Payroll specialist vs senior payroll specialist

The differences between payroll specialists and senior payroll specialists 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 senior payroll specialist. Additionally, a senior payroll specialist has an average salary of $59,503, which is higher than the $46,462 average annual salary of a payroll specialist.

The top three skills for a payroll specialist include customer service, data entry and payroll data. The most important skills for a senior payroll specialist are peoplesoft, payroll data, and reconciliations.

Payroll specialist vs senior payroll specialist overview

	Payroll Specialist	Senior Payroll Specialist
Yearly salary	$46,462	$59,503
Hourly rate	$22.34	$28.61
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	6,609	6,310
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
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 senior payroll specialist do?

Senior payroll specialists are professionals who are responsible for calculating the wages of employees of an organization accurately. These specialists are required to analyze and verify payroll reports and documents for accuracy while making the necessary corrections through journal entries or other established procedures. They must authorize and review payroll transactions as well as complete appropriate forms to adjust salary account funds. Senior payroll specialists must also conduct training sessions for other payroll professionals to explain information regarding payroll policies and procedures.

Payroll specialist vs senior payroll specialist salary

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

	Payroll Specialist	Senior Payroll Specialist
Average salary	$46,462	$59,503
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $61,000	Between $42,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	New Jersey
Best paying company	Cambridge Associates	MongoDB
Best paying industry	Technology	Technology

Differences between payroll specialist and senior payroll specialist education

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

	Payroll Specialist	Senior Payroll Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Payroll specialist vs senior payroll specialist demographics

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

	Payroll Specialist	Senior Payroll Specialist
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7%	Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8%
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, 9.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.0% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between payroll specialist and senior payroll specialist 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.

Senior payroll specialist example responsibilities.

Manage payroll imports into and out of HRIS, including master file and pay data additions and changes.
Update the maintenance of all job-relate records in the KRONOS timekeeping system, for all employees.
Perform thorough analysis of UltiPro timekeeping system prior to uploading to the payroll system on a biweekly basis.
Process payroll using ADP/ KRONOS for multiple companies.
Load pay changes for pay period into UltiPro.
Process regular wages, overtime wages, PTO, tips and toke incomes, etc.

Payroll specialist vs senior payroll specialist skills

Common payroll specialist skills

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

Common senior payroll specialist skills

PeopleSoft, 15%
Payroll Data, 5%
Reconciliations, 4%
HRIS, 4%
ADP Workforce, 3%
Data Entry, 3%

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Payroll Specialist vs Senior Payroll Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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