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Payroll and benefits specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Dr. Martha Martinez- Firestone Ph.D.,
Daniel Goldberg
Payroll and benefits specialist example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical payroll and benefits specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for payroll and benefits specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 15.1% of payroll and benefits specialist resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a payroll and benefits specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 payroll and benefits specialist skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use customer service:
  • Supervised inbound call center with over 300 customer service representatives.
  • Worked with customer service department and representatives regarding

2. HRIS

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use hris:
  • Worked with HR Management and IS staff to determine HRIS program/system changes, report specifications and integration with other supporting programs/systems.
  • Implemented a new payroll, HRIS, Time & attendance system that was more effective and offered self- service to employees.

3. Human Resources

Human resources is a set of people in a business or a corporation that are designated to locate, interview, and recruit new employees into the company. They are also responsible to maintain the integrity of the employees and help them sort their problems out. They try to introduce and manage employee-benefit programs.

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use human resources:
  • Managed daily support activity for human resources including the maintenance of employee information.
  • Promoted to Human Resources Manager/Office Manager position while retaining responsibilities of Benefits/Payroll Specialist.

4. ADP Workforce

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use adp workforce:
  • Process new-hire, termination paperwork and employee maintenance in ADP Workforce Now Portal and to benefit providers.
  • Verified new hires/terms, status changes and entered tax and direct deposit info in ADP Workforce Now/E-time.

5. Payroll Processing

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use payroll processing:
  • Administer and coordinate payroll processing and fringe benefit information and counseling.
  • Administered all aspects of payroll processing (data maintenance, reporting, interfaces and coordination with other departments).

6. Cobra

COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) is a federal law that allows employers of 20 or more employees who provide health care benefits to offer the option of continuing this coverage to individuals who would otherwise lose their benefits due to termination of employment, reduction in hours or certain other events. It is a temporary coverage that provides cash for medical expenses up to 18 months. The policy is helpful for retirees, former employees, former spouses, dependent children and spouses, workers laid off, on strike, fired for work, etc.

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use cobra:
  • Served as benefits administrator (medical/dental plans); managed benefits function from enrollment through termination, including COBRA administration.
  • Submitted COBRA notifications to Cobra administrator and processed enrollments and terms when applicable.

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7. Payroll System

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use payroll system:
  • Compiled new hire paperwork, reviewed company benefits package with new employees and set up new hires in the payroll system.
  • Streamlined the setup and training of benefits, open enrollment, and custom reports for clients using the payroll system.

8. Workers Compensation

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use workers compensation:
  • Administered workers compensation benefits resulting from on-the-job injuries, investigating accidents that lead to worker s compensation claims and safety violations.
  • Understand benefits programs, workers compensation and unemployment.

9. Benefits Administration

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use benefits administration:
  • Facilitate relations between employees, benefits administration company, and insurance company.
  • Process payroll and payment deduction checks; Reconcile billing for employee insurance plans, Benefits administration.

10. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use data entry:
  • Completed all payroll prep/data entry bi-weekly.
  • Created spreadsheet for use in daily data entry of employee leave information and status of paperwork.

11. PTO

Paid time off or often referred to as PTO, is given in most companies or agencies intended for their employees. Although there are many benefits and time offs given for employees such as vacation leave, sick leave, maternity or paternity leave, bereavement leave, PTO is when the worker is given time to have a break or not go to work for essential purposes. This kind of agreement happens every year, wherein the workers are paid to have a break from work. Not all employers give such an offer, depending on the status of the company.

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use pto:
  • Managed paid time off (PTO) for all staff, completed monthly payroll check reconciliation and performed electronic 401K transfers.
  • Calculated PTO accrual to be paid out and adjusted insurance payments for employee's last check.

12. FMLA

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use fmla:
  • Maintain Workman's Comp, FMLA, Sick Leave Donation Bank for the District, Garnishments and Support Orders.
  • Provided assistance and counseled employees on various leave programs such as NDI, FMLA, IDL, etc.

13. W-2

A W-2 form is also known as the Wage and Tax Statement. An employer is required to send this document to each employee and the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) yearly. A W-2 details the employee's annual wages and the taxes deducted from their paychecks. This does not include self-employed or contracted workers, who file taxes with separate forms.

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use w-2:
  • Fielded calls concerning payroll issues, W-2's, garnishments, wage reports, and tax issues.
  • Review W-2 Register and Tax Exceptions report for assigned client base and resolve any and all issues.

14. Open Enrollment

Open enrollment means a duration that comes every year that a person can sign up for health insurance or change the plan that a person has, for instance, if a person needs to deregister. The activity always features in a few weeks or months within a year. It allows workers to alter their benefit plans, including vision, dental, health insurance, life insurance, and disability.

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use open enrollment:
  • Assisted in annual open enrollment period to include providing materials from carriers, communicating changes to employees/answering questions.
  • Organize open enrollment for medical/voluntary benefits plans and implement benefit plans for approximately 100+ employees.

15. Payroll Data

Here's how payroll and benefits specialists use payroll data:
  • Work cross-functionally to ensure accurate payroll database for Reporting and Audit purposes.
  • Analyze and audit payroll data for payroll-related activity.
top-skills

What skills help Payroll And Benefits Specialists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What payroll and benefits specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Martha Martinez- Firestone Ph.D.Dr. Martha Martinez- Firestone Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Program, DePaul University

I think a gap year is great to transform passions into expertise. Cultivate knowledge and networks in areas where you would eventually like to get a job. Research the industry that interests you, attend industry events, make zoom connections, and get the skills that people are talking about. If possible, volunteer in those industries to enhance your knowledge, contacts, and resume.

What soft skills should all payroll and benefits specialists possess?

Daniel Goldberg

Assistant Professor, Temple University

The ability to communicate effectively, openly, empathically, and directly (without ambiguity) while making sure members within the organization understand their roles.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about payroll and benefits specialist

List of payroll and benefits specialist skills to add to your resume

Payroll and benefits specialist skills

The most important skills for a payroll and benefits specialist resume and required skills for a payroll and benefits specialist to have include:

  • Customer Service
  • HRIS
  • Human Resources
  • ADP Workforce
  • Payroll Processing
  • Cobra
  • Payroll System
  • Workers Compensation
  • Benefits Administration
  • Data Entry
  • PTO
  • FMLA
  • W-2
  • Open Enrollment
  • Payroll Data
  • FSA
  • Reconciliations
  • Status Changes
  • Health Insurance
  • ACA
  • General Ledger
  • Journal Entries
  • I-9
  • Kronos
  • Payroll Deductions
  • Unemployment Claims
  • Accruals
  • Multi-State Payroll
  • Manual Checks
  • HIPAA
  • HSA
  • Wage Garnishments
  • FLSA
  • Life Insurance
  • Benefit Deductions
  • Direct Deposits
  • Child Support
  • Benefit Programs
  • Benefit Changes
  • Review Payroll
  • Payroll Reports
  • Background Checks
  • Payroll Issues
  • Insurance Carriers
  • Benefits Eligibility
  • PeopleSoft
  • Tax Levies
  • Payroll Taxes
  • STD

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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