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Payroll Specialist Job Description: Top Duties and Requirements

A Payroll Specialist, or Payroll Coordinator, is someone who helps a Payroll Manager to ensure that all employees within an organization are paid on time and correctly. A Payroll Specialist’s main responsibilities include processing monthly and annual bonuses, processing payroll for hourly and salaried employees, and generating invoices.

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Payroll Specialist duties and responsibilities

When writing a job description for a Payroll Specialist, it’s important to specify the role’s main functions. Some of the most important duties and responsibilities required by a Payroll Specialist include: 

  • Assembling reports of company earnings, taxes, deductions, leave, disability payments, and non-taxable wages
  • Preparing year-end employee tax slips or forms, and submitting government filings to meet deadlines
  • Maintaining confidential information by adhering to legal and ethical standards
  • Working with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure benefits and payroll services are delivered
  • Monitoring and analyzing expenses against the payroll budget to help prepare cost forecasts and budgets
  • Ensuring databases are set up and reflect the current employee base, including salaries, hourly wages, benefits, and pension percentages
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Payroll Specialist Job Description Examples:

What does a Payroll Specialist do?

A Payroll Specialist is mainly responsible for ensuring the payroll system runs smoothly and employees are paid the correct amount of money on time. They also ensure all regulatory and legislative compliance procedures related to payroll are performed correctly and accurately. In some cases, a Payroll Specialist may also communicate with employees to answer any questions they might have and resolve any issues through the telephone or by email. A Payroll Specialist may also need to notify employees of any issues with payments.

Payroll Specialist skills and qualifications

A successful Payroll Specialist candidate will have various prerequisite skills and qualifications required, including:

  • Excellent knowledge of finances including accounting principles and practices
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to manage multiple projects or assignments at one time and ability to multi-task
  • Thorough research and problem-solving skills
  • Expert at meeting deadlines while maintaining compliance and regulatory standards
  • Capable of providing a balanced and common-sense approach to routine and complex issues
  • Excel at working well while under pressure

Payroll Specialist experience requirements

Payroll Specialist candidates should have at least two years of payroll administration experience within a Canadian payroll system. Ideal Payroll Specialist candidates will also have experience in a similar industry to your organization.

Payroll Specialist education and training requirements

A candidate with a Bachelor’s degree in business, accounting, or a related field should be preferred for the position. An ideal candidate may also hold a four-year college diploma in a similar field. All candidates should possess a Certified Payroll Manager (CPM) designation and be up-to-date with all regulatory procedures.

Payroll Specialist salary expectations

According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Payroll Specialist in Canada is $52,712 per year. The salary can vary depending on many factors including experience, location, or the company that is hiring.

Job description samples for similar positions

If a Payroll Specialist position job description sample isn’t quite what you are looking for, other related job description samples include:

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Payroll Specialist job description FAQs

What should you look for in a Payroll Specialist's resume?

A good Payroll Specialist needs to have excellent attention to detail and be thorough in their work. They also need to be able to analyze, prioritize, and work through all kinds of payroll administration problems that may appear on the job. This requires them to be good problem-solvers. They must also have an excellent understanding of the payroll system they’re working with. Additionally, a good Payroll Specialist can handle multiple tight deadlines while meeting regulatory requirements and without sacrificing accuracy.

Job Description Examples

Need help writing a job description for a specific role? Use these job description examples to create your next great job posting. Or if you’re ready to hire, post your job on Indeed.

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