Payroll administrator
168.8K UK workers · typical pay £28,500 · entry route GCSEs grades 4-9 (A*-C). Projected decline of -15% to 2035.
Real Claude.ai usage mapped to this occupation's SOC group, Apr+May 2026, CC-BY. Claude users only; task times model-estimated; augment/automate is how AI is used, not a count of jobs lost. Method →
Payroll administration is a digital-first role focused on routine data entry, calculation, and reporting, all of which are highly susceptible to AI automation. While some human oversight is needed for complex queries and UK-specific compliance, the core tasks of processing wages and auditing information are increasingly handled by autonomous software systems.
The volume of payroll output is strictly tied to the number of UK employees, meaning cheaper processing does not create more payslips.
Headcount contracts -22%, an Anti-Jevons curve.
Change the scenario in the nav to reshape this curve.
UK employment share by region, SOC-joined to 4122.
Majority-female role (69.1% women). Sits inside the 69%-female Anti-Jevons zone.
Five roles with transferable skills and better demand dynamics.
payroll-administrator · dataset 2026.03 · CC-BY-4.0