Occupations · Office and Administrative Support
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 43-3051.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 87% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $59,420 | 8,380 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $63,710 | 7,950 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $61,920 | 4,710 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $56,300 | 3,950 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $52,520 | 3,590 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $48,570 | 3,060 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $55,770 | 2,980 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $57,720 | 2,800 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $51,500 | 2,770 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $61,340 | 2,660 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $78,180 | 2,590 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $63,640 | 2,440 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Verify attendance, hours worked, and pay adjustments, and post information onto designated records.
- Process and issue employee paychecks and statements of earnings and deductions.
- Prepare and file payroll tax returns.
- 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.
- Issue and record adjustments to pay related to previous errors or retroactive increases.
- Compile statistical reports, statements, and summaries related to pay and benefits accounts, and submit them to appropriate departments.
- Keep track of leave time, such as vacation, personal, and sick leave, for employees.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2022-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2022-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Prepare and file payroll tax returns.
O*NET 26.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 2 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 26
No longer listed 11
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| payroll clerk | 4313.1 | exact |
| human resources assistant | 4416.1 | close |
| pensions administrator | 3353.2.1 | close |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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