Payroll Clerk Description

Payroll clerks should have excellent mathematical skills.

Payroll clerks are responsible for compiling and posting employee payroll data, computing employees’ time worked, commissions and production, computing and posting deductions and wages, and preparing paychecks. They are also responsible for issuing employee paychecks and statements of earnings and deductions, and verifying attendance, hours worked and pay adjustments.

Duties

The duties required of a payroll clerk include completing, verifying and processing forms and documents for administration of benefits such as unemployment medical insurance and pension plans, preparing and balancing period-end reports and reconciling issued payrolls to bank statements, distributing and collecting time cards each pay period and posting relevant work hours to client files to bill clients properly. They must also issue and record adjustments to pay related to previous errors or retroactive increases, keep themselves informed about changes in tax and deduction laws that apply to the payroll process, and provide information to employees and managers on payroll issues, tax issues, benefit plans and collective agreement provisions.

Skills

The skills required of a payroll clerk include time management skills, reading comprehension skills, mathematical skills and speaking skills. Time management skills are useful for managing time effectively, both for themselves and for others. Reading comprehension skills are useful for understanding written information in work-related documents. Mathematical skills are useful for using mathematics to solve problems on the job. Speaking skills are important for conveying information effectively. Payroll clerks should also have information ordering, oral comprehension and mathematical reasoning skills.

Knowledge

Payroll clerks should have knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures, administration management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, leadership technique, human resources modeling, and coordination of people and resources, personnel and human resources, and knowledge of arithmetic, geometry, calculus, algebra, and statistics. They should also be familiar with economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data, as well as knowledge of the English language. Having familiarity with computers and electronics is of tremendous importance.

Requirements

Payroll clerks need to have at least a high school diploma or a GED. They also need to have excellent computer skills. Most payroll clerks learn their skills through on-the-job experience. Some payroll clerks have acquired training in high school, business school and community college. New payroll clerks can obtain training on the job in personnel issues, timekeeping, workplace practices, company policies and payroll. Payroll clerks must be able to communicate and interact with individuals at all levels of the organization and should demonstrate tactfulness, diplomacy and poise.

Working Conditions

Payroll clerks usually work in pleasant, clean and comfortable offices. Most of them work from 35 to 40 hours per week; however, some do work longer hours when busy times demand it. Payroll clerks may have to deal with stress sometimes when the pressure to meet deadlines persists.

Salary

The average annual salary for a payroll clerk was about $35,000 in 2008, according to My Plan.

References

• My Plan: Payroll & Timekeeping Clerks Job Description