Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Salary
The median pay for a payroll and timekeeping clerks in Huntsville, AL is $52,020/year ($25.01/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $72K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.07), which stretches that salary to about $55,893 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,310/month, about 38.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in Huntsville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Huntsville’s Regional Price Parity (93.07). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About payroll and timekeeping clerks
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What this looks like in Huntsville
Pay for payroll and timekeeping clerks in Huntsville runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $58K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,310/month, which is 38% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.07 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for payroll and timekeeping clerkss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for payroll and timekeeping clerks in metros near Huntsville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $48K | $53K |
| Montgomery | $46K | $52K |
| Mobile | $45K | $51K |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $40K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Huntsville, AL
Entry-level payroll and timekeeping clerks (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $72K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $75K | +28% | 270 |
| California | $65K | +12% | 20,590 |
| Washington | $65K | +11% | 3,560 |
| Colorado | $64K | +10% | 2,580 |
| Massachusetts | $64K | +9% | 3,280 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | +8% | 800 |
| Alaska | $62K | +7% | 360 |
| Connecticut | $62K | +7% | 1,540 |
| Hawaii | $62K | +7% | 700 |
| Illinois | $61K | +5% | 5,580 |
| Minnesota | $61K | +5% | 2,790 |
| New York | $61K | +5% | 8,400 |
| Oregon | $61K | +5% | 2,890 |
| New Jersey | $61K | +4% | 4,290 |
| North Dakota | $61K | +4% | 300 |
| Georgia | $60K | +3% | 6,720 |
| Maryland | $60K | +3% | 1,870 |
| Rhode Island | $59K | +2% | 410 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | +2% | 2,590 |
| Virginia | $58K | -0% | 3,400 |
| Nevada | $58K | -0% | 1,390 |
| Maine | $57K | -2% | 590 |
| Ohio | $57K | -2% | 5,820 |
| Kansas | $57K | -3% | 1,400 |
| Utah | $56K | -3% | 1,590 |
| Delaware | $56K | -3% | 320 |
| Michigan | $56K | -4% | 4,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $56K | -4% | 5,170 |
| Vermont | $55K | -5% | 270 |
| Montana | $55K | -6% | 530 |
| Nebraska | $55K | -6% | 910 |
| Texas | $54K | -7% | 13,220 |
| Missouri | $54K | -7% | 3,460 |
| Iowa | $54K | -7% | 1,230 |
| Indiana | $54K | -8% | 4,020 |
| North Carolina | $54K | -8% | 3,630 |
| New Mexico | $53K | -9% | 820 |
| Kentucky | $53K | -9% | 1,670 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -10% | 1,550 |
| Wyoming | $52K | -11% | 160 |
| Florida | $52K | -11% | 10,910 |
| Idaho | $52K | -11% | 800 |
| Tennessee | $52K | -11% | 3,680 |
| Louisiana | $51K | -13% | 2,160 |
| Arizona | $50K | -14% | 3,540 |
| Oklahoma | $50K | -14% | 2,470 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -18% | 370 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -19% | 580 |
| Alabama | $46K | -21% | 1,360 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -21% | 1,220 |
| Mississippi | $45K | -22% | 1,330 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a payroll and timekeeping clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Huntsville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 38% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,310/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for payroll and timekeeping clerks in Huntsville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new payroll and timekeeping clerks typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,207/month. At HUD’s $1,310/month FMR, rent would take 59% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is payroll and timekeeping clerk a high-paying job in Huntsville?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $52K here vs. $58K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Huntsville compare to the national average for payroll and timekeeping clerks?
Huntsville pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.07), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do payroll and timekeeping clerks make in Huntsville, AL?
The median is $52,020 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,790, and experienced payroll and timekeeping clerks can clear $71,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Huntsville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,450/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,310/month, which eats 38% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a payroll and timekeeping clerks salary go in Huntsville?
Huntsville has a Regional Price Parity of 93.07 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median payroll and timekeeping clerks salary is worth about $55,893 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do payroll and timekeeping clerks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.