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.
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 Puerto Rico at $34,200 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $58,260. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $74,670
- National median
- $58,260
- Lowest median
- $34,200
- States reporting
- 54
District of Columbia
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
- 1. District of Columbia$74,670 median · $67,943 adjusted · 270 employed
- 2. California$65,340 median · $59,014 adjusted · 20,590 employed
- 3. Washington$64,560 median · $60,329 adjusted · 3,560 employed
- 4. Colorado$64,140 median · $62,240 adjusted · 2,580 employed
- 5. Massachusetts$63,670 median · $60,204 adjusted · 3,280 employed
Lowest-paying states for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
- 54. Puerto Rico$34,200 median · no price parity · 1,040 employed
- 53. U.S. Virgin Islands$38,100 median · no price parity · 40 employed
- 52. Guam$38,550 median · no price parity · 60 employed
- 51. Mississippi$45,170 median · $51,948 adjusted · 1,330 employed
- 50. Arkansas$46,110 median · $53,038 adjusted · 1,220 employed
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerk salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $74,670 | $61,840 | $90,270 | 270 | $67,943 |
| 2 | California | $65,340 | $56,230 | $78,870 | 20,590 | $59,014 |
| 3 | Washington | $64,560 | $58,310 | $76,390 | 3,560 | $60,329 |
| 4 | Colorado | $64,140 | $51,650 | $76,040 | 2,580 | $62,240 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $63,670 | $54,890 | $77,960 | 3,280 | $60,204 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $63,090 | $52,710 | $74,630 | 800 | $60,567 |
| 7 | Alaska | $62,210 | $56,430 | $68,650 | 360 | $60,776 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $62,200 | $55,010 | $74,480 | 1,540 | $60,033 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $62,070 | $54,590 | $76,780 | 700 | $56,452 |
| 10 | Illinois | $61,390 | $48,560 | $74,820 | 5,580 | $61,416 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $61,320 | $53,450 | $71,190 | 2,790 | $62,177 |
| 12 | New York | $61,040 | $50,700 | $73,220 | 8,400 | $56,560 |
| 13 | Oregon | $60,980 | $51,690 | $72,770 | 2,890 | $58,997 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $60,750 | $50,440 | $73,350 | 4,290 | $55,834 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $60,600 | $53,550 | $66,160 | 300 | $68,121 |
| 16 | Georgia | $59,990 | $48,760 | $69,990 | 6,720 | $62,299 |
| 17 | Maryland | $59,760 | $48,740 | $69,350 | 1,870 | $56,937 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $59,370 | $48,310 | $71,800 | 410 | $58,047 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $59,310 | $50,850 | $66,980 | 2,590 | $63,032 |
| 20 | Virginia | $58,250 | $49,380 | $68,140 | 3,400 | $57,614 |
| 21 | Nevada | $58,220 | $45,110 | $70,030 | 1,390 | $58,232 |
| 22 | Maine | $57,360 | $47,920 | $67,100 | 590 | $59,104 |
| 23 | Ohio | $57,270 | $47,480 | $66,880 | 5,820 | $61,731 |
| 24 | Kansas | $56,590 | $49,750 | $68,100 | 1,400 | $62,830 |
| 25 | Delaware | $56,430 | $48,400 | $80,250 | 320 | $56,539 |
| 26 | Utah | $56,430 | $49,820 | $65,000 | 1,590 | $57,078 |
| 27 | Michigan | $56,160 | $48,700 | $67,150 | 4,050 | $58,368 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $55,690 | $46,540 | $64,590 | 5,170 | $57,076 |
| 29 | Vermont | $55,340 | $45,010 | $63,710 | 270 | $56,494 |
| 30 | Montana | $55,040 | $46,500 | $63,060 | 530 | $58,154 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $54,900 | $48,210 | $63,500 | 910 | $60,930 |
| 32 | Texas | $54,090 | $45,220 | $63,940 | 13,220 | $55,730 |
| 33 | Iowa | $54,080 | $46,070 | $61,420 | 1,230 | $61,621 |
| 34 | Missouri | $54,080 | $43,080 | $64,120 | 3,460 | $59,548 |
| 35 | Indiana | $53,770 | $45,100 | $65,540 | 4,020 | $57,613 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $53,550 | $45,680 | $62,650 | 3,630 | $56,771 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $53,230 | $43,920 | $63,010 | 820 | $57,726 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $52,890 | $43,800 | $62,710 | 1,670 | $58,663 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $52,240 | $45,500 | $62,400 | 1,550 | $55,723 |
| 40 | Wyoming | $51,940 | $42,340 | $64,540 | 160 | $56,036 |
| 41 | Florida | $51,910 | $45,000 | $63,720 | 10,910 | $50,196 |
| 42 | Idaho | $51,790 | $46,900 | $63,240 | 800 | $54,234 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $51,780 | $45,300 | $61,350 | 3,680 | $56,362 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $50,800 | $40,710 | $61,750 | 2,160 | $57,592 |
| 45 | Arizona | $50,210 | $42,760 | $60,060 | 3,540 | $49,872 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $49,920 | $39,900 | $62,200 | 2,470 | $56,829 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $47,680 | $43,350 | $56,520 | 370 | $53,823 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $47,460 | $36,020 | $60,860 | 580 | $53,030 |
| 49 | Alabama | $46,170 | $37,520 | $55,030 | 1,360 | $51,980 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $46,110 | $40,260 | $55,360 | 1,220 | $53,038 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $45,170 | $36,100 | $56,840 | 1,330 | $51,948 |
| 52 | Guam | $38,550 | $31,140 | $48,740 | 60 | N/A |
| 53 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $38,100 | $38,100 | $42,660 | 40 | N/A |
| 54 | Puerto Rico | $34,200 | $27,900 | $41,320 | 1,040 | N/A |
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.
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?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks at $34,200 a year, $40,470 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts North Dakota first at $68,121 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $60,600. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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