Payroll technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a payroll technician. Payroll technicians usually study business, accounting, or human resources management. 45% of payroll technicians hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,514 real payroll technician resumes to see exactly what payroll technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for payroll technicians are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online payroll technician courses to help get the education required to be a payroll technician.

There are certain payroll technician certifications that you should consider. These payroll technician certifications include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Payroll Certification.

What education do you need to become a payroll technician?

What degree do you need to be a payroll technician?

The most common degree for payroll technicians is bachelor's degree, with 45% of payroll technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 31% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 45%

Associate, 31%

High School Diploma, 9%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a payroll technician?

You should major in business to become a payroll technician. 35% of payroll technicians major in business. Other common majors for a payroll technician include accounting and human resources management.

Business, 35%

Accounting, 29%

Human Resources Management, 5%

General Studies, 3%

Other Majors, 28%

Most common colleges for payroll technicians

Payroll technicians often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and DeVry University. Here are the most common colleges for payroll technicians in the US based on their resumes.

Payroll technician common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	28.10%
Strayer University	9.09%
DeVry University	7.44%
University of the District of Columbia	4.13%
Liberty University	4.13%

Show more common payroll technician colleges

Best majors for payroll technicians

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	34.9%
2	Accounting	28.6%
3	Human Resources Management	5.3%
4	General Studies	3.4%
5	Finance	3.0%

Show more common payroll technician majors

Best colleges for payroll technicians

The best colleges for payroll technicians are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

A payroll technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for payroll technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become payroll technicians.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

20 best online courses for payroll technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for payroll technicians

The most affordable schools for payroll technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for payroll technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for payroll technicians.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for payroll technicians

The hardest universities for payroll technicians to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

Some great schools for payroll technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for payroll technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for payroll technicians

The easiest schools for payroll technicians to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a payroll technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for payroll technicians.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average payroll technician salary by education level

Payroll technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $50,105 annually. With a Associate degree, payroll technicians earn a median annual income of $47,184 compared to $45,758 for payroll technicians with an High School Diploma degree.

Payroll technician education level	Payroll technician salary
High School Diploma or Less	$45,758
Bachelor's Degree	$50,105
Some College/ Associate Degree	$47,184

Payroll technician education FAQs

What is the best college for Payroll Technicians?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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