Payroll clerk
Also known as: payroll officer, payroll technician, payroll bookeeper, payroll accounting clerk, payroll accounts clerk, payroll administrator
About this occupation
Payroll clerks manage the time sheets and pay checks of the employees. They make sure the information there is correct. Payroll clerks check overtime, sick days and vacation. They distribute the pay checks.
Essential skills and knowledge
- type of file
- trace financial transactions
- procure time sheet approval
- manage payroll
- mathematics
- prepare paychecks
- carry out financial transactions
- examine budgets
- calculate wages
- check payment
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks (O*NET 43-3051.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Verify attendance, hours worked, and pay adjustments, and post information onto designated records.
- Process and issue employee paychecks and statements of earnings and deductions.
- Compute wages and deductions, and enter data into computers.
- Process paperwork for new employees and enter employee information into the payroll system.
- Prepare and balance period-end reports, and reconcile issued payrolls to bank statements.
- Review time sheets, work charts, wage computation, and other information to detect and reconcile payroll discrepancies.
- Typical education (US)
- Bachelor's Degree
- Preparation
- Job Zone 3 of 5
- Interests
- Conventional, Enterprising, Social
Top skills: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Mathematics, Writing, Speaking, Critical Thinking
US median pay: US$58,260 a year (2025), 153,140 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsVery important (4.2)
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (4.2)
- Economics or AccountingO*NET: Economics and AccountingVery important (4.1)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementVery important (3.8)
- Computer StudiesO*NET: Computers and ElectronicsImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- Bachelor's Degree
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
- Billing and Posting Clerks
- Office Clerks, General
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
- Administrative Services Managers
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks
- File Clerks
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.