West Coast Entry Level Payroll Auditor 2026

WithumSmith+Brown PC; San Ramon (CA); On-site; USD 53,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

WithumSmith+Brown PC is recruiting an Entry Level Payroll Auditor in California. No CPA or audit experience required. This full-time role includes extensive training to ensure long-term success and a clear career path.

The position involves on-site and occasional remote audits, with a training program conducted in person when possible and remotely as needed. As you grow, you will gain leadership experience, contribute to audit reports, and work with managers to learn the business and regulatory

Qualifications

• Withum requires all Payroll Auditor I team members to have a 4-year college degree.
• Auditors often come from business, social sciences, or related fields and leverage critical thinking and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Audit employer contributions made to trust funds to verify employer compliance with contract requirements
• Communicate directly with employers to confirm scheduled appointments, coordinate records, and discuss findings
• Travel to employer locations to conduct audits on site, or remotely, depending on client needs and travel constraints
• Work independently and under supervision to perform compliance testing, analyze payroll data, and reconcile with trust fund data sets
• Frequently work with managers and senior staff to resolve audit questions and challenges
• Prepare payroll audit reports for senior and/or management review
• Provide management with timely and accurate status reports on current work
• As you progress, provide training, coaching and guidance to new auditors and learn leadership skills

Skills

MS Excel

Word

Adobe Acrobat

Analytical

Effective Communicator

Ethically Responsible

Tech Savvy

Flexible Travel

Education

4-year college degree

Tools

MS Excel

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

Withum is a place where talent thrives - where who you are matters. It’s a place of endless opportunities for growth. A place where entrepreneurial energy plus inclusive teamwork equals exponential results. Explore different industries. Learn new skills. Connect with our diverse teams of professionals to gain insight into the career you envision. Your Career Starts with You. Experience the Transformative Power of Withum Plus You - that’s the Power in the Plus!

Job Description

We are now accepting applications for Entry Level Payroll Auditor. No CPA or audit experience required. This is a full‑time entry level position with a long‑term career path. We will provide you with the training necessary for you to be successful.

How You’ll Spend Your Time

• Audit employer contributions made to trust funds (employee benefit plans) to verify employer compliance with contract requirements
• Communicate directly with employers to confirm scheduled appointments, coordinate requests for records, and discuss findings
• Travel to employer locations to conduct audits on site, or remotely, depending on client needs and travel constraints
• Work independently and under supervision to perform compliance testing, analyze payroll data, and reconcile with trust fund data sets
• Frequently work with managers and senior staff to resolve audit questions and challenges
• Prepare payroll audit reports for senior and/or management review
• Provide management with timely and accurate status reports on current work
• As you progress in this position, you will begin to provide training, coaching and guidance to new auditors and learn valuable leadership skills.

Withum provides an extensive orientation program and training for all new employees to help ensure their long‑term success, professional development, and career growth. The training program is several weeks. It is conducted in person when possible, and delivered remotely as needed. Our technology-driven approach allows this to be a very much hands‑on and collaborative experience.

The Kinds of People We Want to Talk to Reflect Many of the Following

• Positive Thinker: an organized self‑starter with a strong work ethic and eager to learn
• Effective Communicator: a professional in both written and verbal communication who can distill complex ideas into concise statements
• Ethically Responsible: ability to demonstrate resilience under pressure and passion to do the right thing placing personal and Firm integrity above all else
• Analytical: a resourceful critical thinker who can size up a situation, extract relevant information, and efficiently complete assignments
• Tech Savvy: proficient in MS Excel (logical formulas & pivot tables), Word, and Adobe Acrobat
• Flexible: comfortable traveling to employer locations, or performing audits remotely as needed (or hybrid of both)

EDUCATION

Withum requires all Payroll Auditor I team members to have a 4-year college degree. Although auditors typically have a business administration background, many come to us from the social sciences having honed critical thinking and communication skills in these disciplines.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT WITHUM

We owe our success to the dedication and expertise of our team members who have helped build our robust payroll compliance program. We continually strive to position new staff for success and identify new leaders to keep pace with our growth. In fact, the majority of payroll audit management started their careers as staff auditors. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. For positions in California and Washington, the compensation for this position ranges from $53,000- $70,000. Final offer amounts are based on multiple factors such as the specific role, hiring location, as well as the individual’s skills, experience and qualifications. In addition to the base compensation, Withum offers a competitive benefits package and bonus program (for eligible roles) based on individual and firm performance. For additional information on our benefits, visit our website at https://www.withum.com/careers/. No sponsorship is available for this position. This is not a remote job!

Diversity & Inclusion

WithumSmith+Brown, PC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against otherwise qualified applicants on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, age, sex, (including pregnancy), genetic information, marital status, domestic partnership status, familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, national origin, disability or handicap, veteran status, weight, height, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law.

Accessibility & Accommodations

Withum is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and an accessible recruiting experience for all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to search for a position, complete an application, participate in the interview process, or otherwise engage in any part of the hiring process due to a disability, please contact us for assistance. We will work with qualified individuals to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws and our commitment to an inclusive workplace.

The Withum Way

We believe that knowing who you are comes from knowing what you stand for. At Withum, we stand for doing things The Withum Way. This unique philosophy and culture, built on integrity, trust and transparency, give us the power to create immense opportunities for our clients, team members and communities.

Follow @withumcpa on Instagram for more on our team members experiencing the Withum Way. That's the Power in the Plus!