Payroll specialist vs benefits clerk

The differences between payroll specialists and benefits 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 specialist and a benefits clerk. Additionally, a payroll specialist has an average salary of $46,462, which is higher than the $34,841 average annual salary of a benefits clerk.

The top three skills for a payroll specialist include customer service, data entry and payroll data. The most important skills for a benefits clerk are payroll system, data entry, and open enrollment.

Payroll specialist vs benefits clerk overview

	Payroll Specialist	Benefits Clerk
Yearly salary	$46,462	$34,841
Hourly rate	$22.34	$16.75
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	6,609	75,454
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Payroll specialist vs benefits clerk salary

Payroll specialists and benefits clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Payroll Specialist	Benefits Clerk
Average salary	$46,462	$34,841
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $61,000	Between $27,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Minnesota
Best paying company	Cambridge Associates	Monarch Casino & Resort
Best paying industry	Technology	Government

Differences between payroll specialist and benefits clerk education

There are a few differences between a payroll specialist and a benefits clerk in terms of educational background:

	Payroll Specialist	Benefits Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Payroll specialist vs benefits clerk demographics

Here are the differences between payroll specialists' and benefits clerks' demographics:

	Payroll Specialist	Benefits Clerk
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7%	Male, 13.3% Female, 86.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 5.9% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between payroll specialist and benefits clerk duties and responsibilities

Payroll specialist example responsibilities.

Manage a bi-weekly payroll in accordance with establish processes, including auditing timekeeping records for compliance with establish standards and policies.
Handle all FMLA, insurance, employee benefits and processing the payroll on bi-weekly bases through the KRONOS timekeeping system.
Utilize KRONOS for timekeeping and to administer security access.
Prepare payroll journal entry and provide guidance in general ledger reconciliations pertaining to payroll general ledger accounts and labor expense distribution
Establish new hires in the KRONOS timekeeping system and provide guidance and assistance to associates to communicate their responsibilities regarding payroll/timekeeping.
Input employee data into Lawson payroll program while using the utmost integrity to keep information confidential.

Benefits clerk example responsibilities.

Examine HMO documents to verify eligibility to process or reject into or from a manage care plan when necessary.
Enter employee data in HRIS system.
Used ADP HR/B software for benefits enrollment and reports.
Maintain retirement (401k) plan, FMLA and personnel records.
Monitor FMLA, CFRA, PDL, and personal leave of absence and premiums payments.
Update and maintain benefits data in the HRIS system to ensure accuracy and integrity of employee information.

Payroll specialist vs benefits clerk skills

Common payroll specialist skills

Customer Service, 13%
Data Entry, 7%
Payroll Data, 5%
Human Resources, 4%
ADP Workforce, 4%
Kronos, 3%

Common benefits clerk skills

Payroll System, 17%
Data Entry, 8%
Open Enrollment, 7%
Cobra, 7%
HRIS, 5%
Human Resources, 5%