Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Salary
The median pay for a payroll and timekeeping clerks in Lafayette, LA is $50,510/year ($24.29/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $72K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.21), which stretches that salary to about $57,918 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,019/month, about 30.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $51K actually covers in Lafayette, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lafayette’s Regional Price Parity (87.21). 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 Lafayette
Pay for payroll and timekeeping clerks in Lafayette runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $58K. Rent runs $1,019/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for payroll and timekeeping clerks in metros near Lafayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $55K | $60K |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $54K | $58K |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $49K | $58K |
| Lake Charles | $50K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lafayette, LA
Entry-level payroll and timekeeping clerks (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $72K or more, a $45K 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)
Track payroll and timekeeping clerks salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a payroll and timekeeping clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lafayette?
Yes — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 29.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,019/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for payroll and timekeeping clerks in Lafayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new payroll and timekeeping clerks typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,914/month. At HUD’s $1,019/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 Lafayette?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $51K here vs. $58K nationally. Cost of living is 13% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lafayette compare to the national average for payroll and timekeeping clerks?
Lafayette pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — below the national median.
How much do payroll and timekeeping clerks make in Lafayette, LA?
The median is $50,510 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,970, and experienced payroll and timekeeping clerks can clear $72,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Lafayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,422/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,019/month, which eats 29.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a payroll and timekeeping clerks salary go in Lafayette?
Lafayette has a Regional Price Parity of 87.21 (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 $57,918 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.