Payroll Clerk Salaries
Payroll or timekeeping clerks track the hours worked by employees and use it to compile payroll data. They then transfer this information to paychecks, which are distributed to workers typically on a set schedule. Employers prefer clerks who are high school graduates, but usually teach them the necessary skills on the job.
-
Earnings
-
Payroll clerks may work full-time, especially for large organizations or accounting firms with many clients. In that case, their median salary is $36,000 per year with a range of $23,660 to $51,000. Many clerks also work part-time for several smaller firms or temporarily to fill in when several temporary employees are hired and require payroll services. In those cases, the median hourly rate is $17.31, with a range of $11.38 to $24.52. These figures are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics as of May 2009.
Experience
-
The PayScale Report shows that as payroll clerks gain experience, they also see increases in their salaries. As of December 2010, new employees earn $17,000 to $33,433. At one to four years of work, they make $27,826 to $35,840, and at five to nine years, they get $29,312 to $39,012. Finally, at 10 to 19 years, they receive $31,036 to $42,125, and at 20 or more years, they are paid $34,954 to $42,872.
-
Certifications
-
Certifications can increase compensation, according to PayScale. The highest-paying one is Professional in Human Resources, which results in salaries of $23,399 to $48,605. This indicates that the worker is well-versed in human resource practices, including payroll. A more job-specific credential is the Certified Payroll Professional, which produces salaries of $31,969 to $44,962. This indicates that the employee has completed several years in payroll and works to a national standard.
Employers
-
The biggest employers of payroll clerks are accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services, which contain almost 11 percent of the total 190,810 positions. Salaries here are slightly above average at $17.88 or $37,200. The highest-paying employer is the postal service with wages at $25.80 or $53,660. However, because the postal service has only 390 positions, these jobs are difficult to enter.
-