What Does a Pay Administrator Do?

Pay administrators are often in charge of keeping track of employee hours and ensuring that they are compensated appropriately. These individuals may also be in charge of tracking services that an organization uses, such as material deliveries, as well as ensuring that vendors and suppliers are paid for their work. A pay administrator may be expected to act as an accountant in some cases. He or she is in charge of ensuring that all employees are paid in accordance with government laws and regulations. A pay administrator may also participate in auditing and budgeting processes in these scenarios.

Companies demand different qualifications from their pay administrators depending on the tasks they are in charge of. Companies that only require an associate’s degree or experience performing data entry in an office environment, for example, may only require an associate’s degree or experience performing data entry in an office environment. Pay administrators are frequently required to have formal academic training in fields such as finance or accounting in organizations where they are expected to act as members of accounting or financial planning departments. These higher-level pay administrators can also benefit from years of experience working in accounting or payroll departments, as well as accounting certification.

A large part of a pay administrator’s job entails entering data and reviewing it for consistency. To put it another way, pay administrators might compare actual costs to projected estimates to see how and why they differ. A pay administrator is also responsible for establishing labor budgets and estimates, as well as ensuring that employees are working the required number of hours.

When working for a taxi, limousine, or other type of transportation service, a pay administrator is in charge of collecting and entering driver data. This type of expert might use meters or software to figure out how far a driver has driven and how many passengers he or she has picked up. The amount that an organization owes drivers for their services could then be calculated an administrator.

A pay administrator frequently serves as a negotiator. When this type of professional is in charge of paying suppliers and other service providers, he or she may ensure that contract terms are adhered to and that costs and terms of service are acceptable to both parties. A pay administrator in a payroll department is also likely to assist employees who believe they have been underpaid or who wish to work overtime.