Skip to content
AffordMap
Salary comparison

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks vs. Customer Service Representatives: Who Earns More?

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerkss out-earn Customer Service Representativess by $13K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Payroll and Timekeeping Clerkss land at $58,260 and Customer Service Representativess at $44,770. The education gap is real: payroll and timekeeping clerk programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while customer service representatif programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerkss is District of Columbia ($74,670); for Customer Service Representativess it's Washington ($50,330).

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
Customer Service Representatives
Median salary
$58,260
$44,770
Hourly rate
$28.01/hr
$21.53/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$39,500
$31,750
Senior level (90th %)
$81,350
$63,590
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
153,140
2,595,750
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
-5%
Category
Office & Admin
Office & Admin
Top-paying state
District of Columbia
Washington

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks median pay.

State
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
Customer Service Representatives
District of Columbia
$74,670
$48,250
California
$65,340
$49,560
Washington
$64,560
$50,330
Colorado
$64,140
$47,540
Massachusetts
$63,670
$49,120
New Hampshire
$63,090
$47,300
Connecticut
$62,200
$48,090
Minnesota
$61,320
$48,800
New York
$61,040
$48,000
Oregon
$60,980
$47,450
New Jersey
$60,750
$47,740
Rhode Island
$59,370
$47,550
Maine
$57,360
$47,160
Delaware
$56,430
$48,190
Vermont
$55,340
$47,500

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Payroll and Timekeeping Clerkss or Customer Service Representativess?

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerkss earn more nationally. The median is $58,260 for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerkss versus $44,770 for Customer Service Representativess, a difference of $13K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks or Customer Service Representatives?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks or Customer Service Representatives?

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Customer Service Representatives requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Payroll and Timekeeping Clerkss get paid the most?

District of Columbia is the top-paying state for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerkss at $74,670/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks vs. Customer Service Representatives pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In District of Columbia, Payroll and Timekeeping Clerkss earn $74,670 vs. $48,250 for Customer Service Representativess. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks salary breakdownView →Full Customer Service Representatives salary breakdownView →Best cities for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerkss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Customer Service Representativess by take-home payExplore →How to become a payroll and timekeeping clerksGuide →How to become a customer service representativesGuide →