Pay by state · 54 areas
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk Salary by State (2026)
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks earn the most in District of Columbia at $74,670 a year and the least in Mississippi at $45,170 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $58,260. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $74,670District of Columbia
- National median
- $58,260BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $45,170Mississippi
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for payroll and timekeeping clerks
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. After cost of living, North Dakota comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1District of Columbia$74,670
- 2California$65,340
- 3Washington$64,560
- 4Colorado$64,140
- 5Massachusetts$63,670
Lowest median pay
- 1Mississippi$45,170
- 2Arkansas$46,110
- 3Alabama$46,170
- 4West Virginia$47,460
- 5South Dakota$47,680
All states
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of payroll and timekeeping clerks OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $74,670 | $61,840 | $90,270 | 270 | $67,943 |
| 2 | CACalifornia | $65,340 | $56,230 | $78,870 | 20,590 | $59,014 |
| 3 | WAWashington | $64,560 | $58,310 | $76,390 | 3,560 | $60,329 |
| 4 | COColorado | $64,140 | $51,650 | $76,040 | 2,580 | $62,240 |
| 5 | MAMassachusetts | $63,670 | $54,890 | $77,960 | 3,280 | $60,204 |
| 6 | NHNew Hampshire | $63,090 | $52,710 | $74,630 | 800 | $60,567 |
| 7 | AKAlaska | $62,210 | $56,430 | $68,650 | 360 | $60,776 |
| 8 | CTConnecticut | $62,200 | $55,010 | $74,480 | 1,540 | $60,033 |
| 9 | HIHawaii | $62,070 | $54,590 | $76,780 | 700 | $56,452 |
| 10 | ILIllinois | $61,390 | $48,560 | $74,820 | 5,580 | $61,416 |
| 11 | MNMinnesota | $61,320 | $53,450 | $71,190 | 2,790 | $62,177 |
| 12 | NYNew York | $61,040 | $50,700 | $73,220 | 8,400 | $56,560 |
| 13 | OROregon | $60,980 | $51,690 | $72,770 | 2,890 | $58,997 |
| 14 | NJNew Jersey | $60,750 | $50,440 | $73,350 | 4,290 | $55,834 |
| 15 | NDNorth Dakota | $60,600 | $53,550 | $66,160 | 300 | $68,121 |
| 16 | GAGeorgia | $59,990 | $48,760 | $69,990 | 6,720 | $62,299 |
| 17 | MDMaryland | $59,760 | $48,740 | $69,350 | 1,870 | $56,937 |
| 18 | RIRhode Island | $59,370 | $48,310 | $71,800 | 410 | $58,047 |
| 19 | WIWisconsin | $59,310 | $50,850 | $66,980 | 2,590 | $63,032 |
| 20 | VAVirginia | $58,250 | $49,380 | $68,140 | 3,400 | $57,614 |
| 21 | NVNevada | $58,220 | $45,110 | $70,030 | 1,390 | $58,232 |
| 22 | MEMaine | $57,360 | $47,920 | $67,100 | 590 | $59,104 |
| 23 | OHOhio | $57,270 | $47,480 | $66,880 | 5,820 | $61,731 |
| 24 | KSKansas | $56,590 | $49,750 | $68,100 | 1,400 | $62,830 |
| 25 | DEDelaware | $56,430 | $48,400 | $80,250 | 320 | $56,539 |
| 26 | UTUtah | $56,430 | $49,820 | $65,000 | 1,590 | $57,078 |
| 27 | MIMichigan | $56,160 | $48,700 | $67,150 | 4,050 | $58,368 |
| 28 | PAPennsylvania | $55,690 | $46,540 | $64,590 | 5,170 | $57,076 |
| 29 | VTVermont | $55,340 | $45,010 | $63,710 | 270 | $56,494 |
| 30 | MTMontana | $55,040 | $46,500 | $63,060 | 530 | $58,154 |
| 31 | NENebraska | $54,900 | $48,210 | $63,500 | 910 | $60,930 |
| 32 | TXTexas | $54,090 | $45,220 | $63,940 | 13,220 | $55,730 |
| 33 | IAIowa | $54,080 | $46,070 | $61,420 | 1,230 | $61,621 |
| 34 | MOMissouri | $54,080 | $43,080 | $64,120 | 3,460 | $59,548 |
| 35 | INIndiana | $53,770 | $45,100 | $65,540 | 4,020 | $57,613 |
| 36 | NCNorth Carolina | $53,550 | $45,680 | $62,650 | 3,630 | $56,771 |
| 37 | NMNew Mexico | $53,230 | $43,920 | $63,010 | 820 | $57,726 |
| 38 | KYKentucky | $52,890 | $43,800 | $62,710 | 1,670 | $58,663 |
| 39 | SCSouth Carolina | $52,240 | $45,500 | $62,400 | 1,550 | $55,723 |
| 40 | WYWyoming | $51,940 | $42,340 | $64,540 | 160 | $56,036 |
| 41 | FLFlorida | $51,910 | $45,000 | $63,720 | 10,910 | $50,196 |
| 42 | IDIdaho | $51,790 | $46,900 | $63,240 | 800 | $54,234 |
| 43 | TNTennessee | $51,780 | $45,300 | $61,350 | 3,680 | $56,362 |
| 44 | LALouisiana | $50,800 | $40,710 | $61,750 | 2,160 | $57,592 |
| 45 | AZArizona | $50,210 | $42,760 | $60,060 | 3,540 | $49,872 |
| 46 | OKOklahoma | $49,920 | $39,900 | $62,200 | 2,470 | $56,829 |
| 47 | SDSouth Dakota | $47,680 | $43,350 | $56,520 | 370 | $53,823 |
| 48 | WVWest Virginia | $47,460 | $36,020 | $60,860 | 580 | $53,030 |
| 49 | ALAlabama | $46,170 | $37,520 | $55,030 | 1,360 | $51,980 |
| 50 | ARArkansas | $46,110 | $40,260 | $55,360 | 1,220 | $53,038 |
| 51 | MSMississippi | $45,170 | $36,100 | $56,840 | 1,330 | $51,948 |
| 52 | GUGuam | $38,550 | $31,140 | $48,740 | 60 | N/A |
| 53 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $38,100 | $38,100 | $42,660 | 40 | N/A |
| 54 | PRPuerto Rico | $34,200 | $27,900 | $41,320 | 1,040 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For payroll and timekeeping clerks, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $74,670, while North Dakota leads once prices are taken into account at $68,121.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays payroll and timekeeping clerks the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for payroll and timekeeping clerks at $74,670 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by California ($65,340) and Washington ($64,560).
Which state pays payroll and timekeeping clerks the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Mississippi reports the lowest median for payroll and timekeeping clerks at $45,170 a year, $29,500 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Guam reports $38,550, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $38,100 and Puerto Rico reports $34,200.
Is the highest-paying state the best for payroll and timekeeping clerks after cost of living?
Not on this data. District of Columbia pays the most on paper ($74,670) but ranks 2nd of 51 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($67,943). North Dakota leads after that adjustment at $68,121, from a raw median of $60,600. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.