Payroll Analyst resume examples for 2025

Zippi

Build a better Payroll Analyst resume with Zippi, your AI resume builder robot.

Updated March 12, 2025
6 min read
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How to write a payroll analyst resume

Craft a resume summary statement

A resume summary is your opening statement that highlights your strongest skills and top accomplishments. It is your chance to quickly let recruiters know who you are professionally - and why they should hire you for the payroll analyst role.

Step 1: Mention your current job title or the role you're pursuing.

Step 2: Include your years of experience in payroll analyst-related roles. Consider adding relevant company and industry experience as relevant to the job listing.

Step 3: Highlight your greatest accomplishments. Here is your chance to make sure your biggest wins aren't buried in your resume.

Step 4: Again, keep it short. Your goal is to summarize your experience and highlight your accomplishments, not write a paragraph.

These four steps should give you a strong elevator pitch and land you some payroll analyst interviews.

Hi, I'm Zippi, your job search robot. Let me write a first draft of your summary statement.

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List the right project manager skills

Use your Skills section to show you have the knowledge and technical ability to do the job. Here is how to make the most of your skills section and make sure you have the right keywords:

  1. You often need to include the exact keywords from the job description in your resume. Look at the job listing and consider which of the listed skills you have experience with, along with related skills.
  2. Include as many relevant hard skills and soft skills as possible from the listing.
  3. Use the most up to date and accurate terms. Don't forget to be specific.
These five steps should give you a strong elevator pitch and land you some payroll analyst interviews.

Here are example skills to include in your “Area of Expertise” on a payroll analyst resume:

  • Customer Service
  • Payroll System
  • Payroll Data
  • Human Resources
  • Reconciliations
  • Data Entry
  • Calculation
  • HRIS
  • Kronos
  • Process Improvement
  • Multi-State Payroll
  • W-2
  • Journal Entries
  • Payroll Operations
  • Timekeeping
  • Process Payroll
  • Shared Services
  • Strong Analytical
  • SOX
  • Tax Filings
  • Payroll Procedures
  • Excellent Organizational
  • Payroll Transactions
  • Payroll Issues
  • Payroll Functions
  • Manual Checks
  • PeopleSoft
  • PTO
  • Reconcile Payroll
  • Strong Customer Service

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How to structure your work experience

Your work experience should be structured:

  1. With your most recent roles first, followed by earlier roles in reverse chronological order.
  2. Job title, along with company name and location on the left.
  3. Put the corresponding dates of employment on the left side.
  4. Keep only relevant jobs on your work experience.

How to write payroll analyst experience bullet points

Your resume is not a list of responsibilities or a job description. Instead, it is your chance to show your accomplishments and show why you're good at what you do.

  • Use the What, How, and Why format. Answering these questions turns a bland job description into an effective showcase of your abilities.
  • What were your responsibilities or goals?
  • How did you accomplish them?
  • Why were your results important? (How did it impact your company? Can you quantify the results in numbers? )

Here are examples from great payroll analyst resumes:

Work History Example #1

Payroll & Human Resources Assistant

Walgreen Co

  • Coordinated with IT and systems supervisor to improve current T&A and new Kronos exception reports.
  • Reviewed time sheets, work charts, wage computation, & other information in order to detect and reconcile payroll discrepancies.
  • Worked with an EEOC claims adjuster to review fair housing claims for persons applying for Section 8 housing.
  • Coordinated and maintained employee benefit communication.
  • Facilitated Payroll and Recruiting procedures.

Work History Example #2

Payroll Supervisor

Menards

  • Assisted team members with personal, family and medical leaves of absences.
  • Collaborated with insurance company regarding unpaid insurance claims.
  • Used the ADP payroll system to accurately process biweekly payrolls for five weekly newspapers, close to 300 employees.
  • Developed/maintained policy and Sarbanes-Oxley documentation of all payroll procedures, and control processes.
  • Transmitted SSA wage files, prepared W-2C and W-3 forms.

Work History Example #3

Accounting Analyst

The Walt Disney Company

  • Compiled company credit ratings, financial reports, bankruptcy and lien information to develop a portfolio for each operating participant.
  • Developed effective solutions to actively monitor credit risk for each operating participant.
  • Prepared income tax provision calculations and deferred tax account analysis in accordance with FAS109.
  • Used SAP and COGNOS for upload budget, accounts analysis, comparisons of actual to budget/forecast.
  • Identified gaps in documented processes / procedures; assisted with redesign / streamlining of existing SOX controls and test plans.

Work History Example #4

Payroll Officer

Automatic Data Processing

  • Researched and resolved payroll discrepancies by collecting and analyzing data.
  • Collected and processed wage and deduction factors affecting employee earnings (ADP).
  • Answered questions regarding taxes, W-2's and other payroll issues.
  • Processed and printed tax documents including 1099s and W-2s quarterly and annually.
  • Worked extensively with EasyPay software and other payroll-based applications.

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Add an education section to your resume

Here is the best way to format your education section:

  • Display your highest degree first.
  • If you graduated over 5 years ago, put this section at the bottom of your resume. If you lack relevant work experience, the education section should go to the top.
  • If you have a bachelor's or master's degree, do not list your high school education.
  • If your graduation year is more than 15-20 years ago, it's better not to include dates in this section.

Here are some examples of good education entries for resumes:

High School Diploma

2008 - 2008

Highlight your payroll analyst certifications on your resume

Certifications are a great way to showcase special expertise or niche skills. Some jobs even require certifications to be hired.

Include the full name of the certification, along with the name of the issuing organization and date of obtainment.

If you have any of these certifications, be sure to include them on your payroll analyst resume:

  1. Certified Payroll Professional (CPP)
  2. Payroll Certification
  3. Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC)