Payroll specialist vs payroll technician

The differences between payroll specialists and payroll technicians 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 payroll technician. Additionally, a payroll specialist has an average salary of $46,462, which is higher than the $44,971 average annual salary of a payroll technician.

The top three skills for a payroll specialist include customer service, data entry and payroll data. The most important skills for a payroll technician are payroll system, human resources, and data entry.

Payroll specialist vs payroll technician overview

	Payroll Specialist	Payroll Technician
Yearly salary	$46,462	$44,971
Hourly rate	$22.34	$21.62
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	6,609	11,297
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

What does a payroll specialist do?

It is the primary duty of a payroll specialist to process payroll and maintain an accurate record of the personnel database and ensure employees are paid on time. Payroll specialists are in charge of addressing and resolving employee complaints regarding wages. Also, they manage the company's budget and expenses and prepare reports for the relevant departments. Those with a bachelor's degree in business or accounting are preferred to get the job. Candidates with related job experience and strong knowledge of tax, wage laws, and a good understanding of standard fiscal procedures are highly qualified for the position.

What does a payroll technician do?

A payroll technician may work in the finance or human resource department of an organization or with a payroll service. They are responsible for the collation and recording of employee payment data. As a payroll technician, you will apply organization systems, relevant laws, and other employment and labour regulations to process employees' payments. Depending on the payroll cycle, as a payroll technician, you will be expected to maintain accurate and up to date detailed information of staff for payroll purposes.

Payroll specialist vs payroll technician salary

Payroll specialists and payroll technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Payroll Specialist	Payroll Technician
Average salary	$46,462	$44,971
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $61,000	Between $30,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	New Jersey
Best paying company	Cambridge Associates	InfosysPublicService
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between payroll specialist and payroll technician education

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

	Payroll Specialist	Payroll Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Payroll specialist vs payroll technician demographics

Here are the differences between payroll specialists' and payroll technicians' demographics:

	Payroll Specialist	Payroll Technician
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7%	Male, 19.1% Female, 80.9%
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, 9.7% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.9% Asian, 6.1% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between payroll specialist and payroll technician 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.

Payroll technician example responsibilities.

Provide Kronos and Lawson support to management concerning departmental payroll and timekeeping.
Evaluate time cards through KRONOS for accuracy.
Transmit and process payroll for hourly/shift employees on a bi-weekly basis with the use of ADP software.
Process payroll from the loading of time and attendance files to submitting payment data to ADP for check printing.
Provide payroll calculation and leave posting input for computer processing.
Participate in the successful implementation of PeopleSoft from an in-house system.

Payroll specialist vs payroll technician skills

Common payroll specialist skills

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

Common payroll technician skills

Payroll System, 9%
Human Resources, 7%
Data Entry, 6%
Life Insurance, 5%
Kronos, 4%
Payroll Data, 4%

Payroll Specialist vs. similar jobs

Payroll Specialist related careers

Payroll Specialist related jobs

Payroll Specialist jobs by location

Zippia Careers
Office and Administrative Industry
Payroll Specialist
Payroll Specialist vs Payroll Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs