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Payroll associate education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a payroll associate. Payroll associates usually study business, accounting, or finance. 51% of payroll associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,327 real payroll associate resumes to see exactly what payroll associate education sections show.
The most common colleges for payroll associates are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online payroll associate courses to help get the education required to be a payroll associate.
There are certain payroll associate certifications that you should consider. These payroll associate certifications include Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) and Payroll Certification.
What education do you need to become a payroll associate?
What degree do you need to be a payroll associate?
- Bachelor's, 51%
- Associate, 29%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a payroll associate?
- Business, 33%
- Accounting, 27%
- Finance, 5%
- Psychology, 4%
- Other Majors, 31%
Most common colleges for payroll associates
| Payroll associate common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 16.85% |
| Strayer University | 7.87% |
| Southern New Hampshire University | 7.87% |
| DeVry University | 5.62% |
| Baker College | 5.62% |
Best majors for payroll associates
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 32.8% |
| 2 | Accounting | 27.1% |
| 3 | Finance | 5.2% |
| 4 | Psychology | 4.0% |
| 5 | Human Resources Management | 4.0% |
Best colleges for payroll associates
The best colleges for payroll associates are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
A payroll associate 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 associates. 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 associates.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
5. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
20 best online courses for payroll associates
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Top 10 most affordable universities for payroll associates
The most affordable schools for payroll associates are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for payroll associates 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 associates.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
8. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for payroll associates
The hardest universities for payroll associates to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
Some great schools for payroll associates 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 associates 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for payroll associates
The easiest schools for payroll associates to get into are Notre Dame de Namur 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 associate 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 associates.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
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. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
8. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
9. Manor College
Jenkintown, PA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
898
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average payroll associate salary by education level
| Payroll associate education level | Payroll associate salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $45,954 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,925 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $47,260 |
Payroll associate education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025