Human Resources Specialist (Payroll Services) (SV-J)
Transportation Security Administration
Springfield, VA · $144k–$187k a year · Posted October 29, 2026
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Where Springfield, VA ranks
Where Springfield, VA placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #1Best cities for mid-career professionals76% · of 100
- #1Best cities for mid-career professionals in the Mid-Atlantic76% · of 85
- #1Best cities for mid-career professionals in the Southeast76% · of 87
- #11Best cities for pay after cost of living in Virginia$129k · of 15
- #13Best all-round cities for mid-career professionals in the Southeast54 / 100 · of 33
- #14Best all-round cities for mid-career professionals in the Mid-Atlantic55 / 100 · of 37
Rankings about human resources jobs
- Best cities for HR jobs #1 New York (994 openings)
- Best cities for HR pay after cost of living #1 San Mateo ($158k)
- Most requested AI skills in HR jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (5.7%)
- Employers with the most HR jobs #1 Amazon (291 roles)
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Pay compared with the market
This listing pays about $165,503 a year. Across 61 open human resources specialist listings that state pay, the middle half runs $72,500 to $116,500 and the median is $87,500. That is 89% above the median, above the middle half of those listings.
Listed pay is what employers advertise, not what people are paid.
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How AI is used in this kind of work
Among human resources specialists, AI is already used for a large share of the tasks. Measured exposure for human resources specialists: 40% (high).
Share of this job’s tasks that AI is already used for at work, from real usage. It is not a forecast of job loss, and a low number means no use seen yet. Source: Anthropic Economic Index.
Skills this job asks for
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About the job
Summary
The Payroll team provides payroll administration and compensation activities, interpreting and applying rules, laws, and policies to ensure accurate pay for federal employees, including pay-impacting programs such as unemployment, workers' compensation, and Voluntary Leave Transfer. They deliver authoritative guidance to managers and employees on complex compensation issues - including basic pay, overtime, leave entitlements, and debt bills.
Duties
This Human Resources Specialist (Payroll Services) position is located Payroll Processing section, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Duties include but are not limited to: Initiates procedures to assure the successful continuation of a proactive management oriented Human Resources program including all phases of HR operations such as: personnel management, payroll operations, personnel processing, etc. Manages quality control and leads the team in developing and implementing an ongoing quality improvement program, develops measures, and reports on accomplishments. Oversees, manages, coordinates and responds to timely requests for information for all aspects of annual DHS-mandated Audits. Ensures established practices and procedures are in alignment with TSA, DHS and OPM guidance. Manages all aspects of activities related to the Management Control Objectives Plan (MCOP), external and internal audit reviews, and the Performance Evaluation Plan (PEP) to ensure program objectives are specific, measurable and achievable. Plans, develops and administers a comprehensive Human Resources program. This responsibility applies to the administration and evaluation of the effectiveness of the program and necessary modification of the program to achieve overall objectives.
Qualifications
In addition to the minimum qualifications described above, you must meet the following specialized experience to be considered qualified for the position: To qualify for the SV-J band (equivalent to GS-14), you must have one year of specialized experience at the SV-I or GS-13 in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private sector. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience overseeing payroll, time and attendance, and leave administration systems, including resolving highly unprecedented or unique action cases, non-routine pay discrepancies and conducting comprehensive quality control reviews of human capital data. Experience leading or coordinating day-to-day operations of a payroll unit, which includes assigning work, providing technical guidance to payroll staff, and serving as the primary point of contact for resolving elevated payroll and human capital issues. Experience interpreting and applying Federal payroll rules, regulations, and agency policies to provide technical assistance to managers and employees and assisting in the implementation of new payroll procedures across the organization. Experience conducting regular audits of payroll records and system transactions to ensure compliance with Federal rules and internal agency policies, identifying operational inefficiencies, and recommending corrective actions to optimize payroll processing workflows. Credit for experience is given based on a 40-hour workweek. Part-time experience is credited on a part-time ratio, i.e., working 20 hours per week for two months equals one month of experience. No additional credit is given for overtime. National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
Requirements
You must possess U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. National. You must have reached the minimum age (18) at the time of application. You must complete a favorable Background Investigation (BI). Selective Service registration is required. Must obtain and maintain a Secret clearance. If you fail to meet the conditions of employment or any other pre-employment requirements, such as missing any of the scheduled appointments, the hiring agency may rescind their tentative offer of employment. Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for TSA to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions. Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics): Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork This assessment has a cut point that you must meet or exceed to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut point or fail to complete the assessment. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. You may preview the questions for this vacancy here: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13094553
How to apply
All of the following must be received in our office by 11:59 PM EST (Eastern Standard time) on the closing date of this announcement. If we do not receive all required information by the closing date, your application may not be considered. To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. Your application must include: Resume USAHire-Assessment Questionnaire for this position Applicable supporting documents (see Required Documents Section) To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application. Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Other information
Eligibility to apply for other Federal positions: TSA is an Excepted Service agency exempt from most of Title 5 United States Code, including regulations which apply to displaced Federal employees (CTAP/ICTAP) of other agencies, and employment with TSA does not confer "Competitive Status" that generally results from selection and service in Competitive Service agencies. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has established an Interchange Agreement, which allows most permanent TSA employees to apply and be considered for vacancies in Competitive Service agencies. Information from OPM on this or other Interchange Agreements is available at: www.opm.gov/ To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully pass a background investigation as a condition of placement into this position. DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities. If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306 Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment. TSA employees who are absent for the purpose of performing military duty may apply for any vacancies announced in their absence. More than one position may be filled from this announcement. If you are entering TSA employment on an appointment without time limitations, you must serve a basic trial period unless you have already met the requirement. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information)