Payroll Specialist Resume Examples
Need help writing your resume? We’re here to help with our collection of Payroll Specialist resume examples you can easily edit for your job search.
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Payroll Specialist resume summary examples
The first impression an employer will have of you is when they read your resume summary. You’ve got to make this section count because a recruiter will spend an average of seven seconds scanning your resume.
This section is a brief statement of your most impressive and relevant career highlights. You’ll pick professional achievements that resonate with the employer’s requirements for this job.
The most common approach for this section is the professional summary because it focuses on sharing job-relevant achievements.
On the other hand, the objective statement is the ideal approach for inexperienced candidates because it showcases your goals and the skills you have to make them possible.
Determine which approach is right for you with examples of a professional summary and an objective statement.
Good example:
“A highly experienced Payroll Specialist with 8+ years of experience in managing payrolls for large-scale organizations. Possesses an in-depth knowledge of payroll processing, taxation laws, and benefits administration. Proven track record of reducing payroll processing time by 20% and increasing accuracy by 90%.”
Why this example passes:
- Feature candidate’s success statistic to grab attention. Numbers add detail about how big the results you deliver are, e.g., test scores, passing rate and more.
- Shows career length, 11 years.
- Mentions employer-desired skills: student motivation and interactive lessons.
Bad example:
“ Experienced Payroll Specialist with extensive knowledge of payroll processing. Possesses strong organizational skills and attention to detail. Committed to providing accurate and timely payroll services.”
Why this example fails:
- Doesn’t include any numbers that quantify payroll specialist’s performance
- Uses vague descriptions and skills.
- Doesn’t include years of teaching experience.
The fastest way to write your professional summary
Prove your value as a Payroll Specialist with a sharply written professional summary. You can choose from expert-written content suggestions using our Resume Builder!
- 1
Enter the details about the job title you held. The builder comes preloaded with auto-suggested phrasing written by resume experts.
- 2
Then, just pick from these suggested phrases that best frame your experience and customize them to your liking!
- 3
All you have to do is choose the summary phrases that best frame your experience. It’s like having a professional do it for you!
Our Resume Builder will help you write a custom Payroll Specialist resume in 15 minutes! However, if you want to give your resume more dedicated attention, you can also employ our professional writing services to kickstart your search for an Payroll Specialist role confidently.
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Payroll Specialist resume work experience examples
A big part of your resume’s content will live in your work experience, so you’ve got to put in the extra effort to make it stand out. This section should feature achievements that show recruiters you have what they’re looking for if you want to write a good resume.
Good example:
Johnson Consulting I Rolling Meadows, IL I 8/2018-current
- Managed payroll operations for a team of 50 employees, ensuring accuracy and timeliness of payments
- Processed payrolls bi-weekly, ensuring all deductions and withholdings were accurate and compliant with state and federal regulations
- Developed and implemented new payroll processes, resulting in a 25% reduction in processing time
- Generated payroll reports for senior management, providing accurate and timely financial data.
Why this example passes:
- Numbers and statistics add detail and quantify the results this payroll specialist delivers: 4% improvement and a class size of 20-25.
- Good use of strong words and active language.
- References specialized value cahier provides with “individualized lesson plans.”
Bad example:
Malone Group I Redmond, WA I 4/2022-present
- Processed payrolls
- Entered employee information into system
- Reconciled payroll accounts
- Assisted with payroll queries
Why this example fails:
- Lacks numbers or statistics.
- Describes general tasks, not teaching achievements or career highlights.
- Uses active verbs, but doesn’t focus on results.
Payroll Specialist resume skills examples
Here are 18 sample skills for payroll specialist:
- Project Management
- Report Preparation
- Payroll Administration
- Employee Relations
- Accounts Payable
- Payroll Processing
- Audit Support
- Research Support
- Policy Adherence
- Employee File Maintenance
- Accounts Receivable
- Internal Controls
- Data Reconciliation
- Spreadsheet Creation
- Analytical Skills
- Budgeting
- Billing
- Forecasting
You should sprinkle skills and abilities throughout your resume. Include them in your professional summary, work experience blurbs and a dedicated skills section.
Examples of additional resume sections
Every Payroll Specialist resume should have at least five sections: contact information, professional summary, work experience, skills and education. It can also be helpful to add extra sections if they show you’re a fit for the job.
Here are some examples of optional payroll specialist resume sections that you could add to provide greater detail:
- References
- Additional skills
- Languages
- Overview
- Certifications
- Professional skills
- Accomplishments
- Additional information
Ensure you only share relevant qualifications in your resume’s additional sections. Better to have a concise resume that’s quick to read!
Examples of resume formats
You can use one of three established layouts to organize your resume sections, also called resume formats. The three resume formats are chronological, functional and combination.
The main difference among them is whether or not they give more visual weight to your work history or to your skills section. The format you should select for your resume is based on your years of work experience as a payroll specialist.
How to choose a resume format
0-3
Years of experience
Functional formats
- Focus on skills.
- Best for first-time payroll specialist who lack work experience.
- Good for people re-entering workforce.
- May omit dates in the work history section.
Organization:
- Skills listed above work experience.
3-10
Years of experience
Combination formats
- Balance skills and work history.
- Ideal for mid-career payroll specialist.
- Suitable for career changers and people seeking promotion.
Organization:
- Skills next to or above work experience.
10+
Years of experience
Chronological formats
- Put the most focus on work history.
- Best for payroll specialist with a long, steady career.
- Most popular format.
- Preferred by recruiters.
Organization:
- Work experience listed above skills.
Once you know the best format for you, it’s easy to pick a payroll specialist resume template. Templates are preformatted layouts created by design professionals to ensure your resume looks amazing!
Don’t forget your payroll specialist cover letter
A cover letter works hand-in-hand with your resume to make a stronger case for why you deserve the job.
Payroll Specialist must prove their attention to detail to hiring managers. Your cover letter is a better place to show your enthusiasm and personality than your resume alone.
A cover letter gives you an entire page to explain a little about yourself and what motivates you to want to be a Payroll Specialist.
Writing a cover letter is much easier with our Cover Letter Builder! It features personalized phrases and text that you can select, add and edit in your cover letter.
You can find additional inspiration for your cover letter’s message with our cover letter examples and find a professional design in our cover letter templates library.
To understand how to write your document from scratch, check out our guide on How to Write a Cover Letter.
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