Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

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)
176,320 1.0 % $18.31 $38,080 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.56 $14.47 $17.87 $21.86 $26.24
Annual Wage (2) $24,050 $30,100 $37,160 $45,470 $54,580


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)
Management of Companies and Enterprises 12,700 0.67 $19.15 $39,830
Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services 11,540 1.39 $17.79 $36,990
Local Government (OES Designation) 11,020 0.20 $19.44 $40,430
Elementary and Secondary Schools 10,530 0.13 $18.91 $39,330
Employment Services 9,390 0.32 $16.34 $33,990

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 11,540 1.39 $17.79 $36,990
Office Administrative Services 2,980 0.74 $18.55 $38,580
Management of Companies and Enterprises 12,700 0.67 $19.15 $39,830
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 1,500 0.50 $18.35 $38,160
Footwear Manufacturing 50 0.37 $14.99 $31,170

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Postal Service 330 0.05 $26.08 $54,250
Other Information Services 290 0.19 $23.94 $49,790
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation 110 0.29 $23.29 $48,440
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 70 0.05 $22.44 $46,680
Grantmaking and Giving Services 170 0.13 $22.39 $46,560


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 22,960 1.64 1.19 $20.88 $43,430
Texas 15,330 1.49 1.08 $17.43 $36,250
New York 11,110 1.32 0.96 $19.51 $40,590
Pennsylvania 9,100 1.64 1.19 $18.01 $37,470
Florida 7,740 1.08 0.79 $16.16 $33,620




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)
Alaska 810 2.59 1.89 $20.41 $42,450
Louisiana 3,430 1.87 1.36 $16.38 $34,070
Montana 790 1.86 1.36 $15.54 $32,320
Idaho 1,100 1.85 1.35 $15.62 $32,500
Oklahoma 2,600 1.74 1.26 $16.31 $33,930




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 710 1.10 0.80 $25.37 $52,770
Connecticut 2,210 1.38 1.00 $21.04 $43,760
California 22,960 1.64 1.19 $20.88 $43,430
Alaska 810 2.59 1.89 $20.41 $42,450
Washington 3,360 1.23 0.90 $20.16 $41,920





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-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 6,260 1.24 0.90 $20.37 $42,370
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 5,090 1.33 0.97 $20.84 $43,340
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 4,170 1.16 0.85 $19.91 $41,410
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 3,780 1.48 1.08 $18.41 $38,300
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 3,240 1.59 1.15 $20.12 $41,840
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 3,160 1.74 1.27 $20.01 $41,630
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 3,000 1.35 0.98 $19.18 $39,890
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 2,540 1.48 1.08 $20.30 $42,230
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 2,310 1.36 0.99 $18.21 $37,870
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 2,250 1.34 0.98 $20.95 $43,580




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 170 3.46 2.52 $18.30 $38,060
Pocatello, ID 100 3.02 2.20 $13.48 $28,050
Corvallis, OR 100 3.00 2.18 $16.54 $34,400
Decatur, AL 130 2.58 1.88 $14.91 $31,010
Salinas, CA 390 2.56 1.86 $18.49 $38,450
Lawton, OK 100 2.35 1.71 $15.89 $33,050
Modesto, CA 350 2.33 1.70 $16.59 $34,510
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 210 2.30 1.67 $14.68 $30,540
Anchorage, AK 390 2.30 1.67 $19.47 $40,500
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville, CA 1,840 2.29 1.67 $20.61 $42,870




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-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 2,100 2.19 1.59 $24.84 $51,660
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,140 1.30 0.94 $24.36 $50,680
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA Metropolitan Division 1,330 1.40 1.02 $23.48 $48,840
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 2,010 0.87 0.63 $23.31 $48,490
Danbury, CT 90 1.33 0.97 $23.06 $47,960
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 210 1.83 1.33 $22.16 $46,100
New Haven, CT 290 1.10 0.80 $22.10 $45,960
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 130 1.30 0.94 $22.05 $45,860
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 1,530 1.11 0.81 $22.01 $45,770
Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, MD Metropolitan Division 570 1.03 0.75 $21.71 $45,150

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 820 2.16 1.57 $14.90 $31,000
Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area 490 2.00 1.45 $14.82 $30,820
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 470 2.47 1.79 $14.17 $29,480
Other North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 460 1.58 1.15 $16.47 $34,250
Western Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 390 1.60 1.16 $16.18 $33,660

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)
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 210 5.91 4.30 $21.55 $44,830
North Valley Region of California nonmetropolitan area 80 2.98 2.17 $17.13 $35,640
Southwestern Montana nonmetropolitan area 310 2.61 1.90 $15.67 $32,600
Northwest Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 70 2.52 1.83 $17.94 $37,320
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 470 2.47 1.79 $14.17 $29,480

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)
Southwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area 120 1.97 1.44 $21.58 $44,890
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 210 5.91 4.30 $21.55 $44,830
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 130 1.87 1.36 $21.16 $44,010
Central Washington nonmetropolitan area 100 1.68 1.22 $21.11 $43,910
North Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 40 0.60 0.44 $20.97 $43,620


About May 2011 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 mean 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 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012