Payroll clerk salary in 2026
The median payroll clerk in the United States earns $58,260 a year, or $28.01 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey, published this year. The middle half of payroll clerks earn between $47,990 and $69,600.
Where you work matters more than anything else: District of Columbia pays a median of $74,670, California $65,340, and the highest paying metro area, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, $80,510. There are 153,140 payroll clerks in the country.
Liaison does the routine half of a payroll clerk’s job for 10% of what one costs. See how.
Payroll clerk salary by state
Median annual and hourly wage, the range the middle half earn, and how many payroll clerks work in each state. Click a state for its cities.
| State | Median annual | Median hourly | Middle half earns | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $74,670 | $35.90 | $61,840 to $90,270 | 270 |
| California | $65,340 | $31.41 | $56,230 to $78,870 | 20,590 |
| Washington | $64,560 | $31.04 | $58,310 to $76,390 | 3,560 |
| Colorado | $64,140 | $30.84 | $51,650 to $76,040 | 2,580 |
| Massachusetts | $63,670 | $30.61 | $54,890 to $77,960 | 3,280 |
| New Hampshire | $63,090 | $30.33 | $52,710 to $74,630 | 800 |
| Alaska | $62,210 | $29.91 | $56,430 to $68,650 | 360 |
| Connecticut | $62,200 | $29.91 | $55,010 to $74,480 | 1,540 |
| Hawaii | $62,070 | $29.84 | $54,590 to $76,780 | 700 |
| Illinois | $61,390 | $29.51 | $48,560 to $74,820 | 5,580 |
| Minnesota | $61,320 | $29.48 | $53,450 to $71,190 | 2,790 |
| New York | $61,040 | $29.35 | $50,700 to $73,220 | 8,400 |
| Oregon | $60,980 | $29.32 | $51,690 to $72,770 | 2,890 |
| New Jersey | $60,750 | $29.21 | $50,440 to $73,350 | 4,290 |
| North Dakota | $60,600 | $29.13 | $53,550 to $66,160 | 300 |
| Georgia | $59,990 | $28.84 | $48,760 to $69,990 | 6,720 |
| Maryland | $59,760 | $28.73 | $48,740 to $69,350 | 1,870 |
| Rhode Island | $59,370 | $28.54 | $48,310 to $71,800 | 410 |
| Wisconsin | $59,310 | $28.52 | $50,850 to $66,980 | 2,590 |
| Virginia | $58,250 | $28.01 | $49,380 to $68,140 | 3,400 |
| Nevada | $58,220 | $27.99 | $45,110 to $70,030 | 1,390 |
| Maine | $57,360 | $27.58 | $47,920 to $67,100 | 590 |
| Ohio | $57,270 | $27.54 | $47,480 to $66,880 | 5,820 |
| Kansas | $56,590 | $27.21 | $49,750 to $68,100 | 1,400 |
| Delaware | $56,430 | $27.13 | $48,400 to $80,250 | 320 |
| Utah | $56,430 | $27.13 | $49,820 to $65,000 | 1,590 |
| Michigan | $56,160 | $27.00 | $48,700 to $67,150 | 4,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,690 | $26.78 | $46,540 to $64,590 | 5,170 |
| Vermont | $55,340 | $26.61 | $45,010 to $63,710 | 270 |
| Montana | $55,040 | $26.46 | $46,500 to $63,060 | 530 |
| Nebraska | $54,900 | $26.40 | $48,210 to $63,500 | 910 |
| Texas | $54,090 | $26.00 | $45,220 to $63,940 | 13,220 |
| Iowa | $54,080 | $26.00 | $46,070 to $61,420 | 1,230 |
| Missouri | $54,080 | $26.00 | $43,080 to $64,120 | 3,460 |
| Indiana | $53,770 | $25.85 | $45,100 to $65,540 | 4,020 |
| North Carolina | $53,550 | $25.75 | $45,680 to $62,650 | 3,630 |
| New Mexico | $53,230 | $25.59 | $43,920 to $63,010 | 820 |
| Kentucky | $52,890 | $25.43 | $43,800 to $62,710 | 1,670 |
| South Carolina | $52,240 | $25.12 | $45,500 to $62,400 | 1,550 |
| Wyoming | $51,940 | $24.97 | $42,340 to $64,540 | 160 |
| Florida | $51,910 | $24.96 | $45,000 to $63,720 | 10,910 |
| Idaho | $51,790 | $24.90 | $46,900 to $63,240 | 800 |
| Tennessee | $51,780 | $24.89 | $45,300 to $61,350 | 3,680 |
| Louisiana | $50,800 | $24.42 | $40,710 to $61,750 | 2,160 |
| Arizona | $50,210 | $24.14 | $42,760 to $60,060 | 3,540 |
| Oklahoma | $49,920 | $24.00 | $39,900 to $62,200 | 2,470 |
| South Dakota | $47,680 | $22.92 | $43,350 to $56,520 | 370 |
| West Virginia | $47,460 | $22.82 | $36,020 to $60,860 | 580 |
| Alabama | $46,170 | $22.20 | $37,520 to $55,030 | 1,360 |
| Arkansas | $46,110 | $22.17 | $40,260 to $55,360 | 1,220 |
| Mississippi | $45,170 | $21.72 | $36,100 to $56,840 | 1,330 |
| Guam | $38,550 | $18.53 | $31,140 to $48,740 | 60 |
| Virgin Islands | $38,100 | $18.32 | $38,100 to $42,660 | 40 |
| Puerto Rico | $34,200 | $16.44 | $27,900 to $41,320 | 1,040 |
Highest paying cities for payroll clerks
The ten metro areas with the highest median, out of the 359 where BLS publishes one.
| Metro area | Median annual | Median hourly | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $80,510 | $38.71 | 2,260 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $77,950 | $37.48 | 1,000 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $68,870 | $33.11 | 300 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $68,380 | $32.88 | 120 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $67,740 | $32.57 | 110 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $67,710 | $32.55 | 100 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $66,930 | $32.18 | 2,500 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $66,800 | $32.12 | 60 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $66,650 | $32.04 | 50 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $66,630 | $32.04 | 1,980 |
The lowest medians in the 50 states and DC: Yuma, AZ ($37,810), Dothan, AL ($38,550), Morgantown, WV ($39,110), Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL ($40,370) and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX ($40,810).
What it pays where you are
Pick your state or metro area. The wage is the median there; the cost line is what an employer pays once benefits are added.
Payroll clerk, the United States, 40 hours a week
$78,656 a year
$6,555 a month. Wages $58,261 at the median of $28.01 an hour, plus $20,395 in benefits. The middle half of payroll clerks here earn $47,990 to $69,600 in wages.
The routine half of a payroll clerk’s job, for 10% of what one costs.
- Collects the hours and the approvals before the run and flags what does not add up.
- Cross-checks the payroll totals against the books at month end.
- Tells you on Monday whether Friday’s payroll is covered, from the bank, the books and the payouts on their way.
Professional is $629 a month, $7,548 a year, against about $78,700 a year for a payroll clerk at the median once benefits are added. On Professional we connect your tools, bring your data in and set up the first rules with you. Anything that moves money waits for your yes.
“Cut our month-end close from 4 days to 4 hours.” Marcus C., owner
$629 a month, or $500 a month on a 12-month term. Prefer to start on your own? Starter is $149 a month, self-serve, with a free trial first: 7 days, no card. More: AI bookkeeper.
What payroll clerks do
Payroll clerks collect time and attendance, calculate pay and deductions, run payroll and keep the payroll records. BLS counts them under occupation 43-3051, which is the definition every figure on this page uses.
For an employer, the wage is the start: benefits at a small employer add 35%, so a payroll clerk at the median costs about $78,700 a year. The employer’s numbers, by state and metro, are on what a payroll clerk costs. The routine part of the job, the follow-ups, the reconciling, the scheduling, is the part Liaison does inside the tools a business already runs.
Questions
What is the average payroll clerk salary?
The median payroll clerk in the United States earned $58,260 a year, or $28.01 an hour, in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. The middle half earned between $47,990 and $69,600. The median is the wage half of payroll clerks earn more than and half earn less than, which is a steadier guide than an average.
How much does a payroll clerk make an hour?
The median payroll clerk earns $28.01 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 survey. At 2,080 hours a year that is $58,260. The middle half earn between $23.07 and $33.46 an hour.
Which states pay payroll clerks the most?
District of Columbia ($74,670), California ($65,340), Washington ($64,560), Colorado ($64,140) and Massachusetts ($63,670).
Which cities pay payroll clerks the most?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($80,510), San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($77,950), Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA ($68,870), Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($68,380) and Kahului-Wailuku, HI ($67,740), out of the 359 metro areas where BLS publishes a median for payroll clerks.
How many payroll clerks are there?
BLS counted 153,140 payroll clerks employed in the United States in May 2025.
What does a payroll clerk cost an employer?
Wages are only part of it. At employers with fewer than 50 workers, benefits add 35% on top of wages (BLS, June 2026), so a payroll clerk at the median costs about $78,700 a year. The employer’s view, by state and metro, is at useliaison.com/back-office-costs/payroll-clerk.
Other roles
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Annual figures assume 2,080 hours a year. Updated 2026-10-02.
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