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Business & Finance

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$58,260

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$40k – $81k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $112,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks

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Education

Typical entry: Associate degree

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How to qualify

Estimate

Cost to qualify

$8,500–$25,000

Time to qualify

2.5 yr

Renewal

—

  1. 1

    Associate degree (community college)

    Degree

    Two years at in-district rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $4,050/yr, plus ~$1,200/yr books & supplies.

    $8,000–$22,000 · 2 years source

  2. 2

    Industry certification (optional for many roles)

    Certification

    Role-dependent — e.g. CPA, Series 7/65, PMP, SHRM. Not always required, but often expected for advancement.

    $500–$3,000 · 6 months source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks

    Entry / Junior

    $39,500

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks

    Established

    $58,260

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks

    Senior

    $69,805

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Verify attendance, hours worked, and pay adjustments, and post information onto designated records.
  • •Process and issue employee paychecks and statements of earnings and deductions.
  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.