How To Become A Payroll Bookkeeper: What It Is and Career Path

What is a payroll bookkeeper and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Jodi Olson

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a payroll bookkeeper. For example, did you know that they make an average of $22.16 an hour? That's $46,087 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -3% and produce -38,500 job opportunities across the U.S.

What's a day at work look like for a payroll bookkeeper?

Jodi Olson

Assistant Accounting Professor, Winona State University

Graduates could see a range of possibilities from working entirely remotely to fully on-site with precautions in place, based on recent graduate and internship experiences we have seen during the pandemic. Except for a very few internships cut short or cancelled immediately at the onset of the pandemic as the profession adapted to unknowns and putting safety measures in place, we have not seen a significant change in the demand for interns or graduates. Some new graduates expect their first day on the jobs to be remote and feel ready to meet that challenge being familiar with the technology required to be productive and communicate virtually. It has become an assumption that precautions are in place, regardless of the remote or in-person setting. It seems that both graduates and employers are working hard together to achieve success, both with caution and the usual high professional standards.

ScorePayroll BookkeeperUS Average

Salary

3.6

Avg. Salary $46,087

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.6

Growth rate -3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.52%

Asian 6.06%

Black or African American 9.27%

Hispanic or Latino 18.49%

Unknown 6.07%

White 58.60%

Gender

female 87.19%

male 12.81%

Age - 49

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49

Stress level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a payroll bookkeeper

Explore payroll bookkeeper education requirements

Most common payroll bookkeeper degrees

Bachelor's

36.1 %

Associate

35.3 %

High School Diploma

13.7 %

Start to develop specific payroll bookkeeper skills

Skills	Percentages
Reconciliations	8.89%
General Ledger	6.76%
Journal Entries	4.81%
Tax Returns	4.49%
Bank Reconciliations	4.30%

Complete relevant payroll bookkeeper training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New payroll bookkeepers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a payroll bookkeeper based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real payroll bookkeeper resumes.

Research payroll bookkeeper duties and responsibilities

Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Perform financial management functions including monthly financial statement preparation and bank reconciliations.
Maintain accounts receivable/accounts payable including handling cash and deposits; process reconciliations and financial reports using SchoolFunds.
Process 1099 and W2's.

Prepare your payroll bookkeeper resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your payroll bookkeeper resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a payroll bookkeeper resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable payroll bookkeeper resume templates

Build a professional payroll bookkeeper resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your payroll bookkeeper resume.