Payroll supervisor vs payroll bookkeeper

The differences between payroll supervisors and payroll bookkeepers 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 supervisor and a payroll bookkeeper. Additionally, a payroll supervisor has an average salary of $64,422, which is higher than the $46,087 average annual salary of a payroll bookkeeper.

The top three skills for a payroll supervisor include customer service, payroll system and payroll tax. The most important skills for a payroll bookkeeper are reconciliations, general ledger, and journal entries.

Payroll supervisor vs payroll bookkeeper overview

	Payroll Supervisor	Payroll Bookkeeper
Yearly salary	$64,422	$46,087
Hourly rate	$30.97	$22.16
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	6,668	8,176
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Payroll supervisor vs payroll bookkeeper salary

Payroll supervisors and payroll bookkeepers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Payroll Supervisor	Payroll Bookkeeper
Average salary	$64,422	$46,087
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $89,000	Between $34,000 And $60,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	New Jersey	-
Best paying company	eBay	-
Best paying industry	Technology	-

Differences between payroll supervisor and payroll bookkeeper education

There are a few differences between a payroll supervisor and a payroll bookkeeper in terms of educational background:

	Payroll Supervisor	Payroll Bookkeeper
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Payroll supervisor vs payroll bookkeeper demographics

Here are the differences between payroll supervisors' and payroll bookkeepers' demographics:

	Payroll Supervisor	Payroll Bookkeeper
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 21.3% Female, 78.7%	Male, 12.8% Female, 87.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.4% Asian, 6.0% White, 58.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 6.1% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between payroll supervisor and payroll bookkeeper duties and responsibilities

Payroll supervisor example responsibilities.

Manage the administration and processing of KRONOS time reporting system.
Manage installation of automate timekeeping systems in facilities, ensuring accurate, timely processing of time and attendance information.
Act as the HRIS backup running queries and reports as scheduled and upon request via PeopleSoft for management and key stakeholders.
Create journal entries and account reconciliations for key benefit programs and maintain account reconciliations of liability accounts.
Assist in implementing new PTO plan, work with ADP to interface system.
Check all new hire information, ensuring accuracy of information complete in KRONOS system.

Payroll bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Perform financial management functions including monthly financial statement preparation and bank reconciliations.
Maintain accounts receivable/accounts payable including handling cash and deposits; process reconciliations and financial reports using SchoolFunds.
Process 1099 and W2's.
Process ACH rejections and stop payments.
Post receivables of checks, ACH and credit card payments.

Payroll supervisor vs payroll bookkeeper skills

Common payroll supervisor skills

Customer Service, 9%
Payroll System, 6%
Payroll Tax, 5%
Reconciliations, 5%
Human Resources, 4%
Process Payroll, 4%

Common payroll bookkeeper skills

Reconciliations, 9%
General Ledger, 7%
Journal Entries, 5%
Tax Returns, 4%
Bank Reconciliations, 4%
Payroll Processing, 4%

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Payroll Supervisor
Payroll Supervisor vs Payroll Bookkeeper

Updated January 8, 2025

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