
Payroll Specialist
Upland, CAContractSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today
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At a glance
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Job overview
The Payroll Specialist will support payroll operations for a local government organization in Upland, California. The role processes full-cycle, high-volume payroll for a large employee population, including multi-state activities, payroll records, reconciliations, reporting, and employee inquiries. It is a contract position requiring at least five years of payroll experience, proficiency with ADP Workforce Now, strong Excel skills, and careful handling of sensitive information.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full job description
Description We are looking for a detail-oriented Payroll Specialist to support payroll operations for a local government organization in Upland, California. This is a Contract position suited for someone who can manage complex payroll activities with accuracy, discretion, and strong command of multi-state processing. The ideal candidate will bring hands-on experience handling full-cycle payroll for large employee populations and working effectively within ADP Workforce Now.
Responsibilities:
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Process end-to-end payroll for a large workforce, ensuring employees are paid accurately and on schedule.
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Administer multi-state payroll activities while applying appropriate wage, tax, and deduction rules across jurisdictions.
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Maintain and update payroll records, including earnings, benefit deductions, garnishments, and other employee pay data.
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Review timesheets, payroll changes, and supporting documentation to identify discrepancies before payroll is finalized.
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Use ADP Workforce Now to manage payroll transactions, run reports, and support day-to-day payroll administration.
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Reconcile payroll totals and investigate variances related to taxes, deductions, and employee compensation.
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Respond to payroll-related questions from employees and internal stakeholders in a timely and effective manner.
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Support payroll reporting and assist with Excel-based analysis to validate data accuracy and prepare payroll summaries. Requirements • At least 5 years of experience performing payroll functions in a high-volume environment.
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Proven background managing full-cycle payroll from data review through final processing and reconciliation.
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Experience handling multi-state payroll with a strong understanding of related compliance requirements.
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Proficiency with ADP Workforce Now for payroll processing and reporting.
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Ability to support payroll for employee populations exceeding 500 workers.
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Strong Excel skills for reviewing payroll data, identifying issues, and preparing reports.
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High level of accuracy, confidentiality, and organization in handling sensitive payroll information.
Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm that connects highly qualified job seekers to opportunities at great companies. We offer contract, temporary and permanent placement solutions for finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support roles.
Robert Half works to put you in the best position to succeed. We provide access to top jobs, competitive compensation and benefits, and free online training. Stay on top of every opportunity - whenever you choose - even on the go. Download the Robert Half app (https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/mobile-app) and get 1-tap apply, notifications of AI-matched jobs, and much more.
All applicants applying for U.S. job openings must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Benefits are available to contract/temporary professionals, including medical, vision, dental, and life and disability insurance. Hired contract/temporary professionals are also eligible to enroll in our company 401(k) plan. Visit roberthalf.gobenefits.net for more information.
© 2025 Robert Half. An Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F/Disability/Veterans. By clicking “Apply Now,” you’re agreeing to Robert Half’s Terms of Use (https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/terms) and Privacy Notice (https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/privacy) .
How this job compares
Set against the 635 open Payroll Specialist jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 6, 2026.
- Pay
- This postingNot listed
- US median$65–91K/yr87 salary ranges
- US median$27–33/hr168 hourly ranges
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 57 open Payroll Specialist jobs in California and 635 across the US. 3% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in California
- Robert Half25 open
- H&R Block4 open
- Cupertino Electric2 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 5 years of experience — more than three in four Payroll Specialist postings that state a minimum ask for (median 3 years, across 446 postings).
- Education
- 35 of the 635 open Payroll Specialist jobs (6%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 6, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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