Payroll and timekeeping clerks salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,500 | $18.99 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $58,260 | $28.01 |
| Mean (average) | $59,630 | $28.67 |
| 90th percentile | $81,350 | $39.11 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Payroll and timekeeping clerks pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 54 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,170 | $32,210 | $64,170 | 1,360 | 0.65 |
| Alaska | $62,210 | $46,790 | $78,450 | 360 | 1.12 |
| Arizona | $50,210 | $33,870 | $69,980 | 3,540 | 1.11 |
| Arkansas | $46,110 | $34,270 | $71,280 | 1,220 | 0.95 |
| California | $65,340 | $46,120 | $92,080 | 20,590 | 1.15 |
| Colorado | $64,140 | $46,590 | $88,050 | 2,580 | 0.91 |
| Connecticut | $62,200 | $47,120 | $83,950 | 1,540 | 0.92 |
| Delaware | $56,430 | $38,680 | $86,620 | 320 | 0.67 |
| District of Columbia | $74,670 | $49,270 | $98,760 | 270 | 0.39 |
| Florida | $51,910 | $35,730 | $76,710 | 10,910 | 1.12 |
| Georgia | $59,990 | $39,590 | $76,790 | 6,720 | 1.4 |
| Guam | $38,550 | $27,590 | $55,060 | 60 | 0.88 |
| Hawaii | $62,070 | $45,140 | $83,810 | 700 | 1.13 |
| Idaho | $51,790 | $41,440 | $70,390 | 800 | 0.95 |
| Illinois | $61,390 | $39,670 | $86,460 | 5,580 | 0.93 |
| Indiana | $53,770 | $38,910 | $77,700 | 4,020 | 1.28 |
| Iowa | $54,080 | $39,410 | $70,990 | 1,230 | 0.8 |
| Kansas | $56,590 | $42,340 | $79,160 | 1,400 | 0.99 |
| Kentucky | $52,890 | $36,600 | $76,590 | 1,670 | 0.85 |
| Louisiana | $50,800 | $29,480 | $71,750 | 2,160 | 1.13 |
| Maine | $57,360 | $43,370 | $79,040 | 590 | 0.93 |
| Maryland | $59,760 | $31,750 | $82,140 | 1,870 | 0.69 |
| Massachusetts | $63,670 | $49,110 | $86,360 | 3,280 | 0.91 |
| Michigan | $56,160 | $38,560 | $78,200 | 4,050 | 0.93 |
| Minnesota | $61,320 | $49,270 | $79,370 | 2,790 | 0.96 |
| Mississippi | $45,170 | $30,560 | $66,930 | 1,330 | 1.16 |
| Missouri | $54,080 | $37,030 | $79,470 | 3,460 | 1.2 |
| Montana | $55,040 | $37,910 | $78,500 | 530 | 1.05 |
| Nebraska | $54,900 | $43,320 | $74,360 | 910 | 0.91 |
| Nevada | $58,220 | $37,850 | $78,410 | 1,390 | 0.91 |
| New Hampshire | $63,090 | $42,220 | $87,140 | 800 | 1.18 |
| New Jersey | $60,750 | $42,990 | $84,990 | 4,290 | 1.02 |
| New Mexico | $53,230 | $37,230 | $69,990 | 820 | 0.96 |
| New York | $61,040 | $45,140 | $86,470 | 8,400 | 0.88 |
| North Carolina | $53,550 | $36,620 | $74,480 | 3,630 | 0.75 |
| North Dakota | $60,600 | $46,880 | $77,530 | 300 | 0.71 |
| Ohio | $57,270 | $40,310 | $80,650 | 5,820 | 1.07 |
| Oklahoma | $49,920 | $32,410 | $74,190 | 2,470 | 1.47 |
| Oregon | $60,980 | $42,430 | $82,080 | 2,890 | 1.49 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,690 | $39,630 | $76,980 | 5,170 | 0.87 |
| Puerto Rico | $34,200 | $24,290 | $48,580 | 1,040 | 1.13 |
| Rhode Island | $59,370 | $38,080 | $82,090 | 410 | 0.84 |
| South Carolina | $52,240 | $38,180 | $77,660 | 1,550 | 0.68 |
| South Dakota | $47,680 | $38,780 | $64,350 | 370 | 0.82 |
| Tennessee | $51,780 | $36,270 | $75,160 | 3,680 | 1.14 |
| Texas | $54,090 | $36,040 | $75,850 | 13,220 | 0.95 |
| Utah | $56,430 | $43,400 | $74,530 | 1,590 | 0.93 |
| Vermont | $55,340 | $45,010 | $70,690 | 270 | 0.9 |
| Virgin Islands | $38,100 | $34,610 | $53,890 | 40 | 1.15 |
| Virginia | $58,250 | $43,890 | $78,800 | 3,400 | 0.84 |
| Washington | $64,560 | $50,220 | $89,290 | 3,560 | 1.02 |
| West Virginia | $47,460 | $30,990 | $63,390 | 580 | 0.85 |
| Wisconsin | $59,310 | $42,730 | $76,830 | 2,590 | 0.9 |
| Wyoming | $51,940 | $38,320 | $74,610 | 160 | 0.59 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 11,400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 1.8%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping CIP 52.0302
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Verify attendance, hours worked, and pay adjustments, and post information onto designated records.
- Process and issue employee paychecks and statements of earnings and deductions.
- Compute wages and deductions, and enter data into computers.
- Process paperwork for new employees and enter employee information into the payroll system.
- Prepare and balance period-end reports, and reconcile issued payrolls to bank statements.
- Review time sheets, work charts, wage computation, and other information to detect and reconcile payroll discrepancies.
- Distribute and collect timecards each pay period.
- Record employee information, such as exemptions, transfers, and resignations, to maintain and update payroll records.
Technology skills
- Kronos Workforce Timekeeper (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Workday software (in demand)
- ADP Workforce Now (in demand)
- Oracle HRIS (in demand)
- Payroll software (in demand)
- Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Oracle PeopleSoft (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
- ADP Enterprise HR
- ADP PC/Payroll
Transferable skills for career changers: Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Coordination.
Common job titles: Payroll Assistant, Payroll Clerk, Payroll Coordinator, Payroll Representative, Payroll Specialist, Payroll Technician, Personnel Assistant, Personnel Technician, Timekeeper.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do payroll and timekeeping clerks make?
The national median annual wage for payroll and timekeeping clerks was $58,260 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $39,500 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $81,350. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do payroll and timekeeping clerks need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is payroll and timekeeping clerks a growing career?
BLS projects employment of payroll and timekeeping clerks to change -15.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 11,400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay payroll and timekeeping clerks the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were District of Columbia ($74,670), California ($65,340), Washington ($64,560). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.