Payroll administrator
Be responsible for preparing and processing the payroll for employees within an organisation.
Also known as: payroll clerk, payroll officer
About the job
What it's like
Payroll administrators are responsible for processing peoples wages. In this job, youâd create, store and maintain employee payroll records which details things like their attendance or timesheets, as well as the hours they work and the pay grade theyâre on.
Mainly working on a computer, you'd keep records up-to-date to make sure all employees are paid the correct amount on time.
It's important to be very thorough in this kind of work and incredibly organised and timely as they work to strict deadlines. It's also necessary to have to have good numeracy and ICT skills.
What you might do:
Prepare and process monthly or weekly payroll for employees
Keep payroll records for each employee with up-to-date and accurate information
Review any approved expenses or overtime pay that an employee may be entitled to
Update employee records with any changes that might include maternity pay, sick pay or new work patterns that might affect their pay
Communicate any payroll updates or changes to managers or colleagues
Answer staff queries about their pay slips and resolving any issues where possible
Create financial reports
Calculate tax and national insurance and process salaries accordingly
Issue employees with their P45, tax forms and any other necessary documents
Hours
Working hours can vary, but usually full-time hours will be Monday to Friday and around 37-40 hours per week. This might change depending on where you work or who you work for, or during busier periods such as Christmas.
Environment
You'll usually be office based and the size of the team you're part of will depend on the size of the business you work for.
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- payroll processing
- payroll systems
- payroll reporting
- payroll policies and processes
- payroll administration
- tax laws
- payroll regulations
- network interface controllers
- payroll computation
- tax returns
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- understanding
- analysing
- reliable
- time management
- developing a plan
- sorting
- attention to detail
- working with numbers
- problem solving
- written communication
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Accounting
Administration and Information Technology
Business Management
Information and Communications Technology - ICT
Maths (Mathematics)
Skills for Work: Financial Services
Applications of Mathematics
There are no fixed entry routes to this job but most employers would prefer a selection of subjects at National 4/5 or above level including maths and English.
Most employers look for relevant experience - this could be gained through college or university courses such as NQ, HNC, HND in business, accounting or finance, or through work based experience and qualifications.
Not all employers list specific qualification requirements but they might ask for relevant (usually work based) experience that demonstrates a range of transferable skills.
Having or working towards professional qualifications in IT or finance, such as AAT qualifications (Association of Accounting Technicians) are highly valued.
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