Payroll Clerk Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Payroll Clerk resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Payroll clerks are responsible for ensuring that employees are paid accurately and on time. They’re also tasked with filing payroll tax returns and keeping records of employee benefits.
Payroll clerks play an important role in any organization’s success, so this is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to work in human resources. And because this role is so heavily focused on compliance, it also tends to be a highly regulated industry with lots of rules and regulations to follow.
Here are some tips and an example for reference when writing your own payroll clerk resume to help you land this job.
How to Write a Payroll Clerk Resume
Here’s how to write a payroll clerk resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
The best bullet points are specific and descriptive. They use clear and concise language to describe your responsibilities and the results of your work.
For example, rather than saying you “managed payroll for 100 employees,” you could say that you “managed payroll for 100 employees, reducing annual payroll costs by $200K through new payroll system implementation.”
The second bullet point is much stronger because it provides specific details about what you did and the results of your work.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
The first step in the hiring process for a payroll clerk position is usually to submit an application through an online applicant tracking system (ATS). This system will scan your resume for certain keywords related to the job opening. If your resume lacks these keywords, your application might not make it past the initial screening process.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, use this list of common payroll clerk keywords as a guide:
- Payroll
- Payroll Processing
- ADP Payroll
- Human Resources (HR)
- Payroll Administration
- Payroll Taxes
- Accounts Payable
- Accounting
- Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)
- Payroll Management
- QuickBooks
- Accounts Receivable (AR)
- Data Entry
- Bookkeeping
- Time Management
- Customer Service
- Administration
- Microsoft Access
- Office Administration
- Teamwork
- Employee Relations
- Management
- Supervisory Skills
- Onboarding
- Benefits Administration
- Recruiting
- Screening Resumes
- New Hire Orientations
- Scheduling
- Interviewing
Showcase Your Technical Skills
Payroll clerks use a variety of software programs to manage the payroll process. They need to be familiar with programs like Microsoft Excel, Word, and Access, as well as time and attendance tracking software. Additionally, payroll clerks need to understand the tax laws that apply to payroll and be able to prepare tax forms like W-2 and 1099.