If you are interested in a career within payroll management, the future is bright.
Experience: You will need to have at least three years of experience in processing payroll, and you will need to know the ins and outs of running a payroll department efficiently. This requirement includes processing the payroll for all types of employees such as union, exempt, and non-exempt. You must show that you can make all of the local, state, and federal deductions that are required and know the various laws that deal with governing wages.
Mentor: You must be proficient in mentoring the staff in the payroll department as well as doing staff training and development. You will need to be well versed in the knowledge of garnishments and reporting to the various agencies involved. In addition, you must prove that you know the laws involved surrounding the legal hiring requirements and the laws regarding how to store confidential employee information.
Communicator: As a payroll manager you will be responsible for providing customer service to the employees within the organization, so people skills are a must. Companies need people who can easily talk with business contacts and people who understand the importance of great customer service and problem solving. Proper phone manners are a requirement as well. A payroll manager works closely with others, both in-house and with the public.
Management: It is not difficult to find a career within payroll management. Local job listings and online job boards are a great resource to use when searching for a job in this ever-growing field. Every company in the world that has more than a handful of employees requires payroll specialists, so it is up to you whether you search for a position within a small business or if you are going to apply at a top corporation. It does depend on your background and qualifications as to whether or not you are qualified for a corporate level career within payroll management or if you would be better suited working at a smaller organization that employs fewer people.
The average salary for a payroll manager is around $50,000 per year. The salary can vary greatly due to the company, its location, the industry, your experience, and the benefits offered. If you are interested in this field, there is great potential. There will always be jobs available within payroll management as new companies are formed every day and existing companies grow in regards to the number of employees they have.
