Personnel assistant vs payroll & human resources assistant

The differences between personnel assistants and payroll & human resources assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a personnel assistant, becoming a payroll & human resources assistant takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a payroll & human resources assistant has an average salary of $41,680, which is higher than the $38,830 average annual salary of a personnel assistant.

The top three skills for a personnel assistant include human resources, data entry and office equipment. The most important skills for a payroll & human resources assistant are data entry, assist human resources, and background checks.

Personnel assistant vs payroll & human resources assistant overview

	Personnel Assistant	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant
Yearly salary	$38,830	$41,680
Hourly rate	$18.67	$20.04
Growth rate	-	-3%
Number of jobs	6,684	45,318
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Average age	43	48
Years of experience	2	4

What does a personnel assistant do?

Personnel assistants are professionals who perform administrative duties while assisting the human resources director to maintain and keep the records and confidential files of employees working in an organization. These assistants must communicate with all personnel about their compensation policies while ensuring that the company policies and procedures are consistently applied. They are required to coordinate with supervisors to create job descriptions and develop recruiting advertisements. Personnel assistants must also purchase office supplies while maintaining the cleanliness and orderliness of their office area.

What does a payroll & human resources assistant do?

The main duty of a Payroll & Human Resources Assistant is to provide payroll information through collecting time and attendance records. They also answer questions regarding examinations, eligibility, salaries, benefits, and other important information.

Personnel assistant vs payroll & human resources assistant salary

Personnel assistants and payroll & human resources assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Personnel Assistant	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant
Average salary	$38,830	$41,680
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $51,000	Between $29,000 And $59,000
Highest paying City	Monterey, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	New York
Best paying company	Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison	Compunetix
Best paying industry	Non Profits	Manufacturing

Differences between personnel assistant and payroll & human resources assistant education

There are a few differences between a personnel assistant and a payroll & human resources assistant in terms of educational background:

	Personnel Assistant	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 44%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Personnel assistant vs payroll & human resources assistant demographics

Here are the differences between personnel assistants' and payroll & human resources assistants' demographics:

	Personnel Assistant	Payroll & Human Resources Assistant
Average age	43	48
Gender ratio	Male, 18.5% Female, 81.5%	Male, 10.3% Female, 89.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 9.1% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 6.2% White, 58.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	15%	10%

Differences between personnel assistant and payroll & human resources assistant duties and responsibilities

Personnel assistant example responsibilities.

Manage new employee orientation training, including e-verify.
Maintain employee's timekeeping and personnel records.
Coordinate staff reports, monthly activity, insurance updates and EEO activity.
Record data for each employee, including absences, coaching and timekeeping.
Maintain and handle confidential information such as grievances, EEO relate matters, etc.
Create and maintain a database for the sick line, FMLA tracking, payroll document tracking, and benefit adjustment tracking.

Payroll & human resources assistant example responsibilities.

Manage and track PTO eligibility.
Manage new employee orientation training, including e-verify.
Update HRIS system with election updates, notify carriers of changes and perform reconciliation of payroll deductions with vendor invoices.
Streamline and update payroll processes and procedures in addition to implementing new time and attendance systems, HRIS and record keeping.
Work on Microsoft outlook, word, excel, KRONOS timekeeper and other programs on AS400.
Maintain attendance tracking system by recording employee tardy/absentee information, vacation hours earn and used, and FMLA time used.

Personnel assistant vs payroll & human resources assistant skills

Common personnel assistant skills

Human Resources, 16%
Data Entry, 13%
Office Equipment, 7%
CAC, 5%
Personnel Actions, 4%
Background Checks, 4%

Common payroll & human resources assistant skills

Data Entry, 6%
Assist Human Resources, 6%
Background Checks, 6%
ADP Payroll, 5%
Payroll Processing, 5%
Payroll System, 5%

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Personnel Assistant vs Payroll & Human Resources Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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