Payroll technician vs technician

The differences between payroll technicians and technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a payroll technician, becoming a technician takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a payroll technician has an average salary of $44,971, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.

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

Payroll technician vs technician overview

	Payroll Technician	Technician
Yearly salary	$44,971	$38,045
Hourly rate	$21.62	$18.29
Growth rate	-3%	1%
Number of jobs	11,297	596,842
Job satisfaction	5	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	48	40
Years of experience	4	2

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.

What does a technician do?

Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

Payroll technician vs technician salary

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

	Payroll Technician	Technician
Average salary	$44,971	$38,045
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $66,000	Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	InfosysPublicService	Microsoft
Best paying industry	Finance	Telecommunication

Differences between payroll technician and technician education

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

	Payroll Technician	Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Payroll technician vs technician demographics

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

	Payroll Technician	Technician
Average age	48	40
Gender ratio	Male, 19.1% Female, 80.9%	Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	10%	2%

Differences between payroll technician and technician duties and responsibilities

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.

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Technician example responsibilities.

Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.

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Payroll technician vs technician skills

Common payroll technician skills

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

Common technician skills

Patients, 16%
Customer Service, 14%
Patient Care, 8%
Hand Tools, 6%
Diagnosis, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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