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Payroll & human resources assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a payroll & human resources assistant. Payroll & human resources assistants usually study business, accounting, or human resources management. 44% of payroll & human resources assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,056 real payroll & human resources assistant resumes to see exactly what payroll & human resources assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for payroll & human resources assistants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online payroll & human resources assistant courses to help get the education required to be a payroll & human resources assistant.
There are certain payroll & human resources assistant certifications that you should consider. These payroll & human resources assistant certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Medical Assistant.
What education do you need to become a payroll & human resources assistant?
What degree do you need to be a payroll & human resources assistant?
- Bachelor's, 44%
- Associate, 29%
- High School Diploma, 13%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a payroll & human resources assistant?
- Business, 37%
- Accounting, 21%
- Psychology, 4%
- Other Majors, 29%
Most common colleges for payroll & human resources assistants
| Payroll & human resources assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 34.75% |
| DeVry University | 6.36% |
| Strayer University | 5.08% |
| American InterContinental University | 4.24% |
| Ashford University | 3.81% |
Best majors for payroll & human resources assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 37.3% |
| 2 | Accounting | 20.9% |
| 3 | Human Resources Management | 9.1% |
| 4 | Psychology | 4.3% |
| 5 | General Studies | 3.4% |
Best colleges for payroll & human resources assistants
The best colleges for payroll & human resources assistants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
A payroll & human resources assistant 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 resources assistants. 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 resources assistants.
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. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for payroll & human resources assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for payroll & human resources assistants
The most affordable schools for payroll & human resources assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for payroll & human resources assistants 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 resources assistants.
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. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
9. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Cost of attendance
22,990
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for payroll & human resources assistants
The hardest universities for payroll & human resources assistants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for payroll & human resources assistants 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 resources assistants 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
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. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for payroll & human resources assistants
The easiest schools for payroll & human resources assistants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, gwynedd mercy university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a payroll & human resources assistant 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 resources assistants.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
6. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
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 & human resources assistant salary by education level
| Payroll & human resources assistant education level | Payroll & human resources assistant salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,341 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,968 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $43,533 |
Payroll & human resources assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025