Payroll Analyst Jobs
Payroll Analyst jobs are open across healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, retail, and technology, from entry-level to senior and lead roles, with specializations in multi-state payroll, payroll systems administration, and compliance. Find a role that fits from the openings below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 268+ Payroll Analyst jobs
Salary range is $70,304-$83,750 per year
Purpose of the position:
Maintain system structure to support the Payroll function. Perform data analysis to develop recommendations to resolve issues and assess improvement opportunities for existing or new payroll practices. Take appropriate measures to mitigate risks of non-compliance. Maintain knowledge of the payroll processing system, changes in regulatory requirements and company policies to ensure compliance with company’s wage and hour policies, payroll principles, IRS and multi-state tax regulations.
The position will support Payroll project and initiatives, act to readily back up Payroll operations, when necessary, to include Workforce Management support, ad-hoc reporting requests, partnering to review and validate Payroll tasks, etc.
Essential Job Functions
- Evaluate, design, maintain and test configuration of system structure to support the Payroll function; evaluate and test software upgrades; develop expertise to support Payroll integrations; engage in troubleshooting and resolution as required. Partner with Security Administrator to support Payroll Security Roles.
- Executes high-level, intermediate, and complex payroll and tax activities/controls ensuring that they are performed in a timely manner, with high standards of quality and accuracy, and in compliance with Banking, Regulatory, Tax, and Internal policies and procedures.
- Support payroll accounting processes, including payroll balancing, General Ledger interface validation, account reconciliations, labor allocations, accrual reviews, and payroll-related financial reporting.
- Analyzes, audits, reconciles and resolves complex payroll processing and employee payroll issues to ensure smooth payroll processing. Ensures payroll reporting and payments are compliant with company policy, generally accepted accounting principles, and federal, state and IRS regulations. Researches and interprets federal and state regulatory requirements and resolves tax, withholding, garnishment, and wage/hour issues for payroll processing. Responds to auditing and regulatory inquiries.
- Actively participates in the implementation of business initiatives; handles assigned projects independently or in groups. Participates in the testing and implementation of enhancements to any Payroll and related systems.
- Engage cross-functionally to understand and support Payroll configuration that is consistent with Benefits, HCM, Financial, Workforce Management structure and requirements. Lead cross-functional teams in resolving process concerns and developing new processes. Maintain process documentation, validating policies and procedures against State and Provincial laws.
- Design, document and implement workflows and processes to support business needs; identify opportunities for process improvement, and drive change to increase standardization, automation, and efficiency. Administer and improve programs to ensure that goals are achieved while maintaining workplace compliance, consistency and fairness. Leverages technology to enhance services and contain costs.
- Gathers information and keeps abreast of shifting trends in Payroll process and systems. Creates and generates reports that are useful to the department and supports the company’s needs, and that identify and support areas of opportunity and improvement.
- Execute reporting and data analysis to deliver business insights. Respond to ad-hoc data requests from Accounting, HR, Legal, and Operations; research issues and deliver solutions.
- Maintain knowledge of regulatory and contractual requirements and company policies. Respond to regulatory, contractual, or company initiated changes timely and effectively mitigate risks.
- Execute and evaluate company-wide system audits on a routine basis; develop and analyze reconciliations and controls, to ensure compliance with Wage and Hour, Tax, and Financial regulations, and maintain data integrity. Identify areas that need to be monitored or analyzed on a consistent basis. Anticipate and prepare for potential issues and recommend resolutions. Report payroll processing and system issues as appropriate
- Develop and document procedures and training materials; conduct training as needed.
- Backup miscellaneous payroll functions, payroll processing, and ad hoc reporting as needed.
Additional Functions:
- Provide support to the Benefits and Workforce Management functions.
- Work with miscellaneous auditors as needed
- Special projects as needed
Qualifications
- BA/BS Degree in Accounting/Business Administration, HR Management, Information Systems, (or currently pursuing) or equivalent experience
- 3+ years of Payroll experience and solid understanding of UKG strongly preferred
- Must have knowledge of Payroll Tax and Wage and Hour regulatory requirements in a multi-state operation, and knowledge of Payroll Accounting, with preferably two years of experience in or associated with Payroll, Tax, Finance, HR, Financial Systems/controls
- Understanding of General Ledger processes, payroll accounting, account reconciliations, journal entries, accruals, labor allocations, payroll balancing, and payroll-related financial reporting.
- Ability to apply knowledge of business principles and practices to achieve successful outcomes in cross-functional projects and activities
- Prior work experience exhibiting strong leadership; trainer experience preferred.
- Advanced analytical, organizational, creative problem solving and time management skills, including ability to manage multiple priorities concurrently and meet established deadlines
- Demonstrated technical ability to be able to explore/understand/apply attributes of a software. Emerging analytical and technical skills with attention to detail and execution with the ability to learn and adapt to changing technology and support process improvements
- Strong problem-solving, and interpersonal skills; strong customer service values. Must be able to communicate effectively with varying levels of management and team members, both written/verbal and leverage of relationships and strategies
- Able to work independently and work with all levels of management, self-motivated and directed; ability to work under pressure in fast paced, deadline oriented environment.
- Must have a high degree of organization and prioritization skills, be detailed oriented, and have proven history maintaining confidential and protected information.
- Strong System Skills (Payroll/Human Resources/ Workforce Management, Excel, Word,) to include formulas, pivot tables, vlookups, query and intermediate to complex report writing/analytics. Preferred SQL experience and/or interest in learning SQL and other advanced reporting tools.
- Willing to travel
Foster Farms ACTION Guiding Principles
- Accountability: Deliver on commitments.
- Collaboration: Achieve more by working as a team.
- Truth-Seeking: Be open-minded and act with humility.
- Initiative: Be proactive and lead with a growth mindset.
- Ownership: Take responsibility for results.
- Nimble: Operate with speed and agility.
Why Join Foster Farms?
This is a high-impact opportunity to shape the future of the ready-to-eat business at a leading food company, directly supporting our mission, vision, and values. You will play a critical role in delivering safe, high-quality food and great moments for millions of families.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
Salary range is $70,304-$83,750 per year
Purpose of the position:
Maintain system structure to support the Payroll function. Perform data analysis to develop recommendations to resolve issues and assess improvement opportunities for existing or new payroll practices. Take appropriate measures to mitigate risks of non-compliance. Maintain knowledge of the payroll processing system, changes in regulatory requirements and company policies to ensure compliance with company’s wage and hour policies, payroll principles, IRS and multi-state tax regulations.
The position will support Payroll project and initiatives, act to readily back up Payroll operations, when necessary, to include Workforce Management support, ad-hoc reporting requests, partnering to review and validate Payroll tasks, etc.
Essential Job Functions
- Evaluate, design, maintain and test configuration of system structure to support the Payroll function; evaluate and test software upgrades; develop expertise to support Payroll integrations; engage in troubleshooting and resolution as required. Partner with Security Administrator to support Payroll Security Roles.
- Executes high-level, intermediate, and complex payroll and tax activities/controls ensuring that they are performed in a timely manner, with high standards of quality and accuracy, and in compliance with Banking, Regulatory, Tax, and Internal policies and procedures.
- Support payroll accounting processes, including payroll balancing, General Ledger interface validation, account reconciliations, labor allocations, accrual reviews, and payroll-related financial reporting.
- Analyzes, audits, reconciles and resolves complex payroll processing and employee payroll issues to ensure smooth payroll processing. Ensures payroll reporting and payments are compliant with company policy, generally accepted accounting principles, and federal, state and IRS regulations. Researches and interprets federal and state regulatory requirements and resolves tax, withholding, garnishment, and wage/hour issues for payroll processing. Responds to auditing and regulatory inquiries.
- Actively participates in the implementation of business initiatives; handles assigned projects independently or in groups. Participates in the testing and implementation of enhancements to any Payroll and related systems.
- Engage cross-functionally to understand and support Payroll configuration that is consistent with Benefits, HCM, Financial, Workforce Management structure and requirements. Lead cross-functional teams in resolving process concerns and developing new processes. Maintain process documentation, validating policies and procedures against State and Provincial laws.
- Design, document and implement workflows and processes to support business needs; identify opportunities for process improvement, and drive change to increase standardization, automation, and efficiency. Administer and improve programs to ensure that goals are achieved while maintaining workplace compliance, consistency and fairness. Leverages technology to enhance services and contain costs.
- Gathers information and keeps abreast of shifting trends in Payroll process and systems. Creates and generates reports that are useful to the department and supports the company’s needs, and that identify and support areas of opportunity and improvement.
- Execute reporting and data analysis to deliver business insights. Respond to ad-hoc data requests from Accounting, HR, Legal, and Operations; research issues and deliver solutions.
- Maintain knowledge of regulatory and contractual requirements and company policies. Respond to regulatory, contractual, or company initiated changes timely and effectively mitigate risks.
- Execute and evaluate company-wide system audits on a routine basis; develop and analyze reconciliations and controls, to ensure compliance with Wage and Hour, Tax, and Financial regulations, and maintain data integrity. Identify areas that need to be monitored or analyzed on a consistent basis. Anticipate and prepare for potential issues and recommend resolutions. Report payroll processing and system issues as appropriate
- Develop and document procedures and training materials; conduct training as needed.
- Backup miscellaneous payroll functions, payroll processing, and ad hoc reporting as needed.
Additional Functions:
- Provide support to the Benefits and Workforce Management functions.
- Work with miscellaneous auditors as needed
- Special projects as needed
Qualifications
- BA/BS Degree in Accounting/Business Administration, HR Management, Information Systems, (or currently pursuing) or equivalent experience
- 3+ years of Payroll experience and solid understanding of UKG strongly preferred
- Must have knowledge of Payroll Tax and Wage and Hour regulatory requirements in a multi-state operation, and knowledge of Payroll Accounting, with preferably two years of experience in or associated with Payroll, Tax, Finance, HR, Financial Systems/controls
- Understanding of General Ledger processes, payroll accounting, account reconciliations, journal entries, accruals, labor allocations, payroll balancing, and payroll-related financial reporting.
- Ability to apply knowledge of business principles and practices to achieve successful outcomes in cross-functional projects and activities
- Prior work experience exhibiting strong leadership; trainer experience preferred.
- Advanced analytical, organizational, creative problem solving and time management skills, including ability to manage multiple priorities concurrently and meet established deadlines
- Demonstrated technical ability to be able to explore/understand/apply attributes of a software. Emerging analytical and technical skills with attention to detail and execution with the ability to learn and adapt to changing technology and support process improvements
- Strong problem-solving, and interpersonal skills; strong customer service values. Must be able to communicate effectively with varying levels of management and team members, both written/verbal and leverage of relationships and strategies
- Able to work independently and work with all levels of management, self-motivated and directed; ability to work under pressure in fast paced, deadline oriented environment.
- Must have a high degree of organization and prioritization skills, be detailed oriented, and have proven history maintaining confidential and protected information.
- Strong System Skills (Payroll/Human Resources/ Workforce Management, Excel, Word,) to include formulas, pivot tables, vlookups, query and intermediate to complex report writing/analytics. Preferred SQL experience and/or interest in learning SQL and other advanced reporting tools.
- Willing to travel
Foster Farms ACTION Guiding Principles
- Accountability: Deliver on commitments.
- Collaboration: Achieve more by working as a team.
- Truth-Seeking: Be open-minded and act with humility.
- Initiative: Be proactive and lead with a growth mindset.
- Ownership: Take responsibility for results.
- Nimble: Operate with speed and agility.
Why Join Foster Farms?
This is a high-impact opportunity to shape the future of the ready-to-eat business at a leading food company, directly supporting our mission, vision, and values. You will play a critical role in delivering safe, high-quality food and great moments for millions of families.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
Payroll Analyst Jobs by Experience Level
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Find Payroll Analyst JobsPayroll Analyst Job Market
Who's Hiring
- Ryder System29
- Vail Resorts8
- Whatnot4
- Jobot3
- Vercel3
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software11
- Retail8
- Education5
- Staffing & Recruiting5
- Insurance2
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in payroll analyst jobs.
- Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business, or a related field
- Hands-on experience with payroll platforms such as ADP, Workday, Ceridian, or UKG
- Working knowledge of federal, state, and local payroll tax regulations and filing requirements
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel including pivot tables, VLOOKUP, and data validation
- Experience processing end-to-end payroll for large employee populations across multiple pay cycles
- Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) or Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) credential preferred
Tips for Your Payroll Analyst Job Search
Quantify payroll volume on your resume
Hiring managers want to know the scale you've worked at. List the number of employees in each pay cycle you've managed, the pay frequencies you've processed, and the payroll systems you've run, not just the company name.
List every payroll system you've used
Workday, ADP, Ceridian, UKG, and SAP are screened as keywords before a human reads your resume. Name each platform in a dedicated skills section and again in context within your bullet points so both applicant tracking systems and recruiters catch them.
Target openings by the states you're certified in
Multi-state payroll compliance is a common filter in job postings. If you're experienced with California, New York, or Texas wage and hour rules, say so explicitly. Employers in those states will prioritize candidates who already know their specific regulatory landscape.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists payroll analyst openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Prepare to walk through a payroll error scenario
Interviewers routinely ask how you've identified and corrected a payroll discrepancy. Have a specific example ready that covers how the error occurred, how you caught it, how you resolved it, and what you changed to prevent it from recurring.
Negotiate using total compensation, not base alone
Payroll analysts understand benefits arithmetic better than most candidates. Use that knowledge when evaluating offers: compare health premiums, retirement match rates, and PTO cash value alongside salary before accepting or countering.
Payroll Analyst Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most payroll analysts?
The companies hiring the most payroll analysts right now include Ryder System, Vail Resorts, and Whatnot, with the largest share of openings in California, Texas, and Illinois, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Demand is concentrated in large employers with complex multi-state payroll operations, including healthcare systems, staffing firms, and national retailers.
How many payroll analyst jobs are remote?
About 73% of payroll analyst openings are fully remote or hybrid as of September 2026, making it one of the more flexible finance and HR roles available. Positions focused on payroll systems administration, reporting, and compliance tend to have the highest share of remote arrangements, while roles involving direct employee support or payroll audits more often require on-site presence.
How do you become a payroll analyst?
Start with a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or human resources. Gain hands-on experience processing payroll in an entry-level HR or accounting role, then learn at least one major payroll platform such as ADP or Workday. Pursuing a Fundamental Payroll Certification from the American Payroll Association demonstrates competency to employers and is a common next step before moving into an analyst role.
Can you get a payroll analyst job with little experience?
Yes, entry-level payroll analyst roles exist and typically require one to two years of related experience in HR, accounting, or payroll processing rather than prior analyst titles. Focus on roles at professional employer organizations or staffing companies, which process high payroll volumes and hire for volume over seniority. Earning the Fundamental Payroll Certification and demonstrating proficiency in Excel and a payroll platform can substitute for years of experience in many hiring decisions.
What does the payroll analyst interview process look like?
Most payroll analyst interviews run two to three rounds. The first is a recruiter or HR screen covering your payroll platform experience and employment history. A hiring manager interview follows, focused on how you handle discrepancies, month-end closes, and compliance questions. Many employers add a practical component, such as an Excel exercise or a scenario where you walk through correcting a payroll error or reconciling a general ledger entry.
Where can I find and apply to payroll analyst jobs?
You can find and apply to payroll analyst jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your experience level, location preference, and payroll platform background, then apply directly to each listing that fits.
See All 268+ Payroll Analyst Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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