Financial Clerks

How to become a Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk

Official title: Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks

Also called: Payroll Assistant, Payroll Clerk, Payroll Coordinator, Payroll Representative, Payroll Specialist, Payroll Technician, Personnel Assistant, Personnel Technician, Timekeeper

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.

Main tasks

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.
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.

How to become one

A high school diploma is typically required for most financial clerk positions. These workers typically learn their job duties through on-the-job training.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Financial Management (Alternate Title: Finance Specialist).

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $58,260 a year The middle half earn $47,990 to $69,600.
About 159,600 people work in this job now, and about 134,300 are projected by 2035. (-15.9%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk?

A high school diploma is typically required for most financial clerk positions. These workers typically learn their job duties through on-the-job training.

How much does a Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $58,260 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $47,990 to $69,600.

Is a Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 16% by 2035, from about 159,600 to about 134,300 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk?

Not always. 32% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Financial Management (Alternate Title: Finance Specialist).

Will AI change the work of a Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.