Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
Office and Administrative Support
Each pay period, hours, attendance, and any pay adjustments are checked and posted, then wages and deductions are calculated and entered into the payroll system. Paychecks and earnings statements go out to employees; new hires are set up in the same system, and records are updated for transfers, resignations, and exemptions. Timecards are often collected and distributed, and timesheets or wage computations are reviewed so errors can be found and fixed. Period-end reports are prepared and balanced, and issued payrolls are reconciled to bank statements. The work suits people who like checking hours and pay figures on a set schedule and keeping those records complete.
Typical education: Bachelor’s Degree (4-year)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$58'260
Median Wage Market Position
$58'260
What you might do
- Check hours worked and post them to records
- Figure each employee's wages and deductions
- Issue paychecks and statements of earnings
- Catch and correct errors on timesheets
- Add new employees to the payroll system
- Reconcile payroll totals with bank statements
Skills that matter
- Verifying hours and pay adjustments
- Wage, commission, and deduction calculations
- Time sheet review for pay errors
- Period-end reports and bank reconciliation
- Issuing paychecks and earnings statements
- Answering questions about pay and deductions
AI & the future of this role
Time records, wage calculations, and paycheck prep sit mostly on screen in structured systems. Automation and AI may take over those routine steps, while exception handling and compliance judgment still tend to matter.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details