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Payroll examiner education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a payroll examiner. Payroll examiners usually study business, educational leadership, or marketing. 50% of payroll examiners hold a bachelor's degree, and 50% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 13 real payroll examiner resumes to see exactly what payroll examiner education sections show.

The most common colleges for payroll examiners are the Monroe College and the Monroe College.

There are also many online payroll examiner courses to help get the education required to be a payroll examiner.

What education do you need to become a payroll examiner?

What degree do you need to be a payroll examiner?

  • Bachelor's, 50%
  • Associate, 50%

What should I major in to become a payroll examiner?

You should major in business to become a payroll examiner. 38% of payroll examiners major in business. Other common majors for a payroll examiner include educational leadership and marketing.

Most common colleges for payroll examiners

Payroll examiners often get their degrees at Monroe College, Kent State University, and John Carroll University. Here are the most common colleges for payroll examiners in the US based on their resumes.
Payroll examiner common collegePercentages
Monroe College33.33%
Kent State University33.33%
John Carroll University33.33%

Best majors for payroll examiners

RankMajorPercentages
1Business37.5%
2Educational Leadership12.5%
3Marketing12.5%
4Economics12.5%
5Accounting12.5%

Best colleges for payroll examiners

The best colleges for payroll examiners are Northeastern University, Boston College, and Boston University.

A payroll examiner 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 examiners. 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 examiners.

1. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

2. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Enrollment

58,392

3. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Enrollment

34,637

4. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

5. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Enrollment

41,777

7. American University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$48,459

Enrollment

7,485

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Enrollment

23,265

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

20 best online courses for payroll examiners

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Top 10 most affordable universities for payroll examiners

The most affordable schools for payroll examiners are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - fullerton, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for payroll examiners 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 examiners.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

10. University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,368

Cost of attendance

21,034

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for payroll examiners

The hardest universities for payroll examiners to get into are Northeastern University, Boston College, and Boston University.

Some great schools for payroll examiners 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 examiners 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

9. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

10. American University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,320

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for payroll examiners

The easiest schools for payroll examiners to get into are Kean University, william paterson university of new jersey, and university of north texas at dallas.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a payroll examiner 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 examiners.

1. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

2. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. American International College

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,010

5. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

6. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

7. Rosemont College

Rosemont, PA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,026

8. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

9. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average payroll examiner salary by education level

According to our data, payroll examiners with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $59,513 annually. Payroll examiners with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $44,873.
Payroll examiner education levelPayroll examiner salary
Bachelor's Degree$59,513
Some College/ Associate Degree$44,873

Payroll examiner education FAQs

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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.

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