Payroll specialist vs tax specialist

The differences between payroll specialists and tax specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a tax specialist has an average salary of $57,168, 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 tax specialist are IRS, customer service, and tax compliance.

Payroll specialist vs tax specialist overview

	Payroll Specialist	Tax Specialist
Yearly salary	$46,462	$57,168
Hourly rate	$22.34	$27.48
Growth rate	-3%	-7%
Number of jobs	6,609	46,937
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	48	47
Years of experience	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 tax specialist do?

A tax specialist is responsible for handling the tax compliance and correspondence of an organization, finalizing tax audits, and resolving discrepancies. Tax specialists should have excellent knowledge of tax laws and federal regulations, ensuring the accuracy of tax statements, and filing it accurately and efficiently. They should also be highly-analytical and communicative, especially on explaining tax-related documents to the management or the clients, as well as analyzing tax computations and managing the company's financial transactions.

Payroll specialist vs tax specialist salary

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

	Payroll Specialist	Tax Specialist
Average salary	$46,462	$57,168
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $61,000	Between $36,000 And $88,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Stamford, CT
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Cambridge Associates	STMicroelectronics
Best paying industry	Technology	Finance

Differences between payroll specialist and tax specialist education

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

	Payroll Specialist	Tax Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Business	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Southern California

Payroll specialist vs tax specialist demographics

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

	Payroll Specialist	Tax Specialist
Average age	48	47
Gender ratio	Male, 17.3% Female, 82.7%	Male, 30.8% Female, 69.2%
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, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 10.0% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	8%

Differences between payroll specialist and tax 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.

Show more

Tax specialist example responsibilities.

Operate industry-specific taxation software to complete the tax returns.
Author of several articles on topics of international taxation.
Prepare and electronically file accurate and timely individual tax returns base on IRS regulations and company policies.
Conduct confidential interviews with individuals/couples using current IRS and state laws and manually or electronically file returns through proprietary software.
Prepare quarterly and annual tax accruals and return-to-provision calculations.
Analyze historical property tax for multiple internal divisions to accurately forecast current year expenses and support annual accruals.

Show more

Payroll specialist vs tax specialist skills

Common payroll specialist skills

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

Common tax specialist skills

IRS, 11%
Customer Service, 8%
Tax Compliance, 8%
Tax Issues, 7%
Taxation, 6%
Appeals, 6%

Payroll Specialist vs. similar jobs

Payroll Specialist related careers

Payroll Specialist related jobs

Payroll Specialist jobs by location

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z