Payroll bookkeeper vs payroll clerk

The differences between payroll bookkeepers and payroll clerks can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a payroll bookkeeper and a payroll clerk. Additionally, a payroll bookkeeper has an average salary of $46,087, which is higher than the $41,602 average annual salary of a payroll clerk.

The top three skills for a payroll bookkeeper include reconciliations, general ledger and journal entries. The most important skills for a payroll clerk are data entry, payroll system, and photocopying.

Payroll bookkeeper vs payroll clerk overview

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Payroll Clerk
Yearly salary	$46,087	$41,602
Hourly rate	$22.16	$20.00
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	8,176	71,944
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Payroll bookkeeper vs payroll clerk salary

Payroll bookkeepers and payroll clerks have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Payroll Clerk
Average salary	$46,087	$41,602
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $60,000	Between $31,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	-	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	MDU Resources
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between payroll bookkeeper and payroll clerk education

There are a few differences between a payroll bookkeeper and a payroll clerk in terms of educational background:

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Payroll Clerk
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 36%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common major	Accounting	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Payroll bookkeeper vs payroll clerk demographics

Here are the differences between payroll bookkeepers' and payroll clerks' demographics:

	Payroll Bookkeeper	Payroll Clerk
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 12.8% Female, 87.2%	Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 6.1% White, 58.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 6.0% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between payroll bookkeeper and payroll clerk duties and responsibilities

Payroll bookkeeper example responsibilities.

Manage AR, prepare deposits and perform basic receptionist/customer service tasks in office.
Perform financial management functions including monthly financial statement preparation and bank reconciliations.
Maintain accounts receivable/accounts payable including handling cash and deposits; process reconciliations and financial reports using SchoolFunds.
Process 1099 and W2's.
Process ACH rejections and stop payments.
Post receivables of checks, ACH and credit card payments.

Payroll clerk example responsibilities.

Manage all worker compensation and cobra benefit issues and filings.
Manage employee drug and background screenings, train new hires and verify I9 information.
Process payroll; assist in establishing new time and attendance (KRONOS) computer system; balance insurance billings.
View, key, post and monitor time and labor, absences and leave balances in PeopleSoft HRIS system.
Compile data and enter information into ADP payroll processing system.
Process payroll and transmit electronically to outside computer service for preparation of payroll checks and reports.

Payroll bookkeeper vs payroll clerk skills

Common payroll bookkeeper skills

Reconciliations, 9%
General Ledger, 7%
Journal Entries, 5%
Tax Returns, 4%
Bank Reconciliations, 4%
Payroll Processing, 4%

Common payroll clerk skills

Data Entry, 19%
Payroll System, 10%
Photocopying, 7%
Excellent Organizational, 6%
Customer Service, 6%
ADP, 5%