Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between payroll representatives and payroll clerks 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 representative and a payroll clerk. Additionally, a payroll representative has an average salary of $45,054, which is higher than the $41,602 average annual salary of a payroll clerk.
The top three skills for a payroll representative include data entry, payroll data and payroll system. The most important skills for a payroll clerk are data entry, payroll system, and photocopying.
| Payroll Representative | Payroll Clerk | |
| Yearly salary | $45,054 | $41,602 |
| Hourly rate | $21.66 | $20.00 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 6,076 | 71,944 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A payroll representative typically works in a company's human resources department, where their role focuses on processing payrolls and assisting employees. Although the extent of their duties depends on their company or industry of employment, it often includes answering employee inquiries about salaries and benefits, preparing and processing requests, and resolving issues and concerns. Moreover, a payroll representative is also responsible for tracking employee work hours, updating databases, and maintaining an active communication line with team members for a smooth and efficient workflow.
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. A payroll clerk must have strong analytical and organization skills, as well as a clear understanding of the organization's payroll policies, ensuring that the process follows regulatory procedures.
Payroll representatives and payroll clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Payroll Representative | Payroll Clerk | |
| Average salary | $45,054 | $41,602 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $63,000 | Between $31,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hartford, CT | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | ABB | MDU Resources |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a payroll representative and a payroll clerk in terms of educational background:
| Payroll Representative | Payroll Clerk | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 34% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between payroll representatives' and payroll clerks' demographics:
| Payroll Representative | Payroll Clerk | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5% | Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.8% Asian, 6.1% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |