What does a Benefits & Payroll Administrator do?
The Benefits and Payroll Administrator manages the company's payroll, ensuring work benefits and employee documents are secure. The administrator also delivers employees' issues and concerns to the company's proper channels. This position also helps in the audit of the company and ensures compliance with state and federal regulations. This administrative position requires bookkeeping knowledge, a bachelor's degree, and experience in using spreadsheets and accounting software.
Benefits & payroll administrator responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real benefits & payroll administrator resumes:
- Manage HRIS, recruiting, training, and time and attendance programs as well as trouble shooting.
- Create reports using SQL database and manage reports, perform from internet-base tools for research projects need for client insight.
- Ensure accuracy of all benefit enrollments and life status changes record in the HRIS to provide vendors with accurate eligibility information.
- Complete weekly internal payroll reports and fund employee accounts (HSA and 401K).
- Process benefit elections, merit raises, salary changes, garnishments, cobra and severance.
- Administer employee benefits programs including group medical, dental, vision, group life and FSA.
- Balance and maintain all payroll accounts, including FSA, FICA, unemployment, and incentive accounts.
- Assist all current and potential clients and request RFP' (proposals) to all major carriers.
- Provide personal assistance to employees with sensitive benefits, short and long term disability, FMLA and personal leaves.
- Help update employee manual covering issues including disciplinary procedures, code of conduct, FMLA policy and benefits information.
- Determine eligibility per ACA regulations and distribute benefit enrollment materials as applicable.
- Assign accounts to work order and purchase requisitions, perform daily timekeeping for salary and nonsalary personnel.
- Audit payroll accounts to identify and correct delinquent and/or erroneous actions or timekeeping errors and reconstruct payment histories.
- Design and execute effective processes for the timely and accurate completion of all payroll and retirement benefit plan transactions.
- Maintain accounts payable and receivables using QuickBooks, reconcile accounts and prepares monthly reports.
Benefits & payroll administrator skills and personality traits
We calculated that 6% of Benefits & Payroll Administrators are proficient in Human Resources, HRIS, and Cobra. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Business skills, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Benefits & Payroll Administrators that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Human Resources, 6%
Cross-trained staff, resulting in improved utilization of human resources and increased efficiency of Department.
- HRIS, 6%
Maintained accurate data records within PeopleSoft HRIS that includes rewriting Benefits Administration Process manual.
- Cobra, 6%
Administered Section 125 plan and Cobra information upon separation.
- Payroll System, 4%
Managed two payroll system conversions and insured data accuracy.
- Open Enrollment, 4%
Publish open enrollment Material including employee benefit renewal booklets and administer benefit changes on an annual basis.
- ADP Payroll, 4%
Full implementation and accountability of ADP Payroll Conversion.
"human resources," "hris," and "cobra" are among the most common skills that benefits & payroll administrators use at work. You can find even more benefits & payroll administrator responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a benefits & payroll administrator to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists perform data and cost analyses to evaluate their organization’s policies." Additionally, a benefits & payroll administrator resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "provide necessary documentation for financial audits and cost analysis for pending aca changes. "
Business skills. Many benefits & payroll administrator duties rely on business skills. "specialists must understand basic finance and accounting," so a benefits & payroll administrator will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways benefits & payroll administrator responsibilities rely on business skills: "participated in month end procedures for several business units within the organization including several balance sheet reconciliations. "
Communication skills. benefits & payroll administrators are also known for communication skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to benefits & payroll administrator responsibilities, because "specialists need to provide information about compensation and benefits in a way that is understandable to employees at all levels throughout their organization." A benefits & payroll administrator resume example shows how communication skills is used in the workplace: "benefit plan renewals, annual open enrollment, communication and employee meetings. "
The three companies that hire the most benefits & payroll administrators are:
- InterWorks
5 benefits & payroll administrators jobs
- NNorthpoint4 benefits & payroll administrators jobs
- Robert Half3 benefits & payroll administrators jobs
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Compare different benefits & payroll administrators
Benefits & payroll administrator vs. Human resources generalist
A human resources generalist is responsible for monitoring the human resources policies and procedures, making adjustments as needed to align with the company's goals and objectives. Duties of a human resources generalist also include improving employee relations system, organizing compliance and knowledge training, reviewing benefit plans, managing compensation inquiries, assisting in recruitment and staffing needs, communicating with department heads in employees' performance reviews, and storing employees' files for reference. A human resource generalist must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to address issues concerning the company and employees' welfare.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between benefits & payroll administrators and human resources generalist. For instance, benefits & payroll administrator responsibilities require skills such as "human resources," "adp payroll," "long-term disability," and "adp workforce." Whereas a human resources generalist is skilled in "performance management," "customer service," "payroll processing," and "excellent interpersonal." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Human resources generalists earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $61,994. On the other hand, benefits & payroll administrators are paid more in the professional industry with an average salary of $55,595.human resources generalists tend to reach higher levels of education than benefits & payroll administrators. In fact, human resources generalists are 7.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Benefits & payroll administrator vs. Human resource specialist
A human resources specialist is responsible for assisting in the recruitment and staffing process. Duties of a human resources specialist include updating the requirements and qualifications of a job post, handling employees' inquiries regarding compensation and benefits, maintaining employees' records, updating the status of new joiners, tracking performance reviews, and generating reports as business requires. A human resource specialist must be detail-oriented, as well as excellent in organizational and communication skills. Additionally, a human resource specialist must have a broad knowledge of the recruitment process and structure.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, benefits & payroll administrator responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "human resources," "adp payroll," "long-term disability," and "adp workforce." Meanwhile, a human resource specialist has duties that require skills in areas such as "data entry," "oversight," "human resources policies," and "customer service." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Human resource specialists earn a higher average salary than benefits & payroll administrators. But human resource specialists earn the highest pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $67,295. Additionally, benefits & payroll administrators earn the highest salaries in the professional with average pay of $55,595 annually.In general, human resource specialists achieve similar levels of education than benefits & payroll administrators. They're 4.3% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Benefits & payroll administrator vs. Payroll/human resource manager
A compensation specialist is responsible for evaluating the organization's benefits package for the employees, following the state regulations and legislation procedures. Compensation specialists identify the staff needs and develop opportunities that would maximize productivity and increase efficiency. They also analyze the market performance to adjust compensation rates according to roles as needed with the coordination of the finance department. A compensation specialist facilitates orientations for new programs and informs the employees about any changes in the payment system.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, benefits & payroll administrators are more likely to have skills like "long-term disability," "adp workforce," "hsa," and "status changes." But a payroll/human resource manager is more likely to have skills like "financial statements," "federal laws," "hr," and "payroll."
Payroll/human resource managers typically earn similar educational levels compared to benefits & payroll administrators. Specifically, they're 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Benefits & payroll administrator vs. Compensation specialist
Types of benefits & payroll administrator
Updated January 8, 2025
