Payroll Specialist

Salary: $26.41 - $35.68 Hourly
Location : One Civic Center - 7447 East Indian School Rd, Scottsdale, AZ
Job Type: Full-Time Regular
Job Number: FY2627-00018
Division: Accounting
Department: Accounting
Opening Date: 07/10/2026
Closing Date: 7/17/2026 11:59 PM Arizona


Introduction
The Payroll Specialist processes the City's bi-weekly payroll and performs related technical and administrative work. This includes entering and verifying payroll data (pay changes, direct deposit, withholding, deductions, term pay, retro items, and vendor/agency payments), preparing payroll reports, researching and correcting payroll issues, and reconciling payroll accounts and payments (taxes, retirement, deferred compensation, and garnishments). The role also communicates with departments and employees and assists customers by phone, email, or in person. The position requires attention to detail and the ability to explain payroll information and handle routine matters independently.
Anticipated starting salary may be up to mid-point depending on candidate's experience and internal equity. The midpoint of the salary range is $31.04 per hour.


Please note: the hiring department requests that you attach a Cover Letter & Resume to your application.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• A high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) equivalent.
• One year of payroll, accountancy, finance or related experience.

Licensing, Certifications and Other Requirements:

• Every person employed by the City of Scottsdale shall reside in the State of Arizona during his or her active employment by the City, regardless of whether the employee is approved to remote work.

Other pertinent licenses and/or certifications may be required of some positions depending on division/department/service assignment.

Essential Functions

To view the job description and list of Essential Functions, click here

Work Environment/Physical Demands

To view the Work Environment/Physical Demands, click here

The City of Scottsdale offers:

• 12 Paid Holidays, which includes 1 Floating Holiday
• Vacation Accrual; starts at 10.3 hours/month, eligible for use immediately following accrual
• Sick Leave Accrual; 8 hours/month, eligible for use immediately following accrual
• Medical (which includes behavioral health coverage), Dental and Vision benefits effective first day of employment
• City Paid Basic Life Insurance (equal to one times employee annual salary); option of Supplemental Life Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement; $2,500/year
• Participation in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) Defined benefit plan with mandatory employer and employee contributions currently at 11.98% which includes a Long-Term Disability benefit
• Supplemental Retirement Plans through Nationwide; 457
• Pet Insurance
• Bilingual pay compensation
• Robust Employee Wellness plan with flexible incentives
• Access to several city-owned fitness and recreational facilities at no cost

Please visit the Human Resources and Benefits Information page for more information.
Selection Process:
Applicants whose education, training and experience most closely meet the needs of the position may be invited to participate in a selection process that may include a panel interview. Successful candidates will receive a post-offer, pre-employment background screening that may include:

• Fingerprinting search of the national FBI Database
• Criminal Background screening

The City of Scottsdale reserves the right to change this process at any time, potentially without advance notice.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: It is the policy of the city to provide employment opportunities to all persons based solely on ability, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

When advised, reasonable accommodations will be made in order for an "otherwise qualified applicant" with a disability to participate in any phase of the recruitment process. Please contact Human Resources to request an accommodation. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting HR Receptionist at View phone number on click.appcast.io. Requests should be made 24 hours in advance or as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation. For TTY users, the Arizona Relay Service View phone number on click.appcast.io) may contact HR Receptionist at View phone number on click.appcast.io.

This position description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the position change.
Full-Time Positions:
The City of Scottsdale offers a comprehensive benefit package including vacation, holiday and medical leave as well as insurance for medical, dental, vision, life, short and long term disability insurance. For a more detailed overview of the employee benefits,


Part-Time Positions:
The City of Scottsdale offers paid medical leave for part-time staff.

Commute Solutions Program
City of Scottsdale provides free Valley Metro Platinum passes to employees for the bus and light rail systems when commuting; a vanpool subsidy is also available. Employees can decrease stress, decrease wear & tear on their vehicle, and help the environment all at the same time.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF).
The City of Scottsdale is considered a qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). You may find more information about the PSFL program by going to the Federal Student Aid website by clicking
01


A high school diploma/GED is required for this position. Do you have a high school diploma / GED?

• Yes
• No

02


Do you have at least one year of payroll, accountancy, finance or related experience? Please note: this experience must be listed on your application.

• Yes
• No

03


If you have previous payroll experience, please indicate which best describes the size of the payroll for which you were responsible.

• Less than 100 employees
• 101-500 employees
• 501-2500 employees
• More than 2500 employees
• N/A

04


Please list the payroll or accounting/finance system(s) you have used. Note: Do not state "See resume" in lieu of responding to this question. If you don't have this experience, please indicate "None".
05


The Payroll Specialist is responsible for processing biweekly payroll for the entire city - nearly 3,000 employees. This role requires handling a high volume of transactions and meeting tight deadlines, often under pressure, while consistently maintaining an exceptional level of detail and accuracy. Describe any experience you have related to this. If you do not have this experience, indicate NA. This experience must be listed on your application. Do not state "See resume" in lieu of responding to this question.
06


Do you have experience working for or with a city, county, state or federal government? Please note: this experience must be listed on your application.

• Yes
• No

07


Please describe your experience using a computer and list the applications that you are proficient in. If you do not have this experience, please put N/A.
08


Please indicate how you learned about this job opportunity with the City of Scottsdale.

• City Website
• Employee Referral
• Facebook
• Glassdoor
• Governmentjobs.com
• Indeed
• Instagram
• Job Fair (In-Person / Virtual)
• Recruiter
• Other

09


I understand that any communication for this recruitment may come via an email from governmentjobs.com and I will check my email junk/spam folders regularly for possible notifications and/or self-schedule interview invitations.

• Yes
• No

10


The hiring department has asked that you attach your Cover Letter and Resume. Did you include these attachments?

• Yes
• No

Required Question