Payroll assistant vs benefits clerk

The differences between payroll assistants and benefits clerks 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 assistant and a benefits clerk. Additionally, a payroll assistant has an average salary of $45,023, which is higher than the $34,841 average annual salary of a benefits clerk.

The top three skills for a payroll assistant include data entry, payroll system and payroll data. The most important skills for a benefits clerk are payroll system, data entry, and open enrollment.

Payroll assistant vs benefits clerk overview

	Payroll Assistant	Benefits Clerk
Yearly salary	$45,023	$34,841
Hourly rate	$21.65	$16.75
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	7,063	75,454
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Payroll assistant vs benefits clerk salary

Payroll assistants and benefits clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Payroll Assistant	Benefits Clerk
Average salary	$45,023	$34,841
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $65,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Riverhead, NY	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	New York	Minnesota
Best paying company	Sidley Austin	Monarch Casino & Resort
Best paying industry	Construction	Government

Differences between payroll assistant and benefits clerk education

There are a few differences between a payroll assistant and a benefits clerk in terms of educational background:

	Payroll Assistant	Benefits Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Payroll assistant vs benefits clerk demographics

Here are the differences between payroll assistants' and benefits clerks' demographics:

	Payroll Assistant	Benefits Clerk
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 16.0% Female, 84.0%	Male, 13.3% Female, 86.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.0% Asian, 6.1% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 5.9% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between payroll assistant and benefits clerk duties and responsibilities

Payroll assistant example responsibilities.

Enter and update new employees into the timekeeping system KRONOS.
Perform payroll functions such as timekeeping and vacation days and submit to payroll.
Assist with the payroll process, time cards input and personal time off (PTO).
Prepare and input both weekly and biweekly payroll information using ADP software, ensuring information receive and transmit is accurate.
Process employee terminations including final pay calculations, PTO payment, deductions, and ensure payment meets state final pay requirements.
Maintain accurate records in PeopleSoft.

Benefits clerk example responsibilities.

Examine HMO documents to verify eligibility to process or reject into or from a manage care plan when necessary.
Enter employee data in HRIS system.
Used ADP HR/B software for benefits enrollment and reports.
Maintain retirement (401k) plan, FMLA and personnel records.
Monitor FMLA, CFRA, PDL, and personal leave of absence and premiums payments.
Update and maintain benefits data in the HRIS system to ensure accuracy and integrity of employee information.

Payroll assistant vs benefits clerk skills

Common payroll assistant skills

Data Entry, 16%
Payroll System, 7%
Payroll Data, 6%
Human Resources, 5%
ADP, 5%
Payroll Checks, 4%

Common benefits clerk skills

Payroll System, 17%
Data Entry, 8%
Open Enrollment, 7%
Cobra, 7%
HRIS, 5%
Human Resources, 5%