Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

43-3051 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. Excludes "Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks" (43-3031).

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
144,030 0.9 % $22.17 $46,110 0.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $14.03 $17.31 $21.66 $26.60 $30.97
Annual Wage (2) $29,170 $36,000 $45,050 $55,320 $64,420

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 13,030 1.36 $20.41 $42,460
Management of Companies and Enterprises 11,900 0.50 $23.67 $49,240
Elementary and Secondary Schools 9,380 0.11 $21.69 $45,120
Employment Services 8,110 0.22 $21.14 $43,980
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 7,020 0.13 $23.47 $48,810

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 13,030 1.36 $20.41 $42,460
Office Administrative Services 3,630 0.73 $21.96 $45,670
Management of Companies and Enterprises 11,900 0.50 $23.67 $49,240
Support Activities for Water Transportation 340 0.36 $25.35 $52,730
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 980 0.28 $22.78 $47,390

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 460 0.07 $27.61 $57,430
Other Information Services 250 0.09 $27.39 $56,970
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations 330 0.08 $27.02 $56,200
Legal Services 620 0.05 $26.65 $55,430
Natural Gas Distribution 60 0.05 $26.65 $55,430

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 22,650 1.33 1.34 $24.77 $51,520
Texas 13,300 1.10 1.10 $21.34 $44,390
New York 8,940 0.95 0.96 $23.06 $47,960
Florida 7,520 0.87 0.88 $20.44 $42,520
Ohio 5,680 1.05 1.05 $21.15 $43,980




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Oklahoma 2,300 1.44 1.45 $19.56 $40,680
Alaska 450 1.41 1.42 $25.41 $52,860
California 22,650 1.33 1.34 $24.77 $51,520
Louisiana 2,460 1.29 1.29 $18.87 $39,250
Kansas 1,640 1.19 1.20 $21.45 $44,620




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 370 0.52 0.52 $30.22 $62,860
Connecticut 1,820 1.10 1.10 $25.49 $53,010
Alaska 450 1.41 1.42 $25.41 $52,860
Massachusetts 3,530 0.99 0.99 $24.92 $51,840
Maryland 2,340 0.87 0.87 $24.81 $51,610





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 8,330 0.88 0.88 $23.69 $49,270
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 7,810 1.28 1.28 $24.06 $50,040
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,160 1.17 1.17 $22.95 $47,740
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,490 1.17 1.17 $21.96 $45,680
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 3,210 0.69 0.69 $24.05 $50,020
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 2,820 1.02 1.03 $25.33 $52,690
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,820 1.16 1.17 $30.00 $62,410
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2,730 0.96 0.96 $23.07 $47,990
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,460 0.95 0.95 $21.14 $43,980
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 2,360 0.88 0.88 $23.81 $49,520




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
El Centro, CA 160 2.66 2.68 $19.94 $41,480
Merced, CA 190 2.59 2.60 $22.88 $47,580
Madera, CA 100 2.12 2.13 $21.66 $45,050
Bangor, ME 140 2.08 2.09 $17.25 $35,870
Elmira, NY 70 2.03 2.04 $19.83 $41,260
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 1,980 2.01 2.02 $24.44 $50,840
Houma-Thibodaux, LA 170 2.00 2.01 $17.67 $36,750
Lewiston-Auburn, ME 90 1.92 1.93 $20.98 $43,630
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 80 1.89 1.89 $23.87 $49,650
Napa, CA 140 1.85 1.86 $26.01 $54,090




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,820 1.16 1.17 $30.00 $62,410
St. Cloud, MN 90 0.90 0.91 $29.07 $60,470
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,240 1.11 1.11 $28.21 $58,680
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,120 0.68 0.68 $27.88 $57,990
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 430 1.02 1.03 $27.75 $57,720
Santa Rosa, CA 280 1.39 1.39 $27.59 $57,390
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 40 0.48 0.48 $27.21 $56,600
Barnstable Town, MA 110 1.09 1.09 $26.84 $55,830
Bellingham, WA 60 0.71 0.72 $26.51 $55,140
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 690 1.17 1.18 $26.28 $54,660

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 510 1.29 1.30 $19.56 $40,690
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 330 1.20 1.20 $18.65 $38,790
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 300 1.76 1.77 $18.66 $38,820
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 290 1.13 1.13 $17.55 $36,500
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 290 0.87 0.87 $17.30 $35,980

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Louisiana nonmetropolitan area 140 1.99 2.00 $16.41 $34,140
Big Thicket Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 190 1.82 1.83 $19.91 $41,420
Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 300 1.76 1.77 $18.66 $38,820
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 180 1.66 1.67 $26.54 $55,210
Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area 260 1.63 1.64 $16.57 $34,480

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 180 1.66 1.67 $26.54 $55,210
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 60 0.47 0.48 $25.25 $52,530
Western Washington nonmetropolitan area 100 0.82 0.82 $24.93 $51,860
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 50 0.50 0.50 $24.00 $49,930
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 100 0.87 0.87 $23.29 $48,440

About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.

Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019