What are the most sought-after payroll job titles? I examined 30 of the most queried by candidates (and employers!) to discover. This marks the newest installment in Ongig’s series entitled Job Titles: The Definitive Guide.
In this piece, you will uncover:
- The top 10 most-searched payroll-related job titles — A column chart displaying the leading 10 payroll titles candidates inquire about on Google.
- 5 payroll job titles along with descriptions — A compilation of the most requested 5 payroll position titles and their descriptions by employers.
- Companies that utilize these leading job titles on their career pages, Indeed, or LinkedIn.
- The explanation of what a payroll specialist does? — The most-searched payroll job title by both candidates AND employers.
Note: Payroll-related job titles typically fall under the HR department. We highlighted some of them in our article on The Top 40 Job Titles in Human Resources. For this discussion, I am concentrating on job titles solely for payroll.
The Leading Payroll Titles Candidates Seek
Below is a list of the top 10 payroll job titles candidates search for on Google (source: ahrefs).
This data was derived by evaluating the number of searches for “[Payroll Job Title] Jobs” — it’s reasonable to assume that most of those inquiries are made by candidates.
The Leading Payroll Roles Employers Aim to Fill
Whilecandidatessearch for the 10 roles listed above, employersfocus primarily on these top 5 payroll titles and their descriptions:
- Payroll Specialist
- Payroll Manager
- Payroll Clerk
- Payroll Administrator
- Payroll Processor
I obtained this data using ahrefs to input “Name of Payroll Job Title” alongside the term “Job Description” — then noting the number of Google searches each month for every title. It isn’t flawless — but it’s fair to postulate these inquiries are made by employers looking to compose a payroll job description.
Here are 5 payroll job titles most sought after by employers, along with:
- payroll job descriptions and responsibilities
- examples of companies utilizing each title
- the # of monthly searches on Google for each
Payroll Specialist
What responsibilities does a payroll specialist have? A payroll specialist operates within a company’s accounting division to oversee all elements of timesheet and payroll processing via payroll software. The crucial skills of a payroll specialist include precision and punctuality. The role encompasses:
- upkeeping employee salary databases
- managing corporate budget and expenditures
- coordinating with various departments, managers, and employees to enhance payroll systems
Brands such as eBay and ZipRecruiter employ this payroll job title.
# of job title searches per month: 700
Payroll Manager
A payroll manager is a finance and human resources professional. A payroll position description for payroll manager may encompass these duties:
- preparing and distributing all facets of employee payments
- keeping payroll records and computing taxes
- balancing payroll accounts
- offering support to a payroll team
- formulating payroll procedures and policies
- providing training for their team
Brands including Gymboree and SurveyMonkey assign this payroll job title.
# of job title searches per month: 400
Payroll Clerk
Payroll Clerk is among the most prevalent entry-level payroll job titles. A Payroll Clerk (sometimes referred to as a payroll assistant) carries out a variety of supportive tasks. Their primary focus is on payroll processing and data entry. A payroll clerk:
- attends meticulously to details
- demonstrates a solid understanding of mathematics and computer skills
- issues paychecks and statements to managers
- responds to inquiries from employees and vendors
Brands such as Costco and United Airlines feature this payroll job title.
# of job title searches per month: 350
Payroll Administrator
A payroll administrator assists employees facing issues with their pay or needing to amend their records. A payroll administrator further provides employees with information on salaries and benefits. Additional responsibilities include:
- processing payments
- reviewing and executing taxes (or other deductions)
- maintaining organized data records
Brands like Marriott Hotels and Netflix utilize this payroll job title.
# of job title searches per month: 250
Payroll Processor
A payroll processor verifies employee work hours and computes wages. They ensure that employees are compensated correctly and may also address errors or complaints by following up with employees. In numerous organizations, the payroll processor generates and oversees payroll information for all employees.
Brands such as Apex Systems and The Walt Disney Company implement this payroll job title.
# of job title searches per month: 100
Why did I write this?
This analysis on payroll position titles reinforces Ongig’s mission to enhance job descriptions, and we aspire to assist you in optimizing your own job titles. Visit Ongig.comto find out more.
Acknowledgements:
- Discover About Being a Payroll Manager, What does a payroll manager do? (by Indeed)
- PAYROLL MANAGER (by UCAS)
- What Responsibilities Does a Payroll Clerk Have? Discover If You Need One (by Robert Half)
- Job Duties of a Payroll Clerk (by Sam Amico)
- PAYROLL ADMINISTRATOR: What They Do (by Zippia)
- What is a Payroll Processor (by ZipRecruiter)