Exam Bulletin - Payroll Specialist

State Controller's Office

Exam Code: EX-2156

Examination Plans Included:

  • PAYROLL SPECIALIST - Open, Non-Promotional

Final Filing Date: Applications are accepted on a continuous basis.

Bulletin Updates

  • Continous filing dates have been deleted.
  • Continous filing dates have been deleted.
  • Continous filing dates have been deleted.
  • Continous filing dates have been deleted.
  • Continous filing dates have been deleted.
  • Continous filing dates have been deleted.
  • Continous filing dates have been deleted.
  • Continous filing dates have been deleted.
  • Any editable section on the Exam Bulletin has been updated.
  • The Examination Information section has been updated.
  • The Class Details section on the Exam Bulletin has been updated.
  • The payscales section on the Exam Bulletin has been updated.

Classification Details

PAYROLL SPECIALIST: $3,913.00 - $4,897.00 (A) per Month
PAYROLL SPECIALIST: $4,497.00 - $5,638.00 (B) per Month
PAYROLL SPECIALIST: $4,659.00 - $5,833.00 (C) per Month
PAYROLL SPECIALIST: $5,033.00 - $6,299.00 (D) per Month

View the PAYROLL SPECIALIST classification specification.

Application Instructions

Upcoming Filing Cutoff Dates:

  • 10/15/2024

Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) must be received or postmarked by the filing date indicated above. Applications postmarked, personally delivered or received via interoffice mail after the filing date will be processed in the next group.

Who Should Apply:

The information below will help you determine which classification(s) is(are) appropriate for you. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as stated on this bulletin to compete in this examination.

Open and Open, Non-Promotional Examination(s):

  • PAYROLL SPECIALIST - Open, Non-Promotional

For all Classifications, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

    2156

For PAYROLL SPECIALIST, once you have participated in any of the following examinations, you may not recompete for 12 months:

Exam Code(s):

  • EX-02156

How To Apply:

Submit an Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) to apply for this examination.

Electronic applications can be submitted through your account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov.

You may apply by mail to:

  • Examination Analyst
    State Controller's Office
    Examinations
    300 Capitol Mall 3rd Floor, Ste 300
    Sacramento, CA 95814

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678).

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

  • State Controller's Office
    Examinations
    300 Capitol Mall 3rd Floor, Ste 300
    Sacramento, CA 95814
    8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Indicate the Examination Code and Classification(s) on your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678). All applicants must provide proof of identification. Accepted forms of identification are: 1) a photo identification card or 2) two forms of signed identification.

Special Testing Arrangements:

If you require assistance or alternative testing arrangements due to a disability, indicate on your application that you need reasonable accommodation. You will be contacted by a representative of the testing department to make the necessary arrangements. If you have not been contacted by the time you receive notification of testing, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

If you are unable to submit your application or complete the test due to a disability, please contact the testing department listed in the Contact section of this bulletin.

Minimum Qualifications

All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this exam bulletin to be accepted to the examination.

Unless otherwise stated in the Minimum Qualifications, qualifying experience may be combined on a proportionate basis if the requirements stated below include more than one pattern and are distinguished as "Either" 1, "or" 2, "or" 3, etc. For example, applicants possessing qualifying experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 1 and additional experience amounting to 50% of the required time of Pattern 2 may be accepted to an examination as meeting 100% of the overall experience requirement.

00101311 - PAYROLL SPECIALIST

One year of experience in the California state service performing office duties at a level of responsibility equivalent to an Office Assistant, Range B.

Or II

 

Two years of office experience. [Academic education above the twelfth grade may be substituted for one year of the required general experience on the basis of either (a) one year of general education being equivalent to three months of experience; or (b) one year of education of a business nature being equivalent to six months of experience.]

Position Description

00101311 - PAYROLL SPECIALIST

This is a multirange level class, spanning entry through advanced journey levels. Incumbents assigned to Range A perform the least difficult transactions duties. Based upon the appropriate alternate range criteria, incumbents advance to Ranges B, C, and D. Under close supervision at the entry level, and under general supervision at the journey and advanced levels, and in accordance with established procedures, incumbents are assigned progressively more complex and difficult transactions duties in a variety of payroll transactions areas. Experienced incumbents in this class may provide functional guidance to lower-level staff.

Familiarity with automated systems.

For information regarding position location(s), please refer to the Eligible List Information section.

Examination Information

This examination will utilize an evaluation of each candidate’s application. Experience and education/training entered on the application will be compared to a standard developed from the class specification. For this reason, it is especially important that each candidate take special care in accurately and completely filling out their application. List all experience relevant to the “Minimum Qualifications” shown on this announcement, even if that experience goes beyond the seven-year limit printed on the application. Supplementary information will be accepted, but read the “Minimum Qualifications” carefully to see what kind of information will be useful to the staff doing the evaluation.

This examination consists of the following component(s):

Component OrderComponent TypeComponent DuePercentage of Final Score
1Education/ExperienceN/A100%

A final score of 70% must be attained to be placed on the eligible list.

In addition to evaluating the applicant's relative knowledge, skill and ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of education/experience, emphasis in each test component will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each applicant's:

Knowledge of: Current office methods, procedures, and basic math principles.

 

Ability to: Think logically, multitask, and apply laws, rules, regulations, and bargaining contract provisions concerning payroll transactions; independently interpret and use reference material; give and follow directions; gather data design and prepare tables, spreadsheets, and charts; communicate effectively; operate a computer keyboard/terminal; deal with departments, campuses, and employees on technical matters and sensitive issues; establish and maintain cooperative working relations with those contacted during the course of the work; organize and prioritize work; create/draft correspondence.

Eligible List Information

A Departmental Open eligible list for the PAYROLL SPECIALIST Classification will be established for:

  • State Controller's Office

The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list(s) in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Applicants must then retake the examination to reestablish eligibility.

Resulting Eligibility List(s) will be used to fill vacancies in

    Veterans' Preference will be granted for this examination. Veterans' Preference is an assistance program for veterans, veteran widows and widowers, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans who seek employment with the state. Veterans' Preference is also extended to currently serving military members nearing their retirement or separation date.

    You are not eligible for Veteran's Preference if you are:

    • A veteran who has been dishonorably discharged or released.
    • A veteran, widow or widower of a veteran, or spouse of a 100 percent disabled veteran who currently has permanent civil service status. (Permanent civil service status is the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This does not include limited term).

    Veterans' Preference is codified in Government Code Sections 18973 – 18979.

    Veteran status is verified by the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR). Directions to apply for Veterans' Preference are on the Veterans' Preference Application (Std. Form 1093), which is available at www.CalCareers.ca.gov, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

    Career Credits will only be added to the final score of those applicants who are successful in examination(s) administered on an Open, Non-Promotional basis in accordance with Government Codes 18951 and 18951.5.

    Testing Departments

    • State Controller's Office

    Contact Information

    Questions regarding this examination should be directed to:

    State Controller's Office
    Examinations
    State Controller's Office
    300 Capitol Mall 3rd Floor, Ste 300
    Sacramento, CA 95814
    Phone: (916) 445-7748
    scoexams@sco.ca.gov

    California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice). TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

    Equal Opportunity Employer

    The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

    Drug Free Statement

    It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free State work place. Any applicant for State employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

    General Information

    Examination and/or Employment Application (STD 678) forms are available at the California Department of Human Resources, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and through your CalCareer Account (www.CalCareers.ca.gov).

    If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive. Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination described in this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all applicants who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

    State Controller's Office reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all applicants will be notified.

    General Qualifications: Applicants must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

    Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

    High School Equivalence: Equivalence to completion of the 12th grade may be demonstrated in any one of the following ways: 1) passing the General Education Development (GED) Test; 2) completion of 12 semester units of college-level work; 3) certification from the State Department of Education, a local school board, or high school authorities that the competitor is considered to have education equivalent to graduation from high school; or 4) for clerical and accounting classes, substitution of business college work in place of high school on a year-for-year basis.

    Accepted applicants must provide proof of identification at each in-person test session. Acceptable identification consists of a photo identification card or two forms of signed identification.

    Application Methods:
    Electronic (Your CalCareer Account)
    By Mail
    In Person (see bulletin for details)
    Alternate Application Process

    While we recommend that you utilize your CalCareer Account to take advantage of all the tools available, you may choose to apply for this examination without using your account. In this case, print and complete the Exam Application Package Checklist and include it if you submit a hard copy application.

    Exam Application Package Checklist

    Blank Application Form (STD678)

    Accommodation Request (STD679)