Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 43-3051 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$58,261
$28.01/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks is $58,261 per year ($28.01/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $47,986 and $69,597 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $81,349 per year. There are approximately 153,140 payroll and timekeeping clerks employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-16.7%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
13K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
161K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
14K
$61,020
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services
NAICS 541200
14K
$50,030
Employment Services
NAICS 561300
10K
$53,550
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
8K
$61,050
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
7K
$62,290
Wage range across top 5 industries: $50,030 to $62,290 (25% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$18.99
$39,499
P25
$23.07
$47,986
P50MEDIAN
$28.01
$58,261
P75
$33.46
$69,597
P90
$39.11
$81,349
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average payroll and timekeeping clerks salary?
The national median salary for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks is $58,261 per year ($28.01/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $47,986 and $69,597 annually.
How much do top-earning payroll and timekeeping clerks make?
The 90th percentile salary for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks is $81,349 per year ($39.11/hr). The 75th percentile is $69,597 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for payroll and timekeeping clerks?
Entry-level Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks (10th percentile) earn approximately $39,499 per year ($18.99/hr). The 25th percentile is $47,986 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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