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Payroll/human resource manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a payroll/human resource manager. Payroll/human resource managers usually study business, accounting, or human resources management. 52% of payroll/human resource managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,267 real payroll/human resource manager resumes to see exactly what payroll/human resource manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for payroll/human resource managers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online payroll/human resource manager courses to help get the education required to be a payroll/human resource manager.
There are certain payroll/human resource manager certifications that you should consider. These payroll/human resource manager certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
What education do you need to become a payroll/human resource manager?
What degree do you need to be a payroll/human resource manager?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Associate, 27%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a payroll/human resource manager?
- Business, 38%
- Accounting, 22%
- Psychology, 4%
- Other Majors, 29%
Most common colleges for payroll/human resource managers
| Payroll/human resource manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 22.54% |
| DeVry University | 5.63% |
| Strayer University | 5.63% |
| Western Washington University | 5.63% |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | 4.93% |
Best majors for payroll/human resource managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 38.4% |
| 2 | Accounting | 22.1% |
| 3 | Human Resources Management | 6.8% |
| 4 | Psychology | 3.6% |
| 5 | Finance | 3.0% |
Best colleges for payroll/human resource managers
The best colleges for payroll/human resource managers are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
A payroll/human resource manager 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/human resource managers. 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/human resource managers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
20 best online courses for payroll/human resource managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for payroll/human resource managers
The most affordable schools for payroll/human resource managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of florida.
If the best universities for payroll/human resource managers 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/human resource managers.
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for payroll/human resource managers
The hardest universities for payroll/human resource managers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for payroll/human resource managers 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/human resource managers 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 Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for payroll/human resource managers
The easiest schools for payroll/human resource managers to get into are Barry 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/human resource manager 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/human resource managers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
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. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
9. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average payroll/human resource manager salary by education level
| Payroll/human resource manager education level | Payroll/human resource manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $97,778 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $89,733 |
| Doctorate Degree | $100,840 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $78,720 |
Payroll/human resource manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025