UPDATE
Introducing: Penn Foster’s Payroll Clerk Career Diploma Program
While Ashworth College is no longer accepting enrollments in our Payroll Clerk Program, we’re excited to introduce you to our partner school, Penn Foster.
Open the door to a new career with our Payroll Clerk Career Diploma Program. In this program you’ll learn how to report financial transactions, update statements, check financial records for accuracy, and more. At the end of the program, you’ll be eligible to sit the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB) Payroll Certification Exam.
LEARN MORETake the Next Steps Towards a Career You Want
Penn Foster’s online Payroll Clerk Career Diploma Program can help you prepare to take the first steps toward the job you want. With flexible, online courses, you can learn skills and knowledge on your schedule, from home.
Why Penn Foster?
Penn Foster has been on a mission to help people like you launch, accelerate, and thrive in their careers for more than 130 years. We provide students with a quality education that fits their busy lifestyle and budget, offering over 100 self-paced, career-relevant programs across our College, Career School, and High School. The program you choose is structured to fit your learning needs so you can achieve your goals, and is designed to work with your schedule, anytime, anywhere you want to study. With a focus on relevant skills and career preparation for the job you’re after, Penn Foster can help you graduate with confidence and help provide a pathway towards your career goals.
Make it official. Certification may help you obtain work, improve your pay, and boost your career path.
Run the numbers. We offer quality career training that’s affordable and tailored to your needs.
Do your coursework online anytime, anywhere, with no pre-set start/finish dates, assignment due dates or group projects.
What You'll Learn in Penn Foster’s Payroll Clerk Career Diploma
- How to track employee time and differentiate between types of employee compensation.
- How to identify, track, and account for all required employee deductions associated with benefits and all required wage taxes.
- How to properly classify workers, differentiating employees and private contractors based on the common law rule.
- How to understand the payroll outsourcing process and the pros and cons of outsourcing payroll.
Penn Foster’s Online Payroll Course Curriculum
As part of our Payroll Clerk course curriculum, you'll learn the skills and knowledge essential to working in an entry-level role as a payroll clerk. Your online courses include:
- Introduction to Payroll and Employees
- Deductions and Payments
- Payroll Accounting and Controls
Payroll Clerk Program FAQs
Many employers recognize the need for well-trained, detail-oriented payroll clerks to help their businesses be successful. The largest employers of payroll clerks include those in the professional services, retail and wholesale trade, and finance and insurance industries.
In order to become a certified payroll clerk, you need education, on-the-job training, and successful completion of an industry-recognized certification exam. Through Penn Foster's Payroll Clerk Program, you'll get online training and learn essential skills relevant to the job. Upon graduation, you will be eligible to sit for the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB) Payroll certification exam.
Payroll clerks compile and process employee payroll and timecard data, ensuring that workers are paid appropriately. Responsibilities include:
- Calculating wages and deductions for paychecks.
- Reviewing timesheets, work charts, wage computation, and other information to detect and reconcile payroll discrepancies.
- Compiling employee time, production, and payroll data from timesheets and other records.
- Processing paperwork for new employees and entering employee information into the payroll system.
Successful payroll clerks have a variety of skills. They should be detail-oriented, analytical, and organized in order to complete their daily tasks accurately and efficiently.
Payroll clerks most often work in an accounting department, focusing on processing employee pay and paperwork. Bookkeepers, on the other hand, are responsible for the overall finances of a business, ensuring that revenue, spend, and more are recorded for accurate financial record-keeping.
State requirements
A career in this field may require you to meet certain licensing, training, and other requirements that can vary by vocation and state. You should check with your state, local government, and/or licensing board to find out which requirements may be applicable in your state. Click here for contact information on state licensing/regulatory boards and certain professional licensing information.