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The differences between senior payroll specialists and timekeepers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a senior payroll specialist and a timekeeper. Additionally, a senior payroll specialist has an average salary of $59,503, which is higher than the $46,290 average annual salary of a timekeeper.
The top three skills for a senior payroll specialist include peoplesoft, payroll data and reconciliations. The most important skills for a timekeeper are timekeeping, data entry, and human resources.
| Senior Payroll Specialist | Timekeeper | |
| Yearly salary | $59,503 | $46,290 |
| Hourly rate | $28.61 | $22.25 |
| Growth rate | -3% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 6,310 | 754 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Senior payroll specialists are professionals who are responsible for calculating the wages of employees of an organization accurately. These specialists are required to analyze and verify payroll reports and documents for accuracy while making the necessary corrections through journal entries or other established procedures. They must authorize and review payroll transactions as well as complete appropriate forms to adjust salary account funds. Senior payroll specialists must also conduct training sessions for other payroll professionals to explain information regarding payroll policies and procedures.
A Timekeeper works in various industries and organizations and is typically hired as the acting liaison between payroll coordinators and employees. This is to make sure the pay distribution process runs smoothly. As a timekeeper, you will be required to maintain an accurate track of the total number of hours worked for payroll purposes. This involves compiling payroll data from timesheets, computing wages, including the removal of taxes and social security withholding, and putting it into the computer system.
Senior payroll specialists and timekeepers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Payroll Specialist | Timekeeper | |
| Average salary | $59,503 | $46,290 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $82,000 | Between $30,000 And $69,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | - |
| Best paying company | MongoDB | - |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a senior payroll specialist and a timekeeper in terms of educational background:
| Senior Payroll Specialist | Timekeeper | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 58% | Bachelor's Degree, 32% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior payroll specialists' and timekeepers' demographics:
| Senior Payroll Specialist | Timekeeper | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.2% Female, 76.8% | Male, 17.2% Female, 82.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.0% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.0% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |