Payroll Technician Resume Guide
Payroll technicians are responsible for ensuring employees receive their wages accurately and on time. They manage payroll systems, process payments to staff members, review timesheets and attendance records, update employee information in the system database, reconcile discrepancies between payroll documents and bank statements, generate reports related to taxes or deductions due from salaries received by personnel.
Your payroll expertise is unmatched, yet employers don’t know you exist. To make them aware of your abilities and experience, create a resume that demonstrates why you’re the best person for the job.
This guide will walk you through the entire process of creating a top-notch resume. We first show you a complete example and then break down what each resume section should look like.
Table of Contents
The guide is divided into sections for your convenience. You can read it from beginning to end or use the table of contents below to jump to a specific part.
Payroll Technician Resume Sample
Gerson Maggio
Payroll Technician
[email protected]
157-698-3453
linkedin.com/in/gerson-maggio
Summary
Determined payroll technician with 8+ years of experience in payroll processing and accounting. Proven track record of success implementing complex payroll systems, managing employee records, and ensuring timely payment of wages to employees while complying with federal and state regulations. Seeking to join ABC Company as the next Payroll Technician where I can utilize my knowledge to ensure accurate pay cycles for all staff members.
Experience
Payroll Technician, Employer A
Buffalo, Jan 2018 – Present
- Utilized payroll software and manual calculations to process weekly payroll for 1,200 employees; met all deadlines without fail.
- Reliably ensured the accuracy of data entry into system by cross-checking employee timesheets against company records; reduced errors in payments by 15%.
- Spearheaded the implementation of a new automated payroll system that eliminated costly paper processing fees and improved efficiency by 25%.
- Developed multiple training programs on proper procedures related to federal & state taxes, garnishments and deductions; significantly decreased disputes with IRS over incorrect filing or payment issues.
- Tracked leave time accruals (such as vacation days) for all personnel while updating their personal information when necessary; increased compliance rate from 88% to 95% within 6 months.
Payroll Technician, Employer B
Akron, Mar 2012 – Dec 2017
- Accurately processed payroll for over 500 employees, including verifying timecards and calculating employee withholdings in accordance with state and federal regulations.
- Facilitated the onboarding process of new hires by preparing their paperwork and entering employee information into the payroll system.
- Optimized existing processes to reduce processing times by 15%, as well as increasing accuracy rate from 95% to 99%.
- Achieved an average of $15K monthly savings through close monitoring of budget related to salary payouts and deductions, ensuring that no discrepancies occurred during each quarter’s closing process.
- Structured a detailed filing system which allowed for easy tracking & retrieval of all records associated with payroll operations within 5 minutes or less on demand basis.
Skills
- Payroll
- Accounting
- Human Resources
- Accounts Payable
- Data Entry
- Time Management
- Accounts Receivable
- QuickBooks
- Account Reconciliation
Education
Associate Degree in Accounting
Educational Institution XYZ
Nov 2011
Certifications
Certified Payroll Professional
American Payroll Association
May 2017
1. Summary / Objective
Your resume summary/objective should be an effective introduction to your skills and experience as a payroll technician. In this section, you can highlight the accuracy of your data entry work, how you have saved companies money by streamlining their payroll processes, or any certifications that demonstrate your expertise in the field. This is also where you should mention any relevant software programs with which you are familiar.
Below are some resume summary examples:
Skilled payroll technician with 5+ years of experience in payroll processing, data entry and customer service. Adept at troubleshooting problems related to payroll deductions, taxes and employee benefits. At ABC Corporation, managed the payroll process for over 500 employees within a tight timeline while ensuring accuracy on all entries. Consistently received positive feedback from clients regarding timely resolution of their queries.
Detail-oriented payroll technician with 5+ years experience in payroll processing and administration. Adept at managing large-scale payroll operations while ensuring accuracy, compliance, and confidentiality of employee data. At XYZ Company, streamlined the upload process resulting in a reduction of time taken to complete each pay cycle by 25%. Proven ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams across multiple locations.
Seasoned payroll technician with 5+ years of experience in payroll administration and management. Proficient in QuickBooks, Microsoft Office Suite, and various HRIS systems. At XYZ Inc., managed the entire payroll process for 200+ employees on a bi-weekly basis while ensuring accuracy and compliance with all relevant regulations. Led successful implementation of new tracking system that reduced manual errors by 24%.
Enthusiastic payroll technician with 5+ years of experience in managing payroll-related data entry, reporting, and compliance. At XYZ Inc., processed accurate biweekly payroll for 200+ employees across multiple departments. Expertise in calculating taxes and deductions to ensure the accuracy of employee paychecks. Proven track record of maintaining up-to-date records while ensuring full confidentiality at all times.
Energetic payroll professional with 5+ years of experience providing accurate and timely payment processing for a variety of organizations. Adept at resolving complex payroll discrepancies, developing process improvement initiatives, and managing customer relationships. Seeking to leverage expertise in administering federal and state regulations to join ABC Company as the next Payroll Technician.
Dependable payroll technician with 8+ years of experience in payroll processing and administration. Skilled at verifying, calculating, and entering data for employee paychecks. At XYZ Inc., reduced discrepancies by 70% through the implementation of a thorough review process prior to payment release. Seeking to leverage expertise and knowledge to excel as Payroll Technician at ABC Corp.
Hard-working payroll technician with 3+ years of experience processing payroll for large and small employers. Seeking to join ABC Company as the next Payroll Technician, leveraging strong knowledge of accounting principles, payroll law compliance, and excellent problem-solving skills. At XYZ Company, processed over 740 employee payments while ensuring accuracy in calculations.
Accomplished payroll technician with 8+ years of experience in payroll processing, tax compliance, and financial reporting. Demonstrated ability to analyze employee data to ensure accuracy and efficiency when calculating wages. Seeking a position at ABC Company that will leverage expertise in maintaining detailed records for all employees’ salaries, deductions, bonuses, etc.
2. Experience / Employment
The employment (or experience) section is where you discuss your work history. It should be written in reverse chronological order, meaning that the most recent job is listed first.
Stick to bullet points for this section; doing so makes it easier for readers to take in the information quickly and accurately. When writing each point, provide detail about what you did and any quantifiable results achieved from your efforts.
For example, instead of saying “Managed payroll,” you could say something like: “Processed bi-weekly payrolls for over 500 employees on time with 100% accuracy using ADP Workforce Now.”
To write effective bullet points, begin with a strong verb or adverb. Industry specific verbs to use are:
- Processed
- Reconciled
- Calculated
- Audited
- Monitored
- Resolved
- Updated
- Generated
- Analyzed
- Reported
- Administered
- Implemented
- Documented
- Tracked
Other general verbs you can use are:
- Achieved
- Advised
- Assessed
- Compiled
- Coordinated
- Demonstrated
- Developed
- Expedited
- Facilitated
- Formulated
- Improved
- Introduced
- Mentored
- Optimized
- Participated
- Prepared
- Presented
- Reduced
- Reorganized
- Represented
- Revised
- Spearheaded
- Streamlined
- Structured
- Utilized
Below are some example bullet points:
- Advised and supported over 200 employees on payroll-related matters such as salary calculations, deductions and benefits; successfully resolved 60+ customer queries in the past 6 months.
- Generated accurate payrolls for 500+ staff members within tight deadlines each month, ensuring that all payments were processed correctly with minimal errors or discrepancies.
- Prepared monthly financial statements and reports related to employee wages & salaries; reduced audit time by 35%.
- Expedited payment cycles through automated processes and data entry optimization techniques, resulting in a 5% increase in overall efficiency of accounts receivable procedures.
- Effectively managed new hire onboarding including entering employment information into the system, setting up direct deposit forms and verifying background checks; completed 40+ onboarding tasks per day on average without any mistakes or delays.
- Implemented a new payroll system and automated processes, resulting in a 25% reduction of manual labor necessary to process employee salaries.
- Reconciled discrepancies between payroll records and bank statements; identified errors in payments due to incorrect data entry or clerical mistakes and successfully resolved issues within 24 hours.
- Revised billing procedures for hourly employees, leading to an increase of $5,000/month in timely accurate billings through improved accuracy rate of 99%.
- Processed over 500 invoices per month by verifying payment amounts with timecards & expense reports while ensuring compliance with established regulations & guidelines at all times.
- Substantially reduced costs associated with processing paychecks from two days to one day on average by streamlining the reconciliation process into fewer steps for greater efficiency gains.
- Consistently processed payroll for 2,800+ employees each month, ensuring accurate calculation and timely disbursement of wages.
- Updated employee information in the financial system including salary changes and deduction/contribution records to ensure accuracy of payroll payments.
- Documented all payroll activities as per company policy while adhering to applicable federal & state regulations; reduced compliance errors by 30%.
- Mentored two junior staff members on using the department’s software systems and processes related to paycheque calculations and issuing procedures; increased productivity by 25%.
- Audited bi-weekly timecards for completeness, accuracy & consistency prior to entering into the system; saved over $15,000 annually from eliminating inaccurate data entry mistakes from occurring during processing cycles.
- Meticulously processed payroll for a staff of 500+ employees each month, ensuring accuracy and timeliness in all payments.
- Presented detailed financial reports to the accounting department on deductions, withholdings, benefits and bonuses totaling over $1 million annually.
- Monitored employee timecards for compliance with company attendance policies; identified non-compliance issues among 8% of the workforce and worked with supervisors to ensure adherence going forward.
- Resolved complex payroll inquiries from both internal and external clients within 24 hours; reduced customer complaints by 70%.
- Improved existing workflows related to payroll processing using new software applications; increased efficiency by 35%, resulting in significant cost savings for the organization.
- Analyzed payroll records of more than 500 employees and verified accuracy to ensure timely payment; reduced payroll discrepancies by over 15%.
- Reported monthly payroll data for all departments, including taxes, benefits deductions and other withholdings; successfully completed reports within the given deadlines consistently.
- Reduced total payroll hours on average by 3% through efficient scheduling practices while ensuring consistent coverage levels in all shifts.
- Demonstrated expertise in multiple software programs such as QuickBooks Pro and Sage 50 Accounting to process accurate employee payments efficiently every month with a 98% success rate.
- Proficiently managed garnishments from third-party agencies according to federal & state regulations, resulting in 0 compliance issues or penalties incurred since taking up the role 2 years ago.
- Participated in the accurate and timely processing of over 500 payrolls each month, ensuring that all employees were paid correctly and on time.
- Administered monthly salary calculations for 2,000+ staff members across multiple departments; reduced errors by 12%.
- Thoroughly reviewed employee timesheets to ensure accuracy before submitting them for payroll processing; identified discrepancies in overtime hours resulting in cost savings of $7,500 per quarter.
- Coordinated with various internal teams such as Human Resources & Accounts Payable to ensure successful completion of biweekly/monthly payroll processes within tight deadlines; achieved 97% success rate every month since taking up role two years ago.
- Assessed new tax laws passed by both federal and state governments to guarantee compliance while filing taxes quarterly; decreased audit risks associated with incorrect filings by 40%.
- Competently maintained payroll records for 500+ employees, ensuring timely and accurate payment of wages while reconciling discrepancies in various tax documents.
- Formulated monthly salary statements, deductions reports and other financial information required by relevant departments; reduced time spent on analyzing data by 25%.
- Compiled employee attendance details such as leaves taken & overtime hours worked to calculate correct gross salaries; improved accuracy rate by 15%.
- Represented the firm at employment tribunals regarding wage disputes with former staff members through providing evidence-based documentation within agreed timelines.
- Introduced a new payroll system which automated data entry processes for both current and past employees’ records, resulting in a 20% increase in efficiency across all operations related to payroll processing.
- Confidently managed the payroll process for 500+ employees, accurately calculating wages and deductions while ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations.
- Streamlined payroll processes for a large organization by using an automated system to manage data entry, reducing manual processing time by 50%.
- Calculated salaries & bonuses of over 200 seasonal workers weekly in accordance with company policies; successfully processed $1 million worth of paychecks each month without any discrepancies.
- Reorganized personnel records into a digital database system which allowed faster access to relevant information when computing employee’s compensation; increased efficiency by 20%.
3. Skills
Skill requirements will differ from one employer to the next; this can easily be ascertained from the job posting. Organization A may require the candidate to be proficient with QuickBooks, while Organization B may require expertise in ADP. As such, you want to tailor the skills section of your resume to each job that you are applying for.
The reason it is important to do this is because a large number of employers use applicant tracking systems these days, which are computer programs that scan resumes for certain keywords before passing them on to a human.
Once listed here, you can further elaborate on your skillset by discussing it in more detail in other areas, such as the summary or experience section.
Below is a list of common skills & terms:
- ADP Payroll
- Access
- Account Reconciliation
- Accounting
- Accounts Payable
- Accounts Receivable
- Analysis
- Auditing
- Benefits Administration
- Bookkeeping
- Data Entry
- Employee Benefits
- Employee Relations
- Finance
- Financial Reporting
- General Ledger
- Government
- Human Resources
- Invoicing
- Nonprofits
- Payroll
- Payroll Processing
- Payroll Taxes
- PeopleSoft
- Policy
- Process Improvement
- QuickBooks
- Recruiting
- Spreadsheets
- Teaching
- Team Leadership
- Teamwork
- Time Management
4. Education
Mentioning an education section on your resume will depend on how far along you are in your career. If you just graduated and have no prior experience, include an education section below your resume objective. However, if you have significant work experience to showcase, omitting the education section is perfectly fine.
If including an education section, try to mention courses related to payroll technician roles that demonstrate expertise in this area such as accounting or finance-related subjects.
Associate Degree in Accounting
Educational Institution XYZ
Nov 2011
5. Certifications
Certifications are a great way to demonstrate your expertise in a particular field or industry. They show potential employers that you have taken the time and effort to become certified, which can give them confidence in your abilities.
When applying for jobs, be sure to include any certifications relevant to the position on your resume. This will help set you apart from other applicants and prove that you are qualified for the job.
Certified Payroll Professional
American Payroll Association
May 2017
6. Contact Info
Your name should be the first thing a reader sees when viewing your resume, so ensure its positioning is prominent. Your phone number should be written in the most commonly used format in your country/city/state, and your email address should be professional.
You can also choose to include a link to your LinkedIn profile, personal website, or other online platforms relevant to your industry.
Finally, name your resume file appropriately to help hiring managers; for Gerson Maggio, this would be Gerson-Maggio-resume.pdf or Gerson-Maggio-resume.docx.
7. Cover Letter
Including a cover letter when applying for a job is highly recommended. It’s an opportunity to provide a more in-depth explanation of your skills, experience and why you believe you’re the best person for the position.
A cover letter should include 2 to 4 paragraphs that are separate from your resume. Use them as an opportunity to showcase how well suited you are for the role and highlight any notable achievements or qualifications that make you stand out from other applicants.
Below is an example cover letter:
Dear Myrtie,
I am interested in the Payroll Technician position at XYZ Corporation. With more than 10 years of experience processing payroll for organizations of various sizes, I have the knowledge and skills needed to be a successful member of your team.
In my current role as Payroll Specialist at ABC Company, I process payroll for 500+ employees on a biweekly basis. I am responsible for ensuring all data is entered correctly and verifying that hours worked, taxes withheld, and benefit deductions are accurate. In addition, I regularly reconcile payroll reports to identify any discrepancies. My attention to detail and commitment to accuracy has resulted in error-free paychecks for all employees since I began working in this role five years ago.
I also have experience managing employee benefits programs such as 401(k)s and health insurance plans. In my previous role as Benefits Coordinator at DEF Company, I was responsible for enrolling new hires in company benefit programs and answering questions from employees regarding their coverage options. My excellent customer service skills helped me build strong relationships with both internal stakeholders and insurance providers, which resulted in a smooth benefits enrollment process each year.
The combination of my strong attention to detail, extensive experience processing payroll, and ability to manage employee benefits programs makes me confident I would excel in this role at XYZ Corporation. Thank you for your time; I look forward to speaking with you soon about this opportunity.
Sincerely,
Gerson