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RH
Robert Half
Payroll Specialist
Career Insights for Payroll Specialist (General)
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Based on Oregon data
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What they do
A Payroll Specialist manages the financial and accounting work involved in processing payroll for a company or organization. Manages employee benefits programs and payroll deductions, or assists with evaluating compensation levels for different job categories and titles.
$54,956 / year median in Oregon
-7% projected decline
Job Description
Description We are looking for a Payroll Specialist to join one of our clients based in Portland, Oregon in a contract-to-permanent capacity. This position is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, brings strong attention to detail, and can manage complex payroll activity across multiple states with confidence. The role supports a sizable employee population and requires a proactive, detail-focused individual who can balance accuracy, responsiveness, and excellent service.
Responsibilities:
- Process end-to-end payroll for a designated group of employees while maintaining accuracy and timeliness.
- Administer payroll across numerous U.S. states, researching state-specific rules as needed to resolve pay questions and ensure compliance.
- Review earnings such as hourly pay, salaries, commissions, and bonus payments, verifying calculations and investigating discrepancies before finalizing payroll.
- Track payroll exceptions, follow up on outstanding items, and maintain organized records in a high-volume environment.
- Provide responsive support to employees and internal stakeholders by addressing payroll inquiries with care and courtesy.
- Adapt to unique payroll scenarios and varied processing requirements, applying sound judgment when standard procedures do not fully apply. Requirements
- At least 2 years of payroll experience, including full-cycle payroll processing.
- Hands-on experience managing payroll for employees in multiple states.
- Knowledge of payroll practices for varied compensation types, including hourly, salaried, commission-based, and bonus earnings.
- Experience with payroll platforms such as Dayforce, Paychex, Paylocity, or Paycom.
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage heavy tracking and multiple exceptions.
- Excellent customer service and communication skills, with a proactive and flexible approach to problem-solving.
- California payroll processing experience is preferred.