43
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks is a notable career in the 43 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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11
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13
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13
| soc | 43-3051 |
| title | Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks |
| onet code | 43-3051.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 3 |
| major group | 43 |
| tot emp | 156,950 |
| a mean | 56,870 |
| a median | 55,290 |
| a pct10 | 36,670 |
| a pct25 | 45,440 |
| a pct75 | 65,750 |
| a pct90 | 78,830 |
| h mean | 27 |
| h median | 26 |
The day-to-day work of a payroll and timekeeping clerks typically centers on verify attendance, hours worked, and pay adjustments, and post information onto designated records. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and Mathematics. Across the top 9 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.25 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working payroll and timekeeping clerks, the most common entry qualification is a Bachelor's Degree (31.8%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 32% of incumbents. Entry pathways are mixed; a meaningful minority enters without a four-year degree.
Median annual pay is highest in District of Columbia at $69,210 and lowest in West Virginia at $42,080 — a 1.6× spread. The top five states (District of Columbia, Washington, California, Minnesota, Connecticut) average $62,938. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $69,210 | $72,140 | $47,840 | $103,800 | 350 |
| Washington | $62,310 | $65,360 | $46,210 | $86,320 | 3,880 |
| California | $61,670 | $64,010 | $35,600 | $88,140 | 23,180 |
| Minnesota | $60,780 | $61,530 | $46,140 | $76,950 | 2,700 |
| Connecticut | $60,720 | $62,970 | $46,020 | $83,300 | 1,540 |
| New Hampshire | $60,670 | $61,030 | $39,780 | $84,010 | 1,030 |
| New York | $60,600 | $62,690 | $43,010 | $84,630 | 9,040 |
| Massachusetts | $60,260 | $62,670 | $44,960 | $82,800 | 3,470 |
| Illinois | $60,060 | $60,620 | $39,930 | $80,990 | 6,060 |
| New Jersey | $59,920 | $60,870 | $39,130 | $82,680 | 4,350 |
| Rhode Island | $59,500 | $60,090 | $40,230 | $79,760 | 290 |
| Oregon | $59,430 | $59,830 | $42,490 | $78,630 | 2,780 |
| Alaska | $59,360 | $58,660 | $42,470 | $78,220 | 290 |
| Vermont | $59,210 | $59,190 | $46,800 | $71,900 | 220 |
| Colorado | $59,130 | $61,820 | $44,790 | $82,570 | 2,660 |
| North Dakota | $58,580 | $58,670 | $44,140 | $74,340 | 290 |
| Idaho | $58,200 | $56,870 | $41,480 | $68,700 | 960 |
| Hawaii | $58,010 | $59,640 | $42,660 | $78,430 | 560 |
| Delaware | $57,690 | $57,760 | $28,200 | $82,180 | 350 |
| Maryland | $57,590 | $59,130 | $45,490 | $77,120 | 2,030 |
| Nevada | $56,310 | $56,370 | $37,330 | $73,000 | 1,340 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,620 | $55,820 | $37,460 | $76,870 | 5,630 |
| Wisconsin | $55,430 | $56,310 | $40,780 | $73,830 | 2,910 |
| Virginia | $55,240 | $55,070 | $36,350 | $74,410 | 2,850 |
| Utah | $54,790 | $55,020 | $37,960 | $72,370 | 1,530 |
| Michigan | $54,690 | $54,660 | $31,670 | $75,530 | 3,920 |
| New Mexico | $54,170 | $53,570 | $36,750 | $73,230 | 890 |
| Wyoming | $53,650 | $53,330 | $35,050 | $75,820 | 170 |
| Maine | $53,110 | $56,280 | $40,470 | $74,350 | 510 |
| Nebraska | $52,660 | $55,610 | $43,080 | $71,890 | 990 |
| Georgia | $52,220 | $54,650 | $35,850 | $76,740 | 4,740 |
| North Carolina | $52,000 | $52,880 | $33,450 | $74,640 | 3,620 |
| Texas | $51,990 | $52,950 | $34,820 | $73,080 | 14,130 |
| Missouri | $51,940 | $53,700 | $35,870 | $73,430 | 3,190 |
| Ohio | $51,460 | $53,560 | $36,620 | $72,950 | 5,690 |
| South Carolina | $50,710 | $51,930 | $35,620 | $71,360 | 1,540 |
| Arizona | $50,600 | $53,660 | $38,760 | $71,170 | 3,670 |
| Montana | $50,270 | $51,870 | $38,120 | $66,500 | 540 |
| Kentucky | $50,190 | $52,120 | $35,710 | $70,420 | 1,700 |
| Tennessee | $50,140 | $51,780 | $36,970 | $69,130 | 3,240 |
| Kansas | $50,020 | $53,950 | $39,370 | $73,860 | 1,910 |
| Iowa | $49,990 | $56,290 | $36,270 | $69,130 | 1,240 |
| Louisiana | $49,840 | $51,820 | $34,700 | $71,570 | 2,310 |
| Indiana | $49,380 | $50,890 | $35,430 | $68,840 | 4,120 |
| Florida | $48,030 | $50,610 | $27,890 | $71,170 | 10,060 |
| South Dakota | $46,940 | $48,170 | $37,700 | $60,550 | 410 |
| Arkansas | $45,830 | $50,790 | $31,340 | $80,560 | 1,410 |
| Oklahoma | $45,670 | $45,640 | $20,790 | $65,760 | 2,840 |
| Alabama | $45,470 | $46,580 | $31,090 | $64,260 | 1,510 |
| Mississippi | $43,790 | $45,900 | $29,850 | $64,820 | 950 |
| West Virginia | $42,080 | $43,750 | $28,640 | $59,340 | 750 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for payroll and timekeeping clerks. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Accounting Assistant or Attendance Clerk frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks compares to others in the 43 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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