What does a Payroll Officer do?

Payroll Officers work within a company’s human resources or payroll department to ensure the payroll process runs smoothly. They are employed in public and private sectors, and at payroll institutions. They maintain and update vital employee information, such as payments, taxes and overtime logs.

Payroll Officers create and retrieve monthly reports of employees and ensure accurate accounting for payments. They’re also responsible for documenting benefits and bonuses. Payroll Officers work regular nine-to-five hours in organizations. They work in teams to ensure employees receive their correct employment benefits on time.

Payroll Officer skills and qualifications

A successful Payroll Officer must be good at processing payments or working with payment systems. Strong candidates are confident working with numbers, communicating with employees, and working within strict deadlines. Some important skills and qualifications a successful Payroll Officer has include:

• Keen attention to detail and an ability to identify errors in financial reports
• Ability to use accounting or payroll software
• Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
• Excellent customer service and communication skills
• Superb ethical integrity when working with confidential and financial information
• Knowledge of accounts payable and accounts receivable
• Strong business, finance and accounting knowledge and experience
• Exceptional analysis skills

Payroll Officer experience requirements

A successful Payroll Officer candidate has experience processing payments or working with payment systems. They show a high level of integrity and ethics in their work. Depending on your firm’s needs, consider applicants who have volunteer experience as a Payroll Officer or similar roles.

Payroll Officer education and training requirements

This position typically requires candidates that have taken courses in payroll administration, accounting or bookkeeping after completing secondary school. You may ask applicants for post-secondary school degrees in administration, accounting or related fields. Successful candidates also have professional certifications, such as a Payroll Compliance Practitioner Certification. They may also be members of the Canadian Payroll Association. Other education and training requirements depend on your organization’s needs.

Payroll Officer salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, average pay for a Payroll Officer in Canada is $26.16 per hour. The actual rate of pay may fluctuate based on experience, location and company.

Job description samples for similar positions

If this Payroll Officer job description sample is not quite what you are looking for, some related job description samples include:

• Payroll Clerk
• Payroll Manager
• Payroll Specialist