Payroll clerk demographics and statistics in the US
Payroll clerk demographics research summary. Zippia estimates payroll clerk demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our payroll clerk estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about payroll clerks after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 103,359 payroll clerks currently employed in the United States.
- 87.6% of all payroll clerks are women, while 12.4% are men.
- The average payroll clerk age is 48 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of payroll clerks is White (58.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (18.2%), Black or African American (10.2%) and Unknown (6.1%).
- Payroll clerks are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- Boston, MA pays an annual average wage of $48,294, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women payroll clerks earned 97% of what men earned.
- Connecticut is the best state for payroll clerks to live.
- Payroll clerks are 60% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Payroll clerk demographics by:
Payroll clerk gender statistics
87.6% of payroll clerks are women and 12.4% of payroll clerks are men.
- Female, 87.6%
- Male, 12.4%
Payroll clerk gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 87.6% |
| Male | 12.4% |
Payroll clerk gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$43,851
Female income
$42,719
Payroll clerk gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in payroll clerk positions over time. Currently, 87.6% of payroll clerks are female.
Payroll clerk gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 10.23% | 89.77% |
| 2011 | 9.45% | 90.55% |
| 2012 | 9.89% | 90.11% |
| 2013 | 9.53% | 90.47% |
| 2014 | 11.65% | 88.35% |
| 2015 | 11.05% | 88.95% |
| 2016 | 11.03% | 88.97% |
| 2017 | 9.83% | 90.17% |
| 2018 | 10.23% | 89.77% |
| 2019 | 11.16% | 88.84% |
| 2020 | 11.01% | 88.99% |
| 2021 | 12.41% | 87.59% |
Payroll clerk related jobs gender ratio
We compared payroll clerks with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, time recorder and recovery agent have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance Billing Clerk | 5% | 95% |
| Receptionist/Accounts Receivable | 5% | 95% |
| Directory Clerk | 7% | 93% |
| Payroll Clerk | 12% | 88% |
| Recovery Agent | 69% | 31% |
| Time Recorder | 71% | 29% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Payroll clerk demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among payroll clerks is White, which makes up 58.0% of all payroll clerks. Comparatively, 18.2% of payroll clerks are Hispanic or Latino and 10.2% of payroll clerks are Black or African American.
- White, 58.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 18.2%
- Black or African American, 10.2%
- Unknown, 6.1%
- Asian, 6.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
Payroll clerk race
| Payroll clerk race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 58.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.2% |
| Black or African American | 10.2% |
| Unknown | 6.1% |
| Asian | 6.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.5% |
Payroll clerk race and ethnicity over time
See how payroll clerk racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Payroll clerk race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 66.81% | 12.33% | 4.12% | 14.91% |
| 2011 | 65.33% | 13.90% | 3.84% | 15.12% |
| 2012 | 68.12% | 11.51% | 3.78% | 14.23% |
| 2013 | 66.13% | 11.71% | 4.65% | 14.98% |
| 2014 | 65.04% | 11.95% | 4.90% | 15.69% |
| 2015 | 65.88% | 11.02% | 5.96% | 14.93% |
| 2016 | 66.62% | 11.57% | 4.78% | 15.05% |
| 2017 | 64.91% | 11.11% | 5.06% | 16.30% |
| 2018 | 63.63% | 10.28% | 5.27% | 18.05% |
| 2019 | 61.74% | 11.52% | 5.48% | 18.31% |
| 2020 | 61.02% | 10.79% | 6.66% | 17.69% |
| 2021 | 58.00% | 10.17% | 6.02% | 18.23% |
Payroll clerk wage gap by race
According to our data, black or african american payroll clerks have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino payroll clerks have the lowest average salary at $42,810.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $44,269 |
| White | $43,126 |
| Black or African American | $44,816 |
| Asian | $44,267 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $42,810 |
Average payroll clerk age
See how the average age of payroll clerks varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Payroll clerk age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 47 | |
| Unknown | 46 | |
| Asian | 40 | 46 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 42.5 | 45 |
| White | 41 | 51 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 56.5 |
Payroll clerk age breakdown
The average age of payroll clerks is 40+ years years old, representing 74% of the payroll clerk population.
Payroll clerk age breakdown
| Payroll Clerk Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 74% |
| 30-40 years | 20% |
| 20-30 years | 6% |
Payroll clerk educational attainment
The most common degree for payroll clerks is bachelor's degree, with 34% of payroll clerks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 31% and associate degree degree at 21%.
- Bachelor's, 34%
- Associate, 31%
- High School Diploma, 21%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 8%
Payroll clerks by degree level
| Payroll clerk degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 34% |
| Associate | 31% |
| High School Diploma | 21% |
| Diploma | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 8% |
Payroll clerk jobs you might like
Payroll clerk wage gap by degree level
According to the data, payroll clerks with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $44,984 annually. With a Associate degree, payroll clerks earn a median annual income of $43,072 compared to $42,128 for payroll clerks with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,128 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,984 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $43,072 |
Payroll clerk employment statistics
Most payroll clerks work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where payroll clerks work
Below, you can see the size of companies where payroll clerks work.
Payroll clerk jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 6% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 14% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 34% |
| > 10,000 employees | 33% |
Payroll clerk jobs by company type
Employees with the payroll clerk job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most payroll clerks prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Payroll clerk jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 7% |
| Public | 29% |
| Private | 60% |
| Government | 5% |
Payroll clerk jobs by industry
The most common industries for payroll clerks are professional, retail and manufacturing.
Payroll clerk industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fortune 500 | 13% |
| Professional | 12% |
| Retail | 11% |
| Manufacturing | 10% |
| Transportation | 7% |
| Construction | 7% |
| Education | 6% |
| Hospitality | 5% |
| Health Care | 5% |
| Government | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Utilities | 2% |
| Energy | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Payroll clerk turnover and employment statistics
Payroll clerk unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for payroll clerks between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Payroll clerk unemployment rate by year
| Year | Payroll clerk unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.89% |
| 2011 | 6.51% |
| 2012 | 6.36% |
| 2013 | 4.27% |
| 2014 | 3.76% |
| 2015 | 2.34% |
| 2016 | 2.55% |
| 2017 | 2.44% |
| 2018 | 1.81% |
| 2019 | 2.54% |
| 2020 | 1.91% |
| 2021 | 3.88% |
Average payroll clerk tenure
The average payroll clerk stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 16,695 payroll clerks resumes in Zippia's database.
Payroll clerk tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 23% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 16% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Payroll clerk LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of payroll clerks that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Procurement Assistant | 6.59% | 6,681 |
| Account Associate | 6.92% | 98,235 |
| Utility Teller | 7.10% | 15,563 |
| Sample Clerk | 7.32% | 66,477 |
| Collections Officer | 7.90% | 59,691 |
| Payroll Clerk | 9.53% | - |
| Gaming Cashier | 10.47% | 77,636 |
Similar payroll clerk jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Procurement Assistant | 6.59% | 6,681 |
| Account Associate | 6.92% | 98,235 |
| Utility Teller | 7.10% | 15,563 |
| Sample Clerk | 7.32% | 66,477 |
| Collections Officer | 7.90% | 59,691 |
| Gaming Cashier | 10.47% | 77,636 |
Foreign languages spoken by payroll clerks
The most common foreign language among payroll clerks is Spanish at 76.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Mandarin at 3.7% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 3.2%.
- Spanish, 76.0%
- Mandarin, 3.7%
- Chinese, 3.2%
- Cantonese, 2.4%
- German, 2.0%
- Other, 12.7%
Payroll clerk languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 76.0% |
| Mandarin | 3.7% |
| Chinese | 3.2% |
| Cantonese | 2.4% |
| German | 2.0% |
| Other | 12.7% |
