Payroll Specialist

City of Salem; Salem (OR); Hybrid; USD 43,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Paid vacation and sick time

Employer-paid PERS contribution 6%

457b/pre-tax contributions

Flexible spending accounts

Wellness program

Employee health clinic

Job summary

The City of Salem is seeking a Payroll Specialist to accurately process payroll documents, handle taxes and benefits, and ensure compliance with labor contracts and regulations. You will use our in-house full cycle payroll system and time-entry tools to deliver timely payroll for employees of the City and Salem Housing Authority.

The role requires attention to detail, strong communication, and customer service orientation.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent and payroll coursework.
• Two years of municipal payroll experience or equivalent training.
• Experience with payroll laws and collective bargaining contracts.

Responsibilities

• Process payroll documents accurately and on time.
• Handle garnishments and special pay requirements.
• PERS wage reporting and reconciliations.
• Audit timecards and payroll processes.
• Apply FLSA rules to bargaining contracts and HR policies.
• Research and resolve complex payroll issues.
• Collaborate with HR for contract interpretation and payroll processing.
• Maintain attention to detail and communicate clearly.

Skills

Attention to detail

Excellent communication

Customer service

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Specialized payroll classes

Associate degree desirable

CPP or FPC designation desirable

Tools

Workday payroll processing

Microsoft Excel (formulas, pivot tables)

Job description

Payroll Specialist### Payroll SpecialistApply: 295 Church St SE Suite 210: Full time: Posted 2 Days Ago: End Date: November 3, 2026 (4 days left to apply): JR260124**Original Job Posting Date:**2026-10-27Payroll SpecialistSalary Range: $31.03 - $41.72The Payroll Specialist is responsible for accurate and timely processing of payroll documents, disbursement of payroll checks, taxes, and benefits. The work includes ensuring accurately reported time and applying labor contracts and personnel regulations in order to correctly compensate employees. The Payroll Specialist resolves complex payroll issues involving timecard entry and audit, leave accruals and adjustments, processing payroll bills, PERS wage reporting, and report generation.**Make an impact:**Become part of the Payroll Team with Human Resources where you will provide payroll services to employees of the City of Salem and the Salem Housing Authority.If you are passionate about providing excellent customer service, are detail-oriented, and have a proven history of conducting oneself with responsibility, integrity, accountability, and excellence, and are ready to make an impact then we invite you to apply! **Learn and grow:**With the constant changes to Federal, State, and Local tax and payroll regulations, and with new payroll technology coming within the next two to three years, this position offers unlimited growth opportunities. **What you will do:**The Payroll Specialist is responsible of the accurate and timely processing of payroll documents, taxes, and benefits using the City’s in-house full cycle payroll processing system, time entry system and reporting writing programs.This position is expected to meet deadlines, respond quickly through changing priorities and multiple interruptions, and manage a high volume of extensive communication over the telephone or in person, via computer, and engage in a variety of meetings. **Additional information on job responsibilities:*** Provide excellent customer service to the employees and supervisors of the City of Salem and Salem Housing Authority.* Processing of garnishments and other special pay requirements* Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) reporting and reconciliations.* Interpretation of multiple employee collective bargaining unit contracts.* Research and resolution of complex payroll issues related to time entry, leave accruals, and adjustments.* Audit of timecards, payroll process, and reconciliations using Excel and reporting writing programs.* Application of Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) rules and regulations regarding bargaining contracts and HR policies that affect employee-employer relations.* Work closely with the Human Resources team regarding contract interpretation and employee payroll processing.* Attention to detail.* Excellent communication skills. **What can we offer you for all your hard work?*** Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family.* Paid vacation and sick time in accordance with City policies.* Competitive pay.* Employer-paid PERS contribution of 6%.* Opportunity for voluntary pre-tax contributions to a 457b account.* Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts.* Voluntary long-term care.* Employee wellness program.* Employee assistance program.* Employee health clinic.* The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.* A flexible/hybrid schedule is available after completing three months of in-office training and becoming fully trained.* The City of Salem offers a comprehensive and equitable base salary within the listed range based on your experience, skills, and education. We encourage you to clearly describe how you meet the minimum qualifications and essential attributes in your application materials. Learn more about Equal Pay. **What are the minimum qualifications?*** Must pass the pre-employment background check.* High school diploma or equivalent and specialized payroll classes, and two (2) years of experience in processing municipal payroll or related field, or any combination of experience and training that demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skill and abilities as listed, and ability to perform the essential job functions.* Hiring managers do not have access to view resumes as part of the application review process, please make sure to give detailed information in your application that includes your experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as requested in the supplemental questions and job advertisement. **Preferred Qualifications (Not required to apply):*** Associate degree or some college preferred.* Government and any accounting experience and procedures preferred.* Experience with Workday payroll processing.* Microsoft Excel skills, including spreadsheet design, formulas, functions, and pivot tables.* CPP or FPC designation desirable. **Where can I find out more about the position?**Go to the menu option for Class Specifications and search for Payroll Specialist or view by clicking here. **Work Shift:****Benefits Information:**For benefits information, please, go to:https://www.cityofsalem.net/government/jobs/employment-information/unrepresented-employee-benefits*Hiring managers do not have access to view resumes as part of the application review process, so please make sure to give detailed information in your application that includes your experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as requested in the supplemental questions and job application.****In some cases, if we are unable to hire a qualified candidate for this classification, we may also consider candidates for related classifications.******If applicable for this posting, other job classifications that may be considered are listed below:***Payroll Specialist***As applicable for this posting, the pay range(s) below include the combined hourly and/or salary ranges for all classifications listed above. The exact pay range will depend on the specific classification for which you are hired.*****This position's estimated compensation is:**$31.03 - $41.72/ Hourly## Job Type: ## Department:Todd Merklin (On Leave)) ## Location:295 Church St SE Suite 210## Opening Date:2026-10-26**About us:**Salem is the second largest city in Oregon and the capital city. Centrally located in the Willamette Valley, Salem is 49 square miles in size and extends across to counties, Marion and Polk. The community has well-established neighborhoods and carefully preserved historic buildings with wide diversity and a family-friendly ambiance. The city is home to nearly 180,000 residents. For a full community profile detailing demographics and housing statistics, visit the City of Salem website.The City of Salem organization has eight primary departments: Community Services, Finance, Fire, Enterprise Services, Legal, Police, Public Works, and Community Planning and Development. Several departments also have functional divisions within their department. The City of Salem employs roughly 1,350 talented and dedicated staff members and works collaboratively with five labor unions.The Salem Police Department is the fourth largest agency in Oregon. We are a full-service department with myriad special teams and career advancement opportunities. In November 2020, the department moved into a modern 104,000-square-foot facility with many amenities for employees, featuring purposeful efficiency design for operations and amenities that promote employee wellness.The Public Works Department values employees and their professional development. If you are someone that takes pride in collaborating on innovative ideas, proactively responding to community needs, and being a good environmental and financial steward, we look forward to meeting you! The Public Works Department promotes a healthy work life balance, while maintaining the utmost dedication to the health, safety, and welfare of our community, including our team!The Urban Renewal Agency and the Salem Housing Authority are separate municipal corporations. The Agency contracts with the City for services and the Authority is led by the Housing Administrator within the Urban Development department.**How can I apply?**The City of Salem invites individuals of all diverse communities and backgrounds to apply for our available job opportunities as we strive to provide the best service to everyone. The City of Salem is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all and has a culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that by welcoming differences, encouraging new ideas and views, listening to, and learning from each other, we are better able to serve the community. Select the “Apply” button to complete your application. Make sure that you specify how you meet the qualifications outlined in the class specification and complete the application. Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications as outlined above but not selected for this position may be placed on an eligibility list, and candidates may be hired from the list. Eligibility lists are valid for six months. The City will send email notifications to eligible candidates about potential hiring opportunities so please ensure your email settings accept our system generated email notifications. You may subscribe for automatic notification of job openings at the City by setting up Job Alerts, you will receive an email confirming you want to Opt-In to Job Alert communications from the City of Salem.For more information about employment at the City of Salem, please visit our Career Site.THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN IMPLIED CONTRACT AND MAY BE MODIFIED OR REVOKED WITHOUT NOTICE