Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Salary
The median pay for a payroll and timekeeping clerks in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is $63,500/year ($30.53/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $89K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 112.56), so that salary is closer to $56,414 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,910/month, about 70.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $64K get you in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New York-Newark-Jersey City’s Regional Price Parity (112.56). 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City
Payroll and timekeeping clerks pay in New York-Newark-Jersey City tracks closely to the national median, $64K locally vs. $58K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,910/month, which is 69.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 13% above the national average (BEA RPP 112.56), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for payroll and timekeeping clerks in metros near New York-Newark-Jersey City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $56K | $58K |
| Rochester | $57K | $59K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $56K | $57K |
| Syracuse | $55K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Entry-level payroll and timekeeping clerks (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $89K or more, a $43K 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 69.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,910/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new payroll and timekeeping clerks typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,744/month. At HUD’s $2,910/month FMR, rent would take 106% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $64K locally vs. $58K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does New York-Newark-Jersey City compare to the national average for payroll and timekeeping clerks?
New York-Newark-Jersey City pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s +9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 112.56), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do payroll and timekeeping clerks make in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
The median is $63,500 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,730, and experienced payroll and timekeeping clerks can clear $88,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,181/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,910/month, which eats 69.6% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
New York-Newark-Jersey City has a Regional Price Parity of 112.56 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median payroll and timekeeping clerks salary is worth about $56,414 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.