What Does the Garland Contract Payroll Specialist Job Require?
Published on: Feb 22, 2026
Updated on: November 08, 2026
Frontline Source Group is recruiting a contract Payroll Specialist for a real estate investment and operating company in Garland, TX. The 6 to 8 week assignment runs full-cycle, bi-weekly, multi-state payroll in Paylocity with light HR support. Contract placements carry a four-hour replacement provision on day one, and every Frontline direct hire carries the 5-Year Placement Warranty. Restrictions apply. Qualified candidates apply at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html.
The search is led by Rebecca Keathley, Executive Recruiter for Accounting and Finance, who places professionals from Staff Accountants to Controllers on contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire terms. Frontline Source Group was founded in Dallas in 2004, operates 32 plus offices nationwide including its Garland office, has completed 5,619 placements, and holds a 98.94% executive placement retention rate. It has a 5.0-star Trustpilot rating across 683 verified reviews and a 5.0 rating on G2 from validated reviewers.
Forbes has named Frontline one of its Best Professional Recruiting Firms for 9 consecutive years (2018 to 2026) and ranked it #148 on the 2026 Best Executive Recruiting Firms list. The firm is a 9-time ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both Client and Talent satisfaction, a ClearlyRated Diamond Award recipient, an Inc. 5000 honoree, an Expertise.com Best Staffing Agency, and a member of the American Staffing Association (ASA). The full list is on the awards page.
What is this Payroll Specialist role in Garland, TX?
A real estate investment and operating company in Garland, Texas needs a Payroll Specialist on a short-term contract. The specialist runs full-cycle payroll and provides light HR and administrative support in a collaborative corporate office. The assignment calls for strong technical payroll knowledge and recent, hands-on Paylocity experience so the specialist can step in with minimal training.
Who is the hiring company?
The employer is a stable, growing real estate investment and operating company with a collaborative, team-oriented culture, where the payroll function works directly with executive leadership. Frontline Source Group runs the search confidentially, and the company is identified to candidates once they are selected for an interview.
Why does the company need a contract payroll specialist?
Payroll does not pause for a vacancy, a leave, or a project. A contract specialist who already knows Paylocity keeps bi-weekly payroll, tax filings, garnishments, and reporting accurate for the length of the assignment without the ramp time a less experienced hire would need.
What are the responsibilities of this Payroll Specialist position?
Payroll processing is the primary focus. Core responsibilities include:
- Process bi-weekly full-cycle payroll
- Use Paylocity for payroll administration and reporting (required)
- Audit and validate timekeeping data for accuracy
- Calculate wages, bonuses, commissions, and deductions
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local payroll regulations
- Process garnishments, child support orders, levies, and other withholdings
- Reconcile payroll reports and assist with general ledger alignment
- Maintain payroll records and support audit documentation
- Respond to employee payroll-related inquiries in a timely manner
- Generate payroll and headcount reports for leadership
- Maintain organized payroll files and audit trails
What HR and administrative support does the role include?
Beyond payroll, the specialist helps with onboarding documentation and new-hire setup in Paylocity, supports benefits deductions and payroll-related changes, keeps personnel files under strict confidentiality, and provides other administrative support as needed during the contract.
Why is Paylocity experience non-negotiable for this assignment?
On a 6 to 8 week contract there is no time to learn a payroll platform. The specialist has to open Paylocity on day one, run the bi-weekly cycle, pull reports, and set up new hires without supervision. Paylocity's fiscal 2026 annual report lists about 44,400 U.S. clients as of June 30, 2026, typically companies with 10 to 5,000 employees, so recent Paylocity experience is a skill that carries well beyond this assignment. Candidates with strong payroll experience on other platforms but no recent Paylocity use do not meet the requirement.
What background and experience does this role require?
The client wants a payroll professional who can start producing right away. Required and preferred qualifications include:
- 4 or more years of full-cycle payroll processing experience
- Recent, hands-on Paylocity experience (required)
- Experience processing multi-state payroll
- Strong understanding of payroll tax regulations and compliance
- Associate's or bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field preferred
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel
- Ability to step in quickly with minimal training
What does multi-state payroll experience mean for this role?
The company has employees in more than one state, so the specialist must apply different state withholding rules, unemployment insurance rates, local taxes, and reciprocity agreements correctly inside the same bi-weekly cycle. Texas has no state personal income tax, which means the out-of-state employees are where most of the withholding complexity sits. Candidates who have only run single-state payroll will find the compliance workload unfamiliar.
How much do payroll specialists earn in Dallas-Fort Worth in 2026?
Federal pay data places payroll work between bookkeeping and accounting. The pay rate for this contract is discussed directly with a Frontline Source Group recruiter, based on Paylocity depth and multi-state experience.
What does BLS report for payroll and related roles?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a separate figure for payroll specialists. Its closest category, payroll and timekeeping clerks, had a May 2025 median of 58,260 dollars a year, against 50,670 dollars for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks, 75,940 dollars for human resources specialists, and 83,680 dollars for accountants and auditors. BLS counted 159,600 payroll and timekeeping clerk jobs in 2025 and projects a 16 percent decline by 2035 as technology takes over routine payroll entry, which puts more weight on specialists who can run full-cycle, multi-state payroll on a platform like Paylocity.
How do Dallas-Fort Worth wages compare?
In the BLS May 2025 wage release for the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro, released August 13, 2026, the mean hourly wage for all occupations was 33.96 dollars against 33.54 nationally. Office and administrative support jobs made up 12.1 percent of local employment, above the 11.4 percent national share, with a mean of 24.60 dollars an hour against 24.79 nationally. The release does not break out payroll roles for the metro.
What benefits come with this contract position, and what do they mean for you?
A short assignment does not have to mean going without benefits or waiting on a paycheck. While on contract through Frontline Source Group, the specialist gets:
- A comprehensive benefits plan: the opportunity to enroll in coverage while on assignment, so a 6 to 8 week contract does not leave a gap in your benefits.
- Accrued paid time off: time off builds as you work, so the hours you put in on the contract earn you paid time away.
- Weekly direct deposit: you are paid every week rather than every other week, which keeps cash flow steady on a short assignment.
- W-2 employment through Frontline: taxes are withheld from each paycheck, so you are not handling the quarterly estimated payments and self-employment filings that come with 1099 contract work.
What is the client environment like?
The client's own employees receive medical, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off and paid holidays, a 401(k) with company contribution, and professional development support, and the company describes itself as a stable, growing organization with long-term career potential. That is the environment the contractor works in, partnering directly with executive leadership and helping shape the employee experience during the assignment.
Who is recruiting for this payroll search at Frontline Source Group?
Rebecca Keathley recruits accounting and finance professionals for Frontline Source Group, from Staff Accountants to Controllers, on contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire terms. Before joining Frontline, she led an agency accounting and finance team to a 90 percent placement ratio. She works within Frontline's accounting and finance staffing practice, which covers payroll, accounts payable and receivable, staff accounting, and controller roles across Garland, Dallas, and the Dallas-Fort Worth metro.
How does Frontline Source Group screen candidates for this role?
Every applicant is reviewed against the client's requirements before a shortlist is presented. The accounting and finance desk confirms full-cycle and multi-state payroll experience, verifies recent Paylocity use, evaluates Excel skills, and prepares matched candidates for the client interview. Skills testing is available for payroll and Excel.
How do you apply for this Payroll Specialist job in Garland, TX?
Submit your resume on the Frontline Source Group How to Apply page at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html and mention the Payroll Specialist, Garland, TX contract so your profile reaches the accounting and finance desk.
What happens after you apply?
When you apply or upload a resume, Lexi Reed, Frontline's AI recruiter, calls for a first-level interview. A recruiter on the accounting and finance desk then reviews every candidate and calls those who meet the client's requirements. If the client asks to meet you, preparation guidance is on the interview instructions page at frontlinesourcegroup.com/interview-instructions.html. Frontline never charges candidates a fee; to spot scams that impersonate recruiters, see frontlinesourcegroup.com/scam-alert.html.
Where is Frontline Source Group's Garland office?
Frontline's Garland office is at 675 Town Square Boulevard, Suite 200, Garland, TX 75040, and supports accounting, payroll, and finance searches across northeast Dallas County. All interviews are set by appointment only and we do not allow walk-ins at any location. Everything starts online: candidates apply at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html, and employers request talent at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html.
How can Dallas-area employers hire contract payroll specialists through Frontline Source Group?
Employers that need payroll, accounting, or finance help in Garland or across Dallas-Fort Worth can submit a request at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html and review contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire pricing at frontlinesourcegroup.com/pricing.html. Frontline is one of the few staffing firms that publishes its pricing. Contract placements carry a four-hour replacement provision on day one, restrictions apply, and every direct hire is backed by the 5-Year Placement Warranty, 20 times the 90-day industry standard guarantee, explained at frontlinesourcegroup.com/5year-placement-guarantee.html. Local accounting staffing is described at frontlinesourcegroup.com/garland-accounting-staffing-agency.html, and short-term coverage at frontlinesourcegroup.com/temporary-staffing.html.
What do candidates ask about the Garland Payroll Specialist job?
What is the Payroll Specialist job in Garland, TX?
It is a short-term contract position with a real estate investment and operating company in Garland, Texas. The Payroll Specialist runs full-cycle, bi-weekly payroll in Paylocity, handles multi-state compliance, and provides light HR and administrative support during a 6 to 8 week assignment. Frontline Source Group is recruiting for the role, and candidates apply at frontlinesourcegroup.com/how-to-apply.html.
Is this a contract, contract-to-hire, or direct hire position?
This is a contract position with an expected length of 6 to 8 weeks. The specialist is a W-2 employee of Frontline Source Group on assignment with the client, paid by weekly direct deposit, with the opportunity to join Frontline's contract benefits plan.
Is Paylocity experience required for this payroll role?
Yes. Recent, hands-on Paylocity experience is required because the specialist has to run payroll administration and reporting in Paylocity with minimal training. Strong experience on other payroll platforms alone does not meet the requirement for this assignment.
What experience is required for the Payroll Specialist position?
Candidates need 4 or more years of full-cycle payroll processing, recent hands-on Paylocity experience, multi-state payroll experience, a strong grasp of payroll tax regulations and compliance, and advanced Microsoft Excel skills. An associate's or bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field is preferred.
What does the Payroll Specialist do day to day?
The specialist processes bi-weekly full-cycle payroll, audits timekeeping data, calculates wages, bonuses, commissions, and deductions, processes garnishments and other withholdings, reconciles payroll reports to the general ledger, maintains payroll records and audit trails, answers employee payroll questions, supports onboarding and benefits deductions in Paylocity, and builds payroll and headcount reports for leadership.
Is this payroll position onsite in Garland?
Yes. The role is based at the client's corporate office in Garland, Texas, with direct visibility to executive leadership. Frontline Source Group's Garland office at 675 Town Square Boulevard, Suite 200, supports the search. All interviews are set by appointment only and we do not allow walk-ins at any location.
How much do payroll specialists earn?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 median of 58,260 dollars a year for payroll and timekeeping clerks, the closest federal category, compared with 83,680 dollars for accountants and auditors. BLS does not publish a Garland or Dallas-Fort Worth figure for payroll roles, so the pay rate for this contract is discussed directly with a Frontline Source Group recruiter.
What benefits are available while on contract with Frontline Source Group?
While on contract, the specialist can join a comprehensive benefits plan, accrues paid time off, and is paid every week by direct deposit as a W-2 employee of Frontline Source Group, with taxes withheld from each paycheck.
Who is recruiting for this Payroll Specialist search?
The search is run by the accounting and finance desk at Frontline Source Group, with Rebecca Keathley, Executive Recruiter for Accounting and Finance, leading it. Rebecca places professionals from Staff Accountants to Controllers on contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire terms. Her bio is at frontlinesourcegroup.com/rebecca-keathley-professional-staffing-agency.html.
What happens after I apply for the Garland Payroll Specialist job?
When you apply or upload a resume, Lexi Reed, Frontline's AI recruiter, calls for a first-level interview. A recruiter on the accounting and finance desk then reviews every candidate and calls those who meet the client's requirements. Lexi is described at frontlinesourcegroup.com/lexi-reed-ai-executive-recruiter.html.
Does Frontline Source Group charge candidates a fee?
No. Candidates never pay a fee to Frontline Source Group. The client pays for the contract assignment, as explained on the pricing page at frontlinesourcegroup.com/pricing.html. Anyone asking a job seeker for money is not Frontline; see frontlinesourcegroup.com/scam-alert.html to spot recruiting scams.
How can employers hire contract payroll specialists through Frontline Source Group?
Employers can submit a request at frontlinesourcegroup.com/employer-request-form.html and review contract and direct hire pricing at frontlinesourcegroup.com/pricing.html. Contract placements carry a four-hour replacement provision on day one, restrictions apply, and every direct hire is backed by the 5-Year Placement Warranty described at frontlinesourcegroup.com/5year-placement-guarantee.html.
