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The differences between payroll clerks and payroll managers 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 clerk and a payroll manager. Additionally, a payroll manager has an average salary of $86,147, which is higher than the $41,602 average annual salary of a payroll clerk.
The top three skills for a payroll clerk include data entry, payroll system and photocopying. The most important skills for a payroll manager are customer service, human resources, and payroll system.
| Payroll Clerk | Payroll Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $41,602 | $86,147 |
| Hourly rate | $20.00 | $41.42 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 71,944 | 6,972 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A payroll clerk is responsible for managing the payroll process by collecting the necessary information needed to release payments. Payroll clerks' duties include verifying timesheets, calculating necessary deductions, issuing paychecks timely, managing payment discrepancies and disputes, updating employee's payment information in the database, and creating payroll reports. A payroll clerk must have strong analytical and organization skills, as well as a clear understanding of the organization's payroll policies, ensuring that the process follows regulatory procedures.
A payroll manager is responsible for monitoring the payment process of all employees. Payroll managers oversee payroll records, reviewing calculable taxes and other deductions, creating a comprehensive summary of payroll details, managing payroll discrepancies, and releasing payroll checks through the organization's payment method. They must also follow strict procedures on legal requirements and tax obligations. A payroll manager must have excellent analytical and communication skills, especially on responding to the employees' inquiries and concerns, as well as managing the performance of the payroll staff.
Payroll clerks and payroll managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Payroll Clerk | Payroll Manager | |
| Average salary | $41,602 | $86,147 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $55,000 | Between $63,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | MDU Resources | Ep Energy |
| Best paying industry | Government | Finance |
There are a few differences between a payroll clerk and a payroll manager in terms of educational background:
| Payroll Clerk | Payroll Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Business | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between payroll clerks' and payroll managers' demographics:
| Payroll Clerk | Payroll Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% | Male, 22.0% Female, 78.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.1% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |