What Do Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk Do?
Payroll & Timekeeping Clerk Definition 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.
Payroll & Timekeeping Clerk Responsibilities
- Provide information to employees and managers on payroll matters, tax issues, benefit plans, and collective agreement provisions.
- Verify attendance, hours worked, and pay adjustments, and post information onto designated records.
- Balance cash and payroll accounts.
- Review time sheets, work charts, wage computation, and other information to detect and reconcile payroll discrepancies.
- Prepare and balance period-end reports, and reconcile issued payrolls to bank statements.
- Compile statistical reports, statements, and summaries related to pay and benefits accounts, and submit them to appropriate departments.
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Payroll & Timekeeping Clerk Needed Skills
These are the skills Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks say are the most useful in their careers:
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Types of Payroll & Timekeeping Clerk Jobs
- Timekeeper
- Payroll Secretary
- Payroll Manager
- Personnel Technician
- Bonus Clerk
Payroll & Timekeeping Clerk Employment Estimates
There were about 166,300 jobs for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk. The BLS estimates 16,100 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Payroll & Timekeeping Clerk are Utah, Nevada, and Washington. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Vermont, or Delaware. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Payroll & Timekeeping Clerk Salary
The typical yearly salary for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks is somewhere between $29,170 and $64,420.

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks who work in District of Columbia, Alaska, or Connecticut, make the highest salaries.
How much do Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $40,700 |
Alaska | $52,860 |
Arizona | $42,570 |
Arkansas | $39,360 |
California | $51,520 |
Colorado | $49,980 |
Connecticut | $53,010 |
Delaware | $44,940 |
District of Columbia | $62,860 |
Florida | $42,520 |
Georgia | $46,250 |
Hawaii | $47,010 |
Idaho | $40,010 |
Illinois | $49,000 |
Indiana | $40,720 |
Iowa | $44,570 |
Kansas | $44,620 |
Kentucky | $41,290 |
Louisiana | $39,250 |
Maine | $40,400 |
Maryland | $51,610 |
Massachusetts | $51,840 |
Michigan | $44,030 |
Minnesota | $50,570 |
Mississippi | $39,250 |
Missouri | $39,640 |
Montana | $39,560 |
Nebraska | $41,750 |
Nevada | $45,180 |
New Hampshire | $48,590 |
New Jersey | $47,450 |
New Mexico | $39,050 |
New York | $47,960 |
North Carolina | $42,510 |
North Dakota | $45,190 |
Ohio | $43,980 |
Oklahoma | $40,680 |
Oregon | $46,620 |
Pennsylvania | $44,160 |
Rhode Island | $46,710 |
South Carolina | $41,370 |
South Dakota | $37,450 |
Tennessee | $44,650 |
Texas | $44,390 |
Utah | $45,980 |
Vermont | $44,050 |
Virginia | $47,720 |
Washington | $50,860 |
West Virginia | $35,560 |
Wisconsin | $44,590 |
Wyoming | $44,470 |
What Tools & Technology do Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- SAP
- Spreadsheet software
- Microsoft Dynamics
- IBM Notes
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Oracle PeopleSoft
- Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne
- IBM Cognos Impromptu
- Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
- Microsoft Dynamics GP
How do I Become a Payroll & Timekeeping Clerk?
Education needed to be a Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Work

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Related Careers
Those interested in being a Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk may also be interested in:
Career changers with experience as a Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Pixabay via CC0 License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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