Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Salary
The median pay for a payroll and timekeeping clerks in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX is $40,810/year ($19.62/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.89), which stretches that salary to about $47,514 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,060/month, about 36.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $41K get you in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by McAllen-Edinburg-Mission’s Regional Price Parity (85.89). 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission
Pay for payroll and timekeeping clerks in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission runs about 30% below the U.S. median of $58K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,060/month, which is 36.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $60K | $58K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $54K | $55K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $51K | $54K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $60K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX
Entry-level payroll and timekeeping clerks (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $33K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a payroll and timekeeping clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 36.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,060/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new payroll and timekeeping clerks typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,652/month. At HUD’s $1,060/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
Local pay runs 30% below the national median — $41K here vs. $58K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does McAllen-Edinburg-Mission compare to the national average for payroll and timekeeping clerks?
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s -30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — below the national median.
How much do payroll and timekeeping clerks make in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX?
The median is $40,810 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,540, and experienced payroll and timekeeping clerks can clear $60,720. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,902/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,060/month, which eats 36.5% 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 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission?
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission has a Regional Price Parity of 85.89 (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 $47,514 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.