A CV is the main part of your job application and the most important one. That’s because it’s the initial contact you have with the recruiter which if you pass can lead onto an interview.

It should be a genuine reflection of your experiences and ideally highlight your most relevant job related skills and attributes. This is why its good practice to write a CV for each Payroll Administrator job you apply for so that it can appeal to the specific needs of that position. Doing this vastly increases your chances of success.

As a Payroll Administrator you will be at the forefront of ensuring that employees are paid correctly and on time.
Your CV must highlight your ability to process wages, overtime, deductions and send out pay slips. All of these competencies must be included in your CV.

This guide, along with the prewritten Payroll Administrator CV examples, will help you draft a document that displays your best qualities and helps you secure that next position.

By: Iejaz Uddin – Updated 27 August 2025

 

Page overview

  • Payroll Administrator CV examples
  • How to write an Payroll Administrator CV
  • CV structure
  • Contact details
  • Personal summary
  • Payroll Administrator work experience
  • Skills
  • Education section

  

Payroll Administrator CV example

 

Maxine Corry
Address
T: 0044 123 456 7890
E: info@dayjob.com


PERSONAL SUMMARY

Maxine can be the first point of contact for employees in matters of time, attendance and payroll. She is a knowledgeable individual who can also provide guidance and support to employees on pension scheme options, contributions, and retirement planning.

Has the ability to do everything from processing payroll for employees to accurately to maintaining payroll records and calculating overtime, bonuses and deductions. A true professional who will always ensure the security and strict confidentiality of all records and work undertaken. Has experience with PayCircle, Sage payroll and good Knowledge of Xero/ Sage software. Furthermore, possesses up-to-date knowledge of how to comply with government regulations and changes to employment laws.

In her current role she applies her knowledge of UK payroll and pension legislation to ensure her company remains fully compliant. At work she manages her time and prioritises her work to meet deadlines. With colleagues she has a reputation for investigating and correcting payroll discrepancies and errors.

During her career she has always played an active part in the positive development and evolution of a company’s payroll department.

Right now, she would like to join a company that is committed to providing professional growth and development opportunities to its staff.

 

CAREER HISTORY

PAYROLL ADMINISTRATOR – Start Date – Present
Employers name – Location
Responsible for managing the end-to-end payroll process for company employees and ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of payments to them.

Duties;

  • Providing full administrative support for all areas of the payroll and HR function.
  • Checking and confirming the number of hours employees have worked.
  • Handling all phone calls and correspondence with professionalism.
  • Planning and prioritising workload to ensure Service Level Agreements are met.
  • Preparing and processing ad hoc payments as required.
  • Entering employee data onto a payroll system.
  • Collecting all the personal information of employees and the hours they’ve worked in every payroll cycle.
  • Processing payroll actions for starters, leavers, changes and absence deductions via HR systems
  • Completing end to end weekly payroll activities.
  • Being the first point of contact for HR and Payroll queries.
  • Handling administrative payroll duties including data entry, filing and reporting.
  • Processing new employees, terminations, transfers and promotions.
  • Working with HR staff to maintain and update employee data.
  • Ensuring the timely and accurate entry of data into the HR payroll system.
  • Calculating, deducting and processing taxes, as well as other company-offered benefits.
  • Running and analysing sickness absences and updating absence analysis spreadsheet accordingly.
  • Managing all starter and leaver documentation and processes.
  • Assisting with general office administration duties from time to time.
  • Assisting in the preparation and checking of payroll data.
  • Keeping payroll records for each employee with up-to-date and accurate information.
  • Administration of PAYE, National Insurance deductions based on individual allowances.
  • Writing up reports related to payroll and payroll related expenses.
  • Preparing reports for weekly, quarterly and yearly reviews.
  • Paying wages by cash, cheque or electronic transfer.
  • Assisting in implementing and testing payroll system upgrades or changes.
  • Overseeing the administration of employee pension scheme contributions and liaising with pension providers.
  • Maintaining sensitive and confidential information with the highest levels of integrity.
  • Calculating pay raises, shift payments and overtime compensation.
  • Managing electronic timekeeping systems as well as manually collecting and reviewing timesheets.
  • Ensuring that accurate and timely responses are provided via telephone and email to all payroll enquiries.

JOB TITLE – Start Date – End Date
Employers name – Location


KEY SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

Professional

  • Applying accounting standards to financial transactions and presentations.
  • Processing holiday pay, sick pay, maternity pay and any expenses.
  • Ability to perform manual calculations as and when required.
  • Proficient in office management, clerical tasks, and administrative duties.
  • Experience working with the full Microsoft Office suite.
  • Strong attention to detail and a high level of accuracy in all work activities.
  • Familiarity with pension scheme administration and compliance requirements.

Personal

  • Comfortable working to tight deadlines and able to use their own initiative when required to.
  • Eager to learn new things and continuously looking for ways to create efficiencies.
  • Ability to maintain effective working relationships with others.

 

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Pre-employment checks

Leaving processes

HR Administration

Bookkeeping

Collecting data

 

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

University name  –  Degree details                Study Dates
College name      –  Qualifications                Study Dates
School name       –  Subjects / Grades          Study Dates

 

REFERENCES

Available on request.

 

 

How write a Payroll Administrator CV

Launch your career with a CV that pitches you as the best candidate for a vacancy. Do this by submitting a polished and professional CV that is primed at the job you are applying for.

By doing this you will vastly increase the chances of standing out from other equally qualified candidates and getting noticed by the hiring manager.

Many job seekers can spend hours staring at a blank page, unsure what to put in it. The formula for writing your CV is very simple, find out what the recruiter wants from a candidate through the job description and then give it to them in your CV.

After writing it weed out spelling mistakes in your CV by proofreading it. This can be done by reading it slowly and carefully to spot errors or by reading it out aloud to catch grammar mistakes.

 

Guide overview:

  • CV structure
  • Contact details
  • Personal summary
  • Payroll Administrator work experience
  • Skills section
  • Education
  • Hobbies and interests

  

CV structure

Choosing the right CV format is key to making it visually appealing and easy to scan.

By structuring your CV so that it spotlights your most relevant experience in the most prominent places, you can maximise your chances of getting noticed. The layout has to focus and funnel the recruiters attention to those sections of your CV which you want them to see.

Must have CV sections that you should list in your CV are the personal summary, work experience, education, and skills. All of these have to be fitted into the document in a flowing order. These sections are crucial to giving the hiring manager a full spectrum of your past history and current abilities.

This is how to structure your Payroll Administrator CV:

  • Name and contact details
  • Personal profile
  • Key skills
  • Work experience
  • Education

 

Contact details

Your contact details and in particular your name and job title will be the first thing a recruiter sees. As such they should be the marquee sign of your CV. This means they have to be bigger and brighter than the rest of the text, The way to do this is with a font that catches the eye and sets the stage for the rest of the CV.

Make it as easy as possible for the recruiter to contact you by having a list of options through which to be contacted. This could be your email address, mobile number, LinkedIn profile and postal address

At the very least, include:

  • Your full name
  • Professional title
  • Phone number
  • Email address
  • Your current job title (if it’s relevant)

 

Payroll Administrator CV personal summary

Look upon the personal summary as the handshake you give to a employer when you first meet them, it’s where you say ‘Hello, my name is ……….. and I’m applying for the job you are advertising’.

Put together a powerful introductory statement will provide a snapshot of who you are and what you can offer. As always try to keep it as relevant as possible to the role you are applying for, which in this case means highlighting your ability to process payroll information.

Also try to personalise your professional summary to get a bit of your character in this opening statement. By doing this you can show your human side and hopefully create a quick bond with the reader.

 

Payroll Administrator work experience

Your work history section should highlight your contributions and successes in your past roles.

Each job you have held should be described through bullet pointed sentences that describe your daily duties. For every role, include your title, the name of the establishment, and your tenure there. Carefully go through your career to identify those responsibilities and experiences which precisely match the vacancies requirements. When describing your daily duties, expand on them by using percentages and statistics.

List your roles in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent ones first and working backwards.

Show your:

  • Delivering a high quality and comprehensive payroll information service to employees, head teachers and managers.
  • Can deal with and communicate with people from all levels of authority.
  • Ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.

 

Skills section

A key piece of the CV jigsaw is the skills section where you include those skills that the employer wants in an applicant.

Before you put anything down read the job description and absorb all the skills that the recruiter wants in a candidate. Confirm that you have and if you do, put them in this section.

It doesn’t matter if you have hard or soft skills, if they can help your application include them.

 

Skills to show in your CV

  • Investigating and correcting payroll discrepancies and errors.
  • Providing advice to staff in relation to pay, taxation and National Insurance.
  • Answering staff queries about timesheets or pay slips.
  • Ability to maintain absolute discretion and maturity in handling sensitive and confidential data.
  • Maintaining comprehensive payroll records.
  • Working in a busy environment where every day is different.
  • Excellent attention to detail with the ability to actively seek and find solutions to problems.

 

Education section

The education section is where you can showcase your focused pursuit of knowledge in your field. It’s an emblem to your commitment to bettering yourself and developing your future potential.

Keep what you write here simple, digestible and relevant to the job you’re after.

 

More CV templates
CV templates