Payroll & human resources assistant vs senior human resources specialist

The differences between payroll & human resources assistants and senior human resources specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a payroll & human resources assistant, becoming a senior human resources specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior human resources specialist has an average salary of $63,956, which is higher than the $41,680 average annual salary of a payroll & human resources assistant.

The top three skills for a payroll & human resources assistant include data entry, assist human resources and background checks. The most important skills for a senior human resources specialist are payroll, customer service, and HRIS.

Payroll & human resources assistant vs senior human resources specialist overview

	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant	Senior Human Resources Specialist
Yearly salary	$41,680	$63,956
Hourly rate	$20.04	$30.75
Growth rate	-3%	8%
Number of jobs	45,318	46,316
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	48	41
Years of experience	4	6

What does a payroll & human resources assistant do?

The main duty of a Payroll & Human Resources Assistant is to provide payroll information through collecting time and attendance records. They also answer questions regarding examinations, eligibility, salaries, benefits, and other important information.

What does a senior human resources specialist do?

A senior human resources specialist is responsible for monitoring the human resources operations of an organization, managing employment processes and policies, and handling staffing needs and concerns. Senior human resources specialists design training and programs to maintain staff's efficiency and maximize the employees' productivity to support business functional operations. They also coordinate with management leaders to identify their hiring needs, evaluating their specifications for recruitment. A senior human resources specialist reviews the company's policies and guidelines regularly, adjusting procedures according to state regulations and business requirements.

Payroll & human resources assistant vs senior human resources specialist salary

Payroll & human resources assistants and senior human resources specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant	Senior Human Resources Specialist
Average salary	$41,680	$63,956
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $59,000	Between $45,000 And $89,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Compunetix	Edwards Lifesciences
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Finance

Differences between payroll & human resources assistant and senior human resources specialist education

There are a few differences between a payroll & human resources assistant and a senior human resources specialist in terms of educational background:

	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant	Senior Human Resources Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Payroll & human resources assistant vs senior human resources specialist demographics

Here are the differences between payroll & human resources assistants' and senior human resources specialists' demographics:

	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant	Senior Human Resources Specialist
Average age	48	41
Gender ratio	Male, 10.3% Female, 89.7%	Male, 24.7% Female, 75.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 6.2% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 7.7% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	9%

Differences between payroll & human resources assistant and senior human resources specialist duties and responsibilities

Payroll & human resources assistant example 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.

Senior human resources specialist example responsibilities.

Lead annual EEO-1 reporting team.
Manage, implement, and administer proper hiring process to reduce turnover in compliance with e-verify processes and federal law.
Maintain and update personnel records in Peoplesoft and Kronos computer programs.
Participate in regular system updates as well as providing data integrity and functionality in a global HRIS environment.
Process I9's through HireRight.
Experience in Microsoft office products and payroll/personnel systems such as Lawson and KRONOS.

Payroll & human resources assistant vs senior human resources specialist skills

Common payroll & human resources assistant skills

Data Entry, 6%
Assist Human Resources, 6%
Background Checks, 6%
ADP Payroll, 5%
Payroll Processing, 5%
Payroll System, 5%

Common senior human resources specialist skills

Payroll, 12%
Customer Service, 8%
HRIS, 7%
PowerPoint, 6%
Develop Recommendations, 5%
Provide Technical Assistance, 5%

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Payroll & Human Resources Assistant
Payroll & Human Resources Assistant vs Senior Human Resources Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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