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. Bryant & Stratton College

    Program Options

    Bachelor's
      • BA - General Management
      • BA - General Management
    Associate's
      • AS - Accounting
      • Accounting - AAS
      • AS - Business
    Certificate
      • Accounting Assistant Diploma
      • Accounting Assistant - Diploma
      • Business Assistant Diploma
      • Business - AAS
      • Business Assistant - Diploma
  • Online Programs Available
    2. Grand Canyon University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • MBA: Accounting
      • MBA: Accounting
      • M.S. in Accounting with an Emphasis in Tax Compliance and Planning
      • MBA: Finance
      • MBA
    Bachelor's
      • Bachelor: Accounting
      • Bachelor: Finance and Economics
      • B.S. in Finance
      • B.S. in Finance with an Emphasis in Financial Planning
      • Bachelor: Business Admin
  • Online Programs Available
    3. 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
    4. Saint Leo University

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • DBA: Business Administration
    Master's
      • MAcc: Accounting
    Associate's
      • AA: Business Administration
  • Online Programs Available
    5. Purdue Global

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Master - Accounting
      • MS in Accounting- Tax Specialization
      • MS in Accounting - Audit Specialization
      • MS in Accounting - Government Specialization
      • MS in Accounting - Finance Specialization
      • MBA: Finance
    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
    6. Penn Foster

    Program Options

    Certificate
      • Career Diploma - Payroll Clerk
      • Career Diploma - Bookkeeping
      • Career Diploma - Administrative Assistant
  • Online Programs Available
    7. Liberty University

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • Doctor of Business Administration: Accounting
      • Doctor of Business Administration: Executive Coaching
      • Doctor of Business Administration: Finance
      • Doctor of Business Administration: Healthcare Management
      • Doctor of Business Administration: Human Resources
      • Doctor of Business Administration: Information Systems
    Certificate
      • CTG: Business Administration
  • Campus and Online Programs
    8. Full Sail University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • M.S. - Entertainment Business
    Bachelor's
      • B.S. - Music Business
  • Online Programs Available
    9. Penn Foster High School

    Program Options

    High School Diploma
      • HS Diploma
  • Philadelphia, PA

    University of Pennsylvania

Featured Schools

Bryant & Stratton College

  • BA - General Management
  • AS - Accounting
  • Accounting Assistant Diploma

What is your high school graduation status?

Grand Canyon University

  • MBA: Accounting
  • MBA: Accounting
  • Bachelor: Accounting
  • Bachelor: Finance and Economics

What is your highest level of education?

Keiser University

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

What is your highest level of education?

Saint Leo University

  • DBA: Business Administration
  • MAcc: Accounting
  • AA: Business Administration

What is your highest level of education completed?

Purdue Global

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

Which subject are you interested in?

Penn Foster

  • Career Diploma - Payroll Clerk
  • Career Diploma - Bookkeeping
  • Career Diploma - Administrative Assistant

What is your highest level of education?

Liberty University

  • Doctor of Business Administration: Accounting
  • Doctor of Business Administration: Executive Coaching
  • CTG: Business Administration

What is your highest level of education?

Full Sail University

  • M.S. - Entertainment Business
  • B.S. - Music Business

What is your highest level of education?