges for payroll and benefits specialists
| Payroll and benefits specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 23.85% |
| Strayer University | 9.17% |
| Madison Area Technical College | 5.50% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 5.50% |
| Western Washington University | 4.59% |
Best majors for payroll and benefits specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 35.5% |
| 2 | Accounting | 20.2% |
| 3 | Human Resources Management | 7.1% |
| 4 | Psychology | 6.5% |
| 5 | Management | 3.9% |
Best colleges for payroll and benefits specialists
The best colleges for payroll and benefits specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
A payroll and benefits specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for payroll and benefits specialists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become payroll and benefits specialists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,440
Enrollment
7,039
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$45,542
Enrollment
14,159
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
20 best online courses for payroll and benefits specialists
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20. Administrative Human Resources (HR) for Beginners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for payroll and benefits specialists
The most affordable schools for payroll and benefits specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - dominguez hills, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for payroll and benefits specialists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for payroll and benefits specialists.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for payroll and benefits specialists
The hardest universities for payroll and benefits specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for payroll and benefits specialists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for payroll and benefits specialists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
8. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for payroll and benefits specialists
The easiest schools for payroll and benefits specialists to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a payroll and benefits specialist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for payroll and benefits specialists.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average payroll and benefits specialist salary by education level
| Payroll and benefits specialist education level | Payroll and benefits specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $53,080 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $48,343 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,642 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $49,132 |
Payroll and benefits specialist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025