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Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks

People classed as Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks compile and record employee time and payroll data. The skills rated most useful are reading comprehension, active listening, and mathematics. You may also need to verify attendance, hours worked, and pay adjustments, and post information onto designated records. The strongest interest signal is Conventional (7.0 of 7), then Enterprising (3.3) and Social, which gives it the code CES. Getting in usually takes one or two years of vocational training, an apprenticeship or an associate’s degree, a level O*NET calls medium preparation. Expect to process and issue employee paychecks and statements of earnings and deductions. If you want orderly work with data, records and clear procedures, keep it on your list. If you need creative work with room for original expression, it may feel thin.

What they do

Compile and record employee time and payroll data. May compute employees' time worked, production, and commission. May compute and post wages and deductions, or prepare paychecks.

Main tasks

  • 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.

Skills

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Mathematics
  • Writing
  • Speaking
  • Critical Thinking

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like clear rules and getting the details right.
  • You are willing to put in a year or two of focused training.
  • You are comfortable relying on reading comprehension and active listening.

May not suit you if

  • You get restless with routine, records and exact procedures.
  • You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You need to start within a few months, with no training period.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code CES takes the three highest, and Conventional comes first here.

Preparation

Medium preparation. Expect vocational school, an apprenticeship, related experience or an associate’s degree, usually one or two years in total.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Payroll Assistant
  • Payroll Clerk
  • Payroll Coordinator
  • Payroll Representative
  • Payroll Specialist

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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.