Payroll Administration Officer

Cloud Accounting Intermediate to Advanced Level Courses for Work in Payroll Accounting

Our MYOB, Xero and Quickbooks courses are designed to help you seek a full-time or part-time position in Payroll as well as Accounts Payable, Receivable or as a Junior-Level Bookkeeper

OUR ONLINE CLOUD accounting courses will teach you the skills in cloud accounting software programs to be able to carry out business Payroll functions. Working in payroll means you are able to:

process payroll for employees
prepare and pay adjustments to payroll as required
enter new employee particulars when they begin employment at a given company and manage any outgoing employee entitlements
maintain employee computer records as required, including personal details, pay rates, allowances, deductions, superannuation, leave accruals etc.
prepare and distribute payment summaries to employees
carry out electronic remittance of payment summary information to the ATO
prepare and pay annual payroll tax returns for all states
ensure changes that take place in new financial years are incorporated into the payroll system (eg. pay rises, PAYG tax rates, HECS rates, SGC rate.)
ensure any employees with a withholding variation revert to normal rates until new withholding variation is received from the ATO

More basic account payable and receivable tasks may sometimes be required, such as performing bank reconciliations, managing the different aspects of a business’ operating expenses, and many other budget and finance tasks for businesses of all sizes.

Training Options for Accounts Payable and Receivable Roles:

Beginner Level Cloud Accounting Packages

With our cloud accounting software courses you receive ALL skills levels for ONE LOW PRICE. These courses are perfect for someone with entry levels skills only, but because you receive all skills levels, it doesn’t matter if you have some experience or no experience at all. Our courses are perfect too for those wanting to refresh their accounting and bookkeeping skills, or progress to more advanced levels.

Also included upon graduation from all of our courses is a Certificate of Completion stating what you have achieved.

Microsoft Office Courses

Microsoft Office includes Word, Excel and Outlook and most employers will expect that someone working in the role of Accounts Payable / Receivable or clerical and junior bookkeeping positions will be competent in its use.

Read what is included our Microsoft Office Word, Excel, Outlook courses

The Job Role

What Does a Payroll Officer Do?

Payroll officers sometimes report to a qualified accountant within the company and may work closely with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). A Payroll Officer, or Payroll Coordinator, is primarily responsible for the management of end-to-end payroll processes for an organisation.

The Daily Tasks of a Payroll Officer

The day-to-day tasks that a payroll officer will perform include:

dealing with a high volume of employees for payroll purposes
processing the payroll for employees and making the necessary pay adjustments
entering new employee data and managing the entitlements of employees who are leaving an organisation
maintaining employee computer records, such as personal details, pay rates, allowances, deductions, superannuation, leave accruals etc.
preparing and distributing payment summaries to employees
carrying out electronic remittance of payment summary information to the ATO
preparation and payment of annual payroll tax returns for all states

Payroll officers are typically employed by a business on a part-time or full-time basis. Often they can find work with a healthy work life balance. Some accounts payable officers also provide bookkeeping and BAS services on a contract basis.

The Soft Skills of a Payroll Officer

Payroll officers need to have a good head for numbers, as well as the ability to work with and analyse an array of data. They need to possess the following attributes:

A high level of attention to detail and accuracy
Numerical accuracy
Demonstrated strong and effective problem-solving skills
Data analysis skills
The ability to multi task and prioritise effectively
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Ability to work autonomously and in a team
Ability to work to timeframes and meet deadlines
Good computer skills
Proficiency in Microsoft programs such as Word and Excel

The Qualifications of an Accounts Payroll Officer

Payroll officers often possess degrees in accounting, finance and economics or business, but sometimes they simply have the experience of working in similar accounting positions over time. At the very least, a person working in payroll needs a strong grasp of most accounting software and bookkeeping terms and general level maths. Qualifications in another area of business, or business management, is frequently highly regarded.

How Else Can You Up-skill?

Career Pathways for Payroll Officers

There are a multitude of career pathways for people who work in Payroll, or who are trained to work in these roles. Whether you’re employed in a large company, or specifically at an accounting or bookkeeping firm; working in payroll is a great way for prospective BAS agents to gain the supervision and work experience necessary to register with the Tax Practitioners Board.

In medium to large businesses, the workload in Payroll is significant. This may mean you’ll be doing the same or similar tasks all day long; however, should you start working for smaller businesses you’ll be expected to know more about a variety of different skills — skills that are taught in our Xero Advanced Certificate, MYOB Advanced Certificate and QuickBooks Online Advanced Certificate courses.

Other training courses designed to up-skill people looking to do the kind of work above, including: