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The differences between payroll managers and timekeepers 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 timekeeper. Additionally, a payroll manager has an average salary of $86,147, which is higher than the $46,290 average annual salary of a timekeeper.
The top three skills for a payroll manager include customer service, human resources and payroll system. The most important skills for a timekeeper are timekeeping, data entry, and human resources.
| Payroll Manager | Timekeeper | |
| Yearly salary | $86,147 | $46,290 |
| Hourly rate | $41.42 | $22.25 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 6,972 | 754 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| 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 Timekeeper works in various industries and organizations and is typically hired as the acting liaison between payroll coordinators and employees. This is to make sure the pay distribution process runs smoothly. As a timekeeper, you will be required to maintain an accurate track of the total number of hours worked for payroll purposes. This involves compiling payroll data from timesheets, computing wages, including the removal of taxes and social security withholding, and putting it into the computer system.
Payroll managers and timekeepers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Payroll Manager | Timekeeper | |
| Average salary | $86,147 | $46,290 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $117,000 | Between $30,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | Ep Energy | - |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a payroll manager and a timekeeper in terms of educational background:
| Payroll Manager | Timekeeper | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between payroll managers' and timekeepers' demographics:
| Payroll Manager | Timekeeper | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 22.0% Female, 78.0% | Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8% |
| 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, 11.1% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.0% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |