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The differences between payroll managers and payroll supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a payroll manager and a payroll supervisor. Additionally, a payroll manager has an average salary of $86,147, which is higher than the $64,422 average annual salary of a payroll supervisor.
The top three skills for a payroll manager include customer service, human resources and payroll system. The most important skills for a payroll supervisor are customer service, payroll system, and payroll tax.
| Payroll Manager | Payroll Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $86,147 | $64,422 |
| Hourly rate | $41.42 | $30.97 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 6,972 | 6,668 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A payroll manager is responsible for monitoring the payment process of all employees. Payroll managers oversee payroll records, reviewing calculable taxes and other deductions, creating a comprehensive summary of payroll details, managing payroll discrepancies, and releasing payroll checks through the organization's payment method. They must also follow strict procedures on legal requirements and tax obligations. A payroll manager must have excellent analytical and communication skills, especially on responding to the employees' inquiries and concerns, as well as managing the performance of the payroll staff.
A payroll supervisor ensures employee salaries are released in a timely manner and accounts for all payrolls and cash released by the company. The payroll supervisor organizes all financial transactions and generates reports for accounting. This position ensures employees are paid accurately and calculates all deductibles such as insurance, child support, taxes, and payroll adjustments. The payroll supervisor must have accounting and bookkeeping skills and has pertinent experience in relevant fields of study.
Payroll managers and payroll supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Payroll Manager | Payroll Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $86,147 | $64,422 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $117,000 | Between $46,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Ep Energy | eBay |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a payroll manager and a payroll supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Payroll Manager | Payroll Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between payroll managers' and payroll supervisors' demographics:
| Payroll Manager | Payroll Supervisor | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 22.0% Female, 78.0% | Male, 21.3% Female, 78.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.1% White, 57.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 6.0% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |