Payroll Administrator Degrees: Career Diploma & Online Training

About this article
Payroll administrators and payroll technicians are charged with ensuring that employee paychecks are on time and accurate. Graduates of a Payroll Administration Diploma program can be found in all industries, many working for temporary employment agencies and payroll service companies. Graduates with a Payroll Administrator Diploma can find themselves working as payroll administrators, payroll clerks, payroll technicians, or timekeeping clerks. A diploma in Payroll Administration lends itself to learning a variety of skills including accounting, data-entry, coding, and tax law procedures. Read on to find out more.
View available schools

Why Earn a Degree in Payroll Administration?

Payroll administrators play a very important role in all organizations-making sure employees are paid on time and accurately. If and when inaccuracies occur, payroll administrators are also responsible for researching and correcting paycheck errors. Because everyone needs to get paid, payroll administrators can be found within almost every organization, corporation, company, or nonprofit agency.

Career Possibilities

Career Outlook for Payroll Administrators

Graduates with a Payroll Administration Diploma can expect an average growth in employment opportunities over the next decade but will have an advantage over their non-certified colleagues, as those with diplomas and certifications in the field tend to acquire the best positions.

Salary Information for Payroll Administrators

Salaries for payroll administrators tend to vary dramatically depending on region of the country and employer. For 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that payroll administrators and technicians earned average salaries of $30,350.

Degree Specifics

Coursework Required for Payroll Administrators

Payroll administrators should be detail-oriented and able to troubleshoot errors successfully. Students earning a Payroll Administrator Diploma will study some of the following coursework:

  • Accounting
  • Computer Applications for Payroll
  • Data-entry
  • Payroll Coding
  • Tax Laws and Procedures: State and Federal

Payroll Administration Skills Learned

Upon completion of a Payroll Administration Diploma program, students will have the following skills:

  • Accounting and payroll entry
  • Coding and processing
  • Data-entry and database management

Popular Schools

  • Online Programs Available
    1. Purdue Global

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Master - Accounting
      • MBA: Finance
      • Master of Science in Finance - Treasury Management
      • Master : Business Admin
      • Master of Science in Nursing - MSN/MBA Dual Degree Option
      • MBA - Global Business
    Bachelor's
      • Bachelor: Accounting
      • Bachelor: Managerial Accountancy
      • Bachelor: Tax Accountancy
      • Bachelor: Auditing-Forensic Accountancy
      • Bachelor: Public-General Accountancy
      • BS in Finance
    Associate's
      • Associate: Accounting
      • Associate: Business Admin.
      • Associate: Business Admin. - Office Mgmt
  • Online Programs Available
    2. National University

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • DBA - Advanced Accounting
      • PhD - Advanced Accounting
      • DBA - General Business
      • DBA - Financial Management
      • PhD - Financial Management
      • PhD-BA - Global Business Management
    Master's
      • MBA - Financial Management
      • MSCY - Finance and Banking
  • Online Programs Available
    3. Liberty University

  • Campus and Online Programs
    4. Full Sail University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • M.S. - Entertainment Business
  • Online Programs Available
    5. Penn Foster

    Program Options

    Certificate
      • Career Diploma - Tax Preparation
      • Career Diploma - Bookkeeping
  • Online Programs Available
    6. Wake Forest University - School of Professional Studies

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Master of Financial Technology and Analytics
  • Online Programs Available
    7. Keiser University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Master of Business Admin - Accounting
    Bachelor's
      • B.A. - Accounting
      • B.A. - Business Admin: Finance
      • Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (Accelerated Track to MBA)
    Associate's
      • Associate of Arts - Accounting
  • Online Programs Available
    8. Bryant & Stratton College

    Program Options

    Certificate
      • Accounting Assistant - Diploma
      • Business - AAS
      • Business Assistant - Diploma
  • University of Maryland Global Campus

  • San Francisco, CA

    Golden Gate University - Aspire

Featured Schools

Purdue Global

  • Master - Accounting
  • Bachelor: Accounting
  • Associate: Accounting

Which subject are you interested in?

National University

  • DBA - Advanced Accounting
  • PhD - Advanced Accounting
  • MBA - Financial Management
  • MSCY - Finance and Banking

What is your highest level of education?

Liberty University

What is your highest level of education?

Full Sail University

  • M.S. - Entertainment Business

What is your highest level of education?

Penn Foster

  • Career Diploma - Tax Preparation
  • Career Diploma - Bookkeeping

What is your highest level of education?

Wake Forest University - School of Professional Studies

  • Master of Financial Technology and Analytics

Which subject are you interested in?

Keiser University

  • Master of Business Admin - Accounting
  • B.A. - Accounting
  • Associate of Arts - Accounting

What is your highest level of education?

Bryant & Stratton College

  • Accounting Assistant - Diploma
  • Business - AAS
  • Business Assistant - Diploma

What is your high school graduation status?