Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks: Career Overview
Compile and record employee time and payroll data. May compute employees' time worked, production, and commission. May compute and post wages and deductions, or prepare paychecks.
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What Tasks Do Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of payroll and timekeeping clerks cover:
- 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.
Skills and Knowledge
Top payroll and timekeeping clerks draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Accounting Assistant
- Attendance Clerk
- Bonus Clerk
- Checkman
- Commissions Clerk
- Finance Specialist
- Flight Crew Scheduler
- Flight Crew Time Clerk
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 229,022 payroll and timekeeping clerks working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -3.1% over the projection horizon.
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $62,520 |
| Hourly median | $30.06 |
| 10th percentile | $42,155 |
| 25th percentile | $52,337 |
| 75th percentile | $72,702 |
| 90th percentile | $82,884 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $69,210 |
| Washington | $62,310 |
| California | $61,670 |
| Minnesota | $60,780 |
| Connecticut | $60,720 |
| New Hampshire | $60,670 |
| New York | $60,600 |
| Massachusetts | $60,260 |
| Illinois | $60,060 |
| New Jersey | $59,920 |
| Rhode Island | $59,500 |
| Oregon | $59,430 |
| Alaska | $59,360 |
| Vermont | $59,210 |
| Colorado | $59,130 |
| North Dakota | $58,580 |
| Idaho | $58,200 |
| Hawaii | $58,010 |
| Delaware | $57,690 |
| Maryland | $57,590 |
| Nevada | $56,310 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,620 |
| Wisconsin | $55,430 |
| Virginia | $55,240 |
| Utah | $54,790 |
| Michigan | $54,690 |
| New Mexico | $54,170 |
| Wyoming | $53,650 |
| Maine | $53,110 |
| Nebraska | $52,660 |
| Georgia | $52,220 |
| North Carolina | $52,000 |
| Texas | $51,990 |
| Missouri | $51,940 |
| Ohio | $51,460 |
| South Carolina | $50,710 |
| Arizona | $50,600 |
| Montana | $50,270 |
| Kentucky | $50,190 |
| Tennessee | $50,140 |
| Kansas | $50,020 |
| Iowa | $49,990 |
| Louisiana | $49,840 |
| Indiana | $49,380 |
| Florida | $48,030 |
| Guam | $48,010 |
| South Dakota | $46,940 |
| Arkansas | $45,830 |
| Oklahoma | $45,670 |
| Alabama | $45,470 |
| Mississippi | $43,790 |
| West Virginia | $42,080 |
| Virgin Islands | $37,950 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,670 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for payroll and timekeeping clerks vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $61,243 | 20.4% | 1.22 |
| New England | $59,839 | 4.5% | 0.98 |
| Middle Atlantic | $58,985 | 13.8% | 0.91 |
| Rocky Mountains | $56,869 | 3.7% | 0.93 |
| Great Lakes | $54,445 | 14.4% | 1.02 |
| Plains States | $53,652 | 6.8% | 1.01 |
| Southwest | $51,009 | 13.7% | 1.11 |
| Southeast | $49,706 | 22.0% | 0.92 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $80,150 | 990 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $78,180 | 2,590 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $67,250 | 120 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $65,520 | 120 |
| Vallejo, CA | CA | $64,700 | 140 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | WA | $64,480 | 100 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | WA | $64,210 | 50 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $63,710 | 7,950 |
Top Industries Employing Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
Most payroll and timekeeping clerks are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 27,300 | $49,990 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 19,060 | $51,340 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 14,120 | $53,330 |
| Construction | 13,510 | $57,360 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 13,490 | $60,260 |
| Educational Services | 12,380 | $58,080 |
| Manufacturing | 7,740 | $58,500 |
| Retail Trade | 7,210 | $49,960 |
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Time accounting software: Kronos Workforce Timekeeper (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle PeopleSoft (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Workday software (hot technology)
- Accounting software: Accounting software (in demand)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of payroll and timekeeping clerks is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Spend Time Sitting
- Telephone Conversations
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level payroll and timekeeping clerks positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Financial Managers (Supplemental)
- Treasurers and Controllers (Supplemental)
- Compensation and Benefits Managers (Supplemental)
- Human Resources Specialists (Supplemental)
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists (Supplemental)
- Accountants and Auditors (Supplemental)
- Budget Analysts (Supplemental)
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Students preparing for payroll and timekeeping clerks commonly pursue programs in:
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-3051.00 (Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks).
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