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Payroll clerk salary
Average payroll clerk salary
$41,602
Average Payroll Clerk Salary
The average salary for a Payroll Clerk in the United States is approximately $41,602 annually. This figure represents a broad overview of salaries that can fluctuate based on various factors such as location, years of experience, and the specific industry of employment.
How Experience Affects Salary
Entry-level Payroll Clerks can expect to start at lower salaries, while those with several years of experience may earn significantly more. For instance, a Payroll Clerk with over five years of experience might earn upwards of $50,000 annually, depending on their role and company.
Regional Salary Variations
Geographical location plays a crucial role in salary differences. States such as California and New York often report higher average salaries due to the higher cost of living and demand for skilled positions. For example, professionals in these states can earn an average of $48,000 or more.
Conclusion
Understanding the factors that influence payroll clerk salaries can help job seekers make informed decisions. With the right experience and in-demand skills, individuals can position themselves to earn competitive salaries in this vital administrative role.
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Where can a Payroll Clerk earn more?
Payroll clerk salaries by experience level
Payroll clerk salary estimates from across the web
Average payroll clerk salary by state
The highest-paying states for payroll clerks are Connecticut, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. The lowest average payroll clerk salary states are Kentucky, Louisiana, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for payroll clerks
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $51,618 | $24.82 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $45,491 | $21.87 |
| 3 | Washington | $45,608 | $21.93 |
| 4 | New York | $48,223 | $23.18 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $46,061 | $22.14 |
| 6 | Kansas | $41,955 | $20.17 |
| 7 | Vermont | $45,993 | $22.11 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $48,241 | $23.19 |
| 9 | California | $45,407 | $21.83 |
| 10 | Oregon | $43,301 | $20.82 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $48,114 | $23.13 |
| 12 | Colorado | $45,122 | $21.69 |
| 13 | Alaska | $44,327 | $21.31 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $41,197 | $19.81 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $50,185 | $24.13 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $44,461 | $21.38 |
| 17 | Illinois | $43,257 | $20.80 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $42,397 | $20.38 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $40,386 | $19.42 |
| 20 | Ohio | $39,513 | $19.00 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $40,396 | $19.42 |
| 22 | District of Columbia | $48,665 | $23.40 |
| 23 | Utah | $39,905 | $19.19 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $40,663 | $19.55 |
| 25 | Georgia | $40,870 | $19.65 |
| 26 | Texas | $39,173 | $18.83 |
| 27 | Michigan | $37,879 | $18.21 |
| 28 | Maine | $41,083 | $19.75 |
| 29 | Indiana | $37,214 | $17.89 |
| 30 | Missouri | $37,531 | $18.04 |
| 31 | Mississippi | $38,757 | $18.63 |
| 32 | Delaware | $39,190 | $18.84 |
| 33 | Iowa | $38,590 | $18.55 |
| 34 | Idaho | $36,635 | $17.61 |
| 35 | Nevada | $39,307 | $18.90 |
| 36 | Maryland | $40,293 | $19.37 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $37,661 | $18.11 |
| 38 | Arizona | $39,607 | $19.04 |
| 39 | Florida | $36,598 | $17.60 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $34,489 | $16.58 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $36,814 | $17.70 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $33,935 | $16.31 |
| 43 | Virginia | $38,419 | $18.47 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $35,991 | $17.30 |
| 45 | Alabama | $36,283 | $17.44 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $34,550 | $16.61 |
| 47 | Montana | $36,441 | $17.52 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $31,408 | $15.10 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $34,263 | $16.47 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $32,611 | $15.68 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $31,879 | $15.33 |
Highest paying cities for payroll clerks
The highest-paying cities for payroll clerks are Boston, MA, New York, NY, and Santa Rosa, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $48,294 | $23.22 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $48,153 | $23.15 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa, CA | $48,001 | $23.08 |
| 4 | Seattle, WA | $45,741 | $21.99 |
| 5 | Saint Paul, MN | $45,479 | $21.86 |
| 6 | Denver, CO | $45,177 | $21.72 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $43,395 | $20.86 |
| 8 | Portland, OR | $43,265 | $20.80 |
| 9 | Atlanta, GA | $40,917 | $19.67 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $40,843 | $19.64 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $40,735 | $19.58 |
| 12 | Cleveland, OH | $40,504 | $19.47 |
| 13 | Omaha, NE | $40,462 | $19.45 |
| 14 | Salt Lake City, UT | $39,882 | $19.17 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $39,626 | $19.05 |
| 16 | San Antonio, TX | $39,338 | $18.91 |
| 17 | Las Vegas, NV | $39,073 | $18.79 |
| 18 | Norfolk, VA | $38,089 | $18.31 |
| 19 | Kansas City, MO | $37,649 | $18.10 |
| 20 | Grand Rapids, MI | $37,590 | $18.07 |
Payroll clerk salary details
A payroll clerk's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $55,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a payroll clerk's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
| 75th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
| Average | $41,602 | $3,467 | $20 |
| 25th Percentile | $35,000 | $2,917 | $17 |
| 10th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
Highest paying payroll clerk jobs
The highest paying types of payroll clerks are payroll manager, payroll supervisor, and senior payroll specialist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounts Receivable Clerk | $36,425 | $3,035 | $17.51 | 87,935 |
| Human Resources Clerk | $35,149 | $2,929 | $16.90 | 107,374 |
| Accounting Clerk | $38,683 | $3,224 | $18.60 | 106,969 |
| Audit Clerk | $39,465 | $3,289 | $18.97 | 97,427 |
| Payroll Administrator | $46,596 | $3,883 | $22.40 | 55,490 |
| Accountable Clerk | $38,120 | $3,177 | $18.33 | 81,209 |
Top companies hiring payroll clerks now:
Which companies pay payroll clerks the most?
Payroll clerk salaries at MDU Resources and Manson Construction Co. are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average payroll clerk salary at companies like Zachry Group and APC Holdings are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MDU Resources | $50,964 | $24.50 |
| 2 | Manson Construction Co. | $49,150 | $23.63 |
| 3 | Zachry Group | $48,943 | $23.53 |
| 4 | APC Holdings | $47,238 | $22.71 |
| 5 | Griffiths Corporation | $47,069 | $22.63 |
| 6 | Appalachian Regional Healthcare | $46,298 | $22.26 |
| 7 | Murray | $45,743 | $21.99 |
| 8 | University of Michigan | $45,737 | $21.99 |
| 9 | ProMedica Toledo Hospital | $45,299 | $21.78 |
| 10 | Leggett & Platt | $44,497 | $21.39 |
| 11 | Carnival Cruise Line | $44,435 | $21.36 |
| 12 | ESPO | $44,367 | $21.33 |
| 13 | Hyatt Hotels | $44,361 | $21.33 |
| 14 | Team Elmer's | $44,341 | $21.32 |
| 15 | National Vision Administrators | $43,889 | $21.10 |
| 16 | E2 Consulting Engineers, Inc. | $43,816 | $21.07 |
| 17 | ALDI USA | $43,646 | $20.98 |
| 18 | Cast & Crew | $43,557 | $20.94 |
| 19 | Quanta Services | $43,438 | $20.88 |
| 20 | BrightView Landscape Development Inc | $43,034 | $20.69 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Payroll Clerk salary by industry
The average payroll clerk salary varies across industries:
- The average payroll clerk salary in the government industry is $49,623, the highest of any industry.
- The average payroll clerk salary in the finance industry is $45,812.
- Payroll clerks in the retail industry earn an average salary of $37,570, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for payroll clerks
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $49,623 | $23.86 |
| 2 | Construction | $45,812 | $22.02 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $42,272 | $20.32 |
| 4 | Professional | $40,509 | $19.48 |
| 5 | Health Care | $40,138 | $19.30 |
| 6 | Hospitality | $39,728 | $19.10 |
| 7 | Retail | $37,570 | $18.06 |
High paying payroll clerk jobs
Payroll clerk salary trends
The average payroll clerk salary has risen by $8,724 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average payroll clerk earned $32,878 annually, but today, they earn $41,602 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for payroll clerks over the last decade.
Compare payroll clerk salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average payroll clerk salary over time
Compare payroll clerk salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Payroll clerk salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $41,600 | $20.00 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $40,900 | $19.64 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $39,900 | $19.16 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $38,800 | $18.67 | +3.4% |
| 2021 | $37,500 | $18.03 | +3.3% |
Recently added payroll clerk salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Logistics Holdings | Non-Office Clerk Payroll Clerk | Detroit, MI | 06/29/2025 | $39,653 |
| Pacific West Companies | Remote Payroll Clerk | Reno, NV | 06/29/2025 | $18,000 |
| Career Opportunities With San Francisco Campus for Jewish Living | Payroll Clerk-Scheduler | San Francisco, CA | 06/28/2025 | $54,262 |
| Marriott International | Payroll Clerk | Irvine, CA | 06/27/2025 | $57,706 |
| Sitio de Experiencia de Candidatos | Payroll Clerk | Irvine, CA | 06/27/2025 | $57,706 |
| Adecco Us, Inc. | Payroll Clerk | Modesto, CA | 06/26/2025 | $52,175 |
| Staffmark Group | Payroll Clerk | Memphis, TN | 06/25/2025 | $50,088 |
| Aston Carter | Payroll Clerk | Dallas, TX | 06/25/2025 | $50,171 |
| Tes Staffing | Payroll Clerk | Rochester, NY | 06/25/2025 | $41,782 |
| Pride Health | Payroll Clerk | New York, NY | 06/24/2025 | $60,523 |
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