what is a payroll administrator?

As a payroll administrator, you work either in the HR department or the finance department. You make sure that all employees receive the salary they are entitled to at the scheduled time. You are also responsible for ensuring that all elements related to salaries in a company are correct. For example, you will collect personal data and other personal information from employees, as well as make sure that the recorded hours are accurate. You then use this data to organize, tabulate, record, and calculate the salaries. Salary payments are often made once a month, but this can vary depending on the employees' employment contracts.

Most people who work in a payroll department need to have some kind of degree in economics or accounting, or extensive work experience in a similar field. You need computer skills and an understanding of the different systems used in payroll management. Having an eye for detail can also be helpful to avoid mistakes in calculations.

payroll administrator jobs
1

what does a payroll administrator do?

As a payroll administrator, you will work alongside HR colleagues and at companies in many different industries, including IT, sales, retail, marketing, or contracting and construction. If you work for a smaller company, your tasks may be more HR-focused, involving, for example, recruitment processes or onboarding of new employees. Someone working as a payroll administrator at a larger company will have more HR-focused colleagues and may also work with payroll specialists. In such cases, the payroll administrator mainly handles calculations and payroll payments. If you work for an HR consulting firm, you will work with several different companies that choose to outsource their payroll administration so they can focus more on their core business. In that case, as a payroll administrator, you will manage payroll for several different companies at the same time.

Read more about what qualifications and skills are required to succeed in a payroll administrator role.

2

average salary as payroll administrator.

A payroll administrator manages employee salaries, but when it comes to the average salary, it varies depending on different factors. Some payroll administrators work at accounting firms and have other duties besides payroll administration. Other payroll administrators work at larger companies and therefore have greater responsibility. For more information about the salary level for payroll administrator, the union's market wages.

Womale sitting at a table in an office looking at a file.
Womale sitting at a table in an office looking at a file.
3

different roles of payroll administrator.

As a payroll administrator, the tasks can vary depending on the employer and the role may also look different. As a payroll administrator, you can advance in your career and become a payroll specialist, depending on the company you work for and which roles and tasks need to be filled.

4

working as a payroll administrator.

Working as a payroll administrator means you will handle employees' salaries and carry out important administrative tasks related to this. Below you can read more about typical duties of a payroll administrator and what a normal workday might look like.

5

education and qualifications.

There are no specific educational requirements to work as a payroll administrator, but those with qualifications in HR, finance, or other related fields will have good opportunities to get a job as a payroll administrator.

Having a broader educational background also provides better opportunities for those who wish to advance in their career.

  • Vocational college education: There are courses for payroll administrator at vocational college level. You get both theoretical and practical knowledge that can be useful in the role.
  • Upper secondary education: Many who work as payroll administrators have no more than upper secondary education but may have an aptitude for working with numbers or administration. It is also possible to study an economics track in upper secondary school, which provides a certain foundation for the job as a payroll administrator.
  • Post-secondary education: If you wish to work in finance and see payroll administrator as a good entry-level job, there are good programs at university and college level. These can be courses in auditing, finance, and HR.
  • Internship: Depending on the employer, a job as a payroll administrator can be largely administrative and therefore does not require a lengthy educational background. In that case, practical skills and personal qualities are significantly more relevant.
  • Getting an internship or a part-time job as a payroll administrator is a good way to gain the experience that many companies like you to have.
6

knowledge and skills.

To succeed in the role of payroll administrator, some of these skills and competencies may be good to have:

7

frequently asked questions about working as a payroll administrator.

Here are the most frequently asked questions about working as a payroll administrator.

8

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