Many adult learners choose to go back to school solely for the purpose of getting a better job. Women who opted to skip college to instead stay home and raise a family, men who have found their current careers obsolete, and people just needing a new start often look for careers with short educational requirements and large job opportunities. One such area of common interest is accounting. Accounting has many subspecialties such as payroll administration and accounts receivable that can easily be taught at night school, online, or by way of certificate programs. These payroll administration studies are designed for people who need to learn a trade and get to work quickly.

At a junior college or technical university, most payroll administration studies are focused on essential skills only. Therefore, students do not study core curriculum that does not further their knowledge of the potential new job like they would at a traditional four year college or university. Instead, they study the basics of accounting, accounting and payroll software, taxation of income and benefits, as well as the legal requirements concerning employee compensation. Instead of study world economics, these students learn about federal and state compliance regulations concerning payroll activities.

If you want the career potential of a traditional four year degree, but truly have a passion for payroll, many colleges and universities offer options for you as well. Undergraduate and graduate programs in accounting are often offered with concentrations in a particular subspecialty. For example, you may be able to find a four year college that offers payroll administration studies via a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting with a concentration in payroll administration. For career-oriented students, this is often preferable to a junior college or technical school diploma that offers a limited job future. Although, such a diploma can certainly be used as a stepping stone, allowing the student to get a job quickly and progress to a four-year degree during their off time.

No matter how you choose to organize your payroll administration studies, the core knowledge base and skill sets are the same. Before you can land a job in the payroll department of a company, you must first know how to file government forms such as W-2s and 1099s. You must know how to calculate payroll due and its subsequent tax withholdings for federal, state, and local governments. You must also understand the taxation of benefits such as sick days, yearly bonuses, and sales commissions. These core skills are essential, regardless of your degree plans.