Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Salary in California
Payroll and timekeeping clerks in California earned a median of $65,340 a year ($31.41 an hour) and a mean of $68,580 in May 2025. The median is 12.2% above the U.S. median of $58,260, ranking 2nd of 54 states and territories, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Median annual
- $65,340
- Median hourly
- $31.41
- Mean annual
- $68,580
- Jobs on record
- 20,590
Grey needle: U.S. median, $58,260 a year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Confirm any figure on bls.gov/oes. Latest BLS release: May 2025, published May 15, 2026; checked November 10, 2026.
How does California compare on pay for payroll and timekeeping clerks?
California ranks 2nd of 54 states and territories. District of Columbia is highest at $74,670, $9,330 more than the California median.
| State | Rank | Median | Against U.S. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 1 | $74,670 | +28% | 270 |
| California | 2 | $65,340 | +12% | 20,590 |
| Washington | 3 | $64,560 | +11% | 3,560 |
| Colorado | 4 | $64,140 | +10% | 2,580 |
Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025. Rank 1 is the highest median among 54 states and territories with a published figure. See every state.
Does California pay go further after prices?
Prices in California run 10.7% above the U.S. average, so the $65,340 median buys about what $59,014 buys at average U.S. prices, above the $58,260 U.S. median. On this measure California ranks 19th of 51, down from 2nd before the adjustment.
Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025; BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. The adjustment divides pay by the state's price level.
Which areas in California pay payroll and timekeeping clerks the most?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA is highest at $80,510, 23.2% above the California median.
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025. Every area BLS lists for this job in California is shown; an area that crosses state lines is listed under the first state in its BLS title.
How many payroll and timekeeping clerks work in California?
BLS counts 20,590 jobs in California, 13.4% of the 153,140 in the U.S. That is the largest count among the 54 states and territories with a published figure. That is 1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in California, a location quotient of 1.15: the occupation's share of local jobs is 1.15 times its national share, so it is more concentrated here than in the U.S. as a whole.
Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025 and national file.
How does the California minimum wage compare with pay for payroll and timekeeping clerks?
The 10th-percentile hourly pay for payroll and timekeeping clerks in California was $22.17 in May 2025, $5.27 above the $16.90 minimum wage that applies there now. The pay figure dates from May 2025 and the minimum wage is the current rate, so the two are not from the same date.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, State Minimum Wage Laws, updated 2026-11-05; BLS OEWS state file, May 2025, 10th-percentile hourly wage.
Related jobs in California
Related occupations from O*NET; pay from BLS OEWS state file, May 2025.