How to hire a payroll & human resources assistant

How to hire a payroll & human resources assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step payroll & human resources assistant hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a payroll & human resources assistant job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new payroll & human resources assistant
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a payroll & human resources assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the payroll & human resources assistant you need to hire. Certain payroll & human resources assistant roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect payroll & human resources assistant also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of payroll & human resources assistant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Payroll & Human Resources Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Payroll & Human Resources Assistant	Financial clerks do administrative work for many types of organizations. They keep records, help customers, and carry out financial transactions.	$13-28
   Payroll Clerk	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... Show more	$14-26
   Payroll Analyst	A payroll analyst is primarily in charge of overseeing a company's payroll processes and transactions, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. Their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating with human resources for accurate and complete timesheets and employee data, managing calendars and schedules, calculating wages and deductions, and performing consistent audits... Show more	$18-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Entry
   • Assist Human Resources
   • Background Checks
   • ADP Payroll
   • Payroll Processing
   • Payroll System
   • HRIS
   • Kronos
   • Workers Compensation
   • Open Enrollment
   • ADP Workforce
   • I-9
   • Payroll Data
   • FMLA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and track PTO eligibility.
   • Manage new employee orientation training, including e-verify.
   • Update HRIS system with election updates, notify carriers of changes and perform reconciliation of payroll deductions with vendor invoices.
   • Streamline and update payroll processes and procedures in addition to implementing new time and attendance systems, HRIS and record keeping.
   • Work on Microsoft outlook, word, excel, KRONOS timekeeper and other programs on AS400.
   • Maintain attendance tracking system by recording employee tardy/absentee information, vacation hours earn and used, and FMLA time used.

   More payroll & human resources assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your payroll & human resources assistant job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A payroll & human resources assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a payroll & human resources assistant in Louisiana may be lower than in New York, and an entry-level payroll & human resources assistant usually earns less than a senior-level payroll & human resources assistant. Additionally, a payroll & human resources assistant with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average payroll & human resources assistant salary

   $41,680yearly

   $20.04 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level payroll & human resources assistant salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average payroll & human resources assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$55,488	$27
   2	California	$50,073	$24
   3	Utah	$43,158	$21
   4	Virginia	$42,759	$21
   5	Washington	$42,482	$20
   6	Ohio	$42,067	$20
   7	Minnesota	$41,943	$20
   8	Texas	$39,650	$19
   9	Pennsylvania	$39,078	$19
   10	Iowa	$38,592	$19
   11	Hawaii	$37,511	$18
   12	Florida	$37,209	$18
   13	Idaho	$36,267	$17
   14	Georgia	$35,885	$17
   15	Nebraska	$35,080	$17
   16	Tennessee	$33,909	$16
   17	Alabama	$30,050	$14

   Average payroll & human resources assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Compunetix	$77,596	$37.31
   2	Santander Bank	$63,732	$30.64
   3	Cenergy International Services	$55,759	$26.81
   4	Hawaii Pacific Health	$51,878	$24.94
   5	Flex-N-Gate	$50,063	$24.07	3
   6	City of Seattle	$49,746	$23.92	3
   7	University of California	$48,743	$23.43	8
   8	Santander Private Banking International	$45,065	$21.67
   9	Banco Santander	$44,144	$21.22
   10	Healthcare Staffing Solutions Inc	$43,957	$21.13
   11	Epm Inc	$43,957	$21.13
   12	Ampi	$43,154	$20.75
   13	Nebraska Methodist Health System	$42,082	$20.23
   14	Little Lukes	$42,066	$20.22
   15	Milpitas Christian Preschool	$41,942	$20.16
   16	Kroger	$41,858	$20.12	16
   17	Randstad North America, Inc.	$41,813	$20.10	7
   18	SIERRA HEALTH SERVICES INC	$41,295	$19.85
   19	Northpoint	$40,798	$19.61	5
   20	Robert Half	$40,493	$19.47	430

4. Writing a payroll & human resources assistant job description

   A job description for a payroll & human resources assistant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a payroll & human resources assistant job description:

   Payroll & human resources assistant job description example

   Hourly/Hourly Clerical
   
   Date Posted:
   10/4/2022
   
   Location:
   CCPS Central Office
   
   Closing Date:
   10/18/2022As part of the Human Resources Department, the Hourly HR Clerical will collaborate with the HR staff as well as current and perspective CCPS employees to assist in the delivery of HR services and to provide a variety of complex, but routine, clerical/secretarial services.
   
   
   Pay Schedule: Hourly
   
   Reports to: Human Resources Supervisor
   
   ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
   Schedule and conduct new employee onboarding meetings. Answer telephones, schedule appointments and make arrangements for meetings or appointments. Provide support and troubleshoot issues for current and perspective employees who call and visit the Human Resources office. Maintains frequent contact with the public, CCPS employees via telephone, email and written correspondence. Maintains confidentiality in all Human Resources practices. Performs other duties as related to the Human Resources Department.
   MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS Demonstrate superior human relations skills Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills Experience with Microsoft Office Suite Ability to operate office equipment to include scanner, copier, multi-line telephone system and computer. Experience in human resources preferred
   PHYSICAL DEMANDS
   Light Work: Exerting moderate but not constant physical effort to perform light work, typically involving some combination of balancing, climbing, crawling, crouching, feeling, grasping, handling, hearing, kneeling, lifting, mental acuity, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, speaking, standing, stooping, talking, visual acuity, walking and may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of moderate weight (up to 20 pounds), visual perception and discrimination, the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds, perceive and discriminate color, perceive odors, and require oral communications.
   
   WORKING CONDITIONS
   Employees in this position work in a safe and secure work environment that may periodically have unpredicted requirements or demands.
   
   Carroll County Public Schools has the right to revise this position description at any time, and ensuing acknowledgement of understanding does not represent in any way a contract of employment.
   
   Attachment(s): Hourly HR Clerical

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find payroll & human resources assistants for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your payroll & human resources assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit payroll & human resources assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit payroll & human resources assistants, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new payroll & human resources assistant

   Once you have selected a candidate for the payroll & human resources assistant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new payroll & human resources assistant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a payroll & human resources assistant?