How To Become A Payroll Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a payroll technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A payroll technician handles the payroll system and ensures accuracy concerning the employees' salaries and related withholdings such as benefits, taxes, and other contributions. They usually work in large companies and firms and often carry out administrative work.

Their role in maintaining the accuracy of payroll records for every pay period ensures that the amounts of compensation given to the employees are right and equal to the hours worked. Processing and submitting tax-related paperwork and forms are also part of a payroll technician's job. They also deal with retroactive compensation and pay discrepancies.

To perform their job efficiently, the payroll technician must have mathematical and organizational skills. They must be detail-oriented since they are managing confidential and personally identifiable information. They must also be proficient in data entry and other computer functions and possess knowledge of labor laws and regulations.

Pursuing this career requires an educational background in bookkeeping, accounting, or business office procedures. Some employers prefer candidates who are certified payroll professionals or associate's or bachelor's degree holders. A certificate in payroll administration or bookkeeping is an advantage.

ScorePayroll TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $44,971

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.6

Growth Rate -3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.52%

Asian 6.12%

Black or African American 9.73%

Hispanic or Latino 18.89%

Unknown 6.08%

White 57.66%

Gender

female 80.86%

male 19.14%

Age - 49

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49

Stress Level

6.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.9

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.9

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for Payroll Technician in Columbus, OH

Receive alerts for the newest job postings.

Key steps to become a payroll technician

Explore payroll technician education requirements

Most common payroll technician degrees

Bachelor's

44.6 %

Associate

31.2 %

High School Diploma

9.1 %

Start to develop specific payroll technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Payroll System	9.11%
Human Resources	6.97%
Data Entry	6.48%
Life Insurance	5.09%
Kronos	3.91%

Complete relevant payroll technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New payroll technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a payroll technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real payroll technician resumes.

Research payroll technician duties and responsibilities

Provide Kronos and Lawson support to management concerning departmental payroll and timekeeping.
Evaluate time cards through KRONOS for accuracy.
Transmit and process payroll for hourly/shift employees on a bi-weekly basis with the use of ADP software.
Process payroll from the loading of time and attendance files to submitting payment data to ADP for check printing.

Prepare your payroll technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your payroll technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a payroll technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Payroll Technician Resume templates

Build a professional Payroll Technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Payroll Technician resume.

Apply for payroll technician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a payroll technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do payroll technicians rate their job?

5/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Payroll Technician reviews

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022

Pros

Fixing the time sheet. And entering retro active.

Cons

Wade the time while I am working.