Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for payroll and timekeeping clerkss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$76,510
- California$68,580
- Washington$67,810
- Massachusetts$66,810
- Colorado$65,400
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Alabama$47,530
- Mississippi$47,680
- West Virginia$47,820
- South Dakota$49,730
- Arkansas$49,750
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $76,510 | $74,670 | $37 | +28.3% | 270 |
| 2 | California | $68,580 | $65,340 | $33 | +15% | 20,590 |
| 3 | Washington | $67,810 | $64,560 | $33 | +13.7% | 3,560 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $66,810 | $63,670 | $32 | +12% | 3,280 |
| 5 | Colorado | $65,400 | $64,140 | $31 | +9.7% | 2,580 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $64,880 | $62,200 | $31 | +8.8% | 1,540 |
| 7 | Hawaii | $64,260 | $62,070 | $31 | +7.8% | 700 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $64,240 | $63,090 | $31 | +7.7% | 800 |
| 9 | New York | $63,650 | $61,040 | $31 | +6.7% | 8,400 |
| 10 | Alaska | $62,990 | $62,210 | $30 | +5.6% | 360 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $62,620 | $61,320 | $30 | +5% | 2,790 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $62,510 | $60,750 | $30 | +4.8% | 4,290 |
| 13 | Illinois | $62,460 | $61,390 | $30 | +4.7% | 5,580 |
| 14 | Oregon | $62,260 | $60,980 | $30 | +4.4% | 2,890 |
| 15 | Delaware | $61,460 | $56,430 | $30 | +3.1% | 320 |
| 16 | North Dakota | $61,350 | $60,600 | $30 | +2.9% | 300 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $61,010 | $59,370 | $29 | +2.3% | 410 |
| 18 | Virginia | $59,810 | $58,250 | $29 | +0.3% | 3,400 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $59,710 | $59,310 | $29 | +0.1% | 2,590 |
| 20 | Maine | $59,700 | $57,360 | $29 | +0.1% | 590 |
| 21 | Maryland | $59,580 | $59,760 | $29 | -0.1% | 1,870 |
| 22 | Georgia | $59,510 | $59,990 | $29 | -0.2% | 6,720 |
| 23 | Nevada | $58,800 | $58,220 | $28 | -1.4% | 1,390 |
| 24 | Kansas | $58,630 | $56,590 | $28 | -1.7% | 1,400 |
| 25 | Ohio | $58,530 | $57,270 | $28 | -1.8% | 5,820 |
| 26 | Michigan | $58,450 | $56,160 | $28 | -2% | 4,050 |
| 27 | Utah | $57,810 | $56,430 | $28 | -3.1% | 1,590 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $57,030 | $54,900 | $27 | -4.4% | 910 |
| 29 | Montana | $57,000 | $55,040 | $27 | -4.4% | 530 |
| 30 | Iowa | $56,960 | $54,080 | $27 | -4.5% | 1,230 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $56,880 | $55,690 | $27 | -4.6% | 5,170 |
| 32 | Vermont | $56,440 | $55,340 | $27 | -5.3% | 270 |
| 33 | Missouri | $56,000 | $54,080 | $27 | -6.1% | 3,460 |
| 34 | Indiana | $55,590 | $53,770 | $27 | -6.8% | 4,020 |
| 35 | Texas | $55,390 | $54,090 | $27 | -7.1% | 13,220 |
| 36 | Florida | $55,170 | $51,910 | $27 | -7.5% | 10,910 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $54,950 | $52,240 | $26 | -7.8% | 1,550 |
| 38 | Idaho | $54,810 | $51,790 | $26 | -8.1% | 800 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $54,800 | $53,550 | $26 | -8.1% | 3,630 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $54,510 | $52,890 | $26 | -8.6% | 1,670 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $54,220 | $51,780 | $26 | -9.1% | 3,680 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $54,000 | $51,940 | $26 | -9.4% | 160 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $53,380 | $53,230 | $26 | -10.5% | 820 |
| 44 | Arizona | $52,140 | $50,210 | $25 | -12.6% | 3,540 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $52,030 | $49,920 | $25 | -12.7% | 2,470 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $51,730 | $50,800 | $25 | -13.2% | 2,160 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $49,750 | $46,110 | $24 | -16.6% | 1,220 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $49,730 | $47,680 | $24 | -16.6% | 370 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $47,820 | $47,460 | $23 | -19.8% | 580 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $47,680 | $45,170 | $23 | -20% | 1,330 |
| 51 | Alabama | $47,530 | $46,170 | $23 | -20.3% | 1,360 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 489 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $80,510 | $81,730 | 2,260 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $77,950 | $84,640 | 1,000 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $68,870 | $69,640 | 300 |
| 4 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $68,380 | $66,230 | 120 |
| 5 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $67,740 | $68,690 | 110 |
| 6 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $67,710 | $67,590 | 100 |
| 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $66,930 | $68,660 | 2,500 |
| 8 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $66,800 | $69,250 | 60 |
| 9 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $66,650 | $67,140 | 50 |
| 10 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $66,630 | $70,360 | 1,980 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing payroll and timekeeping clerkss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities | $91,330 | $86,560 | 30 |
| 2 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $91,140 | $83,220 | 40 |
| 3 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $91,140 | $83,220 | 40 |
| 4 | Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services | $86,630 | $76,570 | 50 |
| 5 | Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services | $86,630 | $76,570 | 50 |
| 6 | Nonscheduled Air Transportation | $81,400 | $76,890 | 50 |
| 7 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $80,900 | $83,480 | 440 |
| 8 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $80,370 | $83,240 | 410 |
| 9 | Rail Transportation | $79,420 | $75,030 | 210 |
| 10 | Rail Transportation | $79,420 | $75,030 | 210 |
| 11 | Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures | $78,660 | $70,320 | — |
| 12 | Educational Support Services | $78,200 | $70,200 | 460 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do payroll and timekeeping clerks make in the U.S.?
The median payroll and timekeeping clerks salary in the United States is $58,260 per year (mean $59,630), and about 80% earn between $39,500 and $81,350.
How much do payroll and timekeeping clerks make per hour?
Roughly $29 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $59,630 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays payroll and timekeeping clerks the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for payroll and timekeeping clerks at $76,510 per year (median $74,670).
What is the job outlook for payroll and timekeeping clerks?
Employment is projected to change -16.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 13,000 openings per year.