Payroll Tracker and Calculator - Budget vs. Actual: Excel Template

SmartHelping / Payroll / Excel

Payroll Tracker & Calculator

Organize payroll calculations for hourly and salaried employees, then compare each pay period with budget. Review employee-level results, total payroll, and annualized payroll as a share of expected annual revenue.

30 hourly employee slots30 salary employee slotsBudget vs. actualReusable pay-period tabs
Payroll Tracker and Calculator Excel template product artwork
$45One-time purchase / Excel download
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See the template in action

Walk through the payroll calculator.

Open the template screenshots

Hourly and salaried employees

Keep payroll calculations organized by employee.

An editable Excel template for accounting teams that calculate payroll and prepare information for entry into their accounting software.

Hourly-based wages

Use up to 30 employee slots for hourly-based wage calculations in each pay-period tab.

Salary, bonuses, and commissions

Use up to 30 employee slots for salary-based wages, with included functionality for bonuses and commissions.

A repeatable pay-period workflow

Set up the template, then copy it for each period.

1. Review the instructions

Start with the instructions on the first tab and the video walkthrough before entering your payroll information.

2. Pre-fill recurring details

Use the template tab for static information such as employee names and payroll budgets.

3. Create the period tab

Copy the template tab, rename it for the relevant pay period, and enter that period’s payroll data. Each tab contains its own calculations and references.

Budget versus actual

See where payroll is above the plan.

Employee-level comparisons

Compare actual payroll with budget for each employee in the selected pay period. Conditional formatting highlights employees who exceed budget.

Total payroll comparison

Review total actual payroll against the total period budget, with conditional formatting when total payroll expense exceeds budget.

Period visualization

Use the included visualization to review budget-versus-actual payroll results for the period.

Annualized payroll perspective

See annualized payroll based on each period, expressed as a percentage of expected annual revenue.

Editable workbook structure

Keep each period self-contained.

Independent period tabs

Each tab works without formulas or references to other tabs. Add pay-period tabs as needed; keeping one year of information per workbook is recommended.

Room to add employees

If you need more than the included slots, insert rows and fill in the new employee data. Check that the sum totals include all added rows.

Also included in this bundle

Explore more tools for HR and workforce management.

HR Management Templates

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View the HR Templates bundle

Questions before you start

A few useful details.

How many employees can I include?

Each period tab includes up to 30 hourly employee slots and up to 30 salary employee slots. You can add rows, but make sure the sum totals include the added data.

How do I add a new pay period?

Copy the pre-filled template tab, rename the copy for the new period, and enter the relevant payroll data.

Are the pay-period tabs linked together?

Each tab is self-contained, with its calculations and references kept within that tab. Review the budget comparison and visualization for each period on its own tab.

Does the template support bonuses and commissions?

Yes. The salary-based employee section includes functionality for bonuses and commissions.

What does the annualized payroll measure show?

It annualizes payroll based on the individual period and shows that amount as a percentage of expected annual revenue.

Organize each payroll period

Compare payroll with the budget.

Payroll Tracker & Calculator — $45, one-time purchase.

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