What Does a Payroll Clerk Do?
A payroll clerk collects and enters the data that produces employee paychecks: timesheets, new hire records, pay rate changes, deductions, and garnishments. The role is the entry level of the payroll department, and it works inside a payroll system such as ADP, Paychex, Paycom, UKG, or Workday under a payroll specialist or manager. Payroll clerks work in hospitals, construction companies, school districts, staffing firms, and retailers. Most employers require a high school diploma and 1 or more years of office, data entry, or bookkeeping experience; an associate degree is a plus.
The payroll titles form a ladder, and postings often name the wrong one. A payroll clerk enters and checks the inputs. A payroll specialist processes the full payroll cycle, handles tax filings and corrections, and answers the harder employee questions. A payroll manager owns the department, the vendor relationship, compliance, and year-end. An accounting clerk does similar data entry on the accounts payable or general ledger side and sometimes covers payroll at a small employer.
Looking to Hire a Payroll Clerk?
Speak with one of our recruiting experts today.
Hiring a Payroll Clerk: What to Expect
Payroll clerk candidates come from data entry, administrative, retail, and bookkeeping backgrounds, and from staffing contracts where they covered a payroll desk for a few months. Few have formal payroll training. Screen for accuracy and discretion over experience with a particular system, since most payroll platforms teach the same way. Give the candidate a short timesheet with 2 deliberate errors and ask what they would do before the batch goes to the specialist. Ask how they handled a time an employee was overpaid or underpaid. A candidate who describes the fix in the order it happened, including who they told, is the one you want.
The most common mistake in payroll clerk postings is asking for specialist-level skills at clerk pay: multi-state tax filings, year-end W-2 reconciliation, and garnishment calculations from scratch. Those duties belong on the specialist posting. Describe the inputs the clerk will own, name the system, and say who reviews the work before payroll is submitted.
A posting for this role should name the payroll and timekeeping system, such as ADP Workforce Now, Paychex Flex, UKG Pro, or Workday, and state how many employees are on the payroll and how often they are paid. Most time comes in through mobile punches and self-service portals, so the posting should list the exceptions the clerk will clear, such as missed punches, unapproved time, and wrong cost centers. Postings that leave out the headcount tend to draw applicants who have only handled a 20-person payroll.
On accounting and finance searches, 4 Corner Resources submits qualified candidates in an average of 4.5 days, clients interview an average of 1.46 candidates per hire, and we submit 1.82 candidates per hire.
Searching for Your Next Payroll Clerk?
Tell us about your opening, and our accounting and finance recruiting team will be in touch to get started.
Payroll Clerk Core Responsibilities
- Review time clock, mobile punch, and timesheet data in ADP, Paychex, Paycom, UKG, or Workday each pay period, and enter manual time where needed
- Work the timekeeping exception report and follow up with supervisors on missing punches, unapproved time, wrong cost centers, and overtime that needs sign-off
- Enter or review new hires, terminations, pay rate changes, and direct deposit updates from approved HR paperwork and employee self-service requests
- Set up and maintain garnishments, child support orders, and tax levies in the payroll system from the court or agency notice
- Enter and verify deductions for benefits, 401(k), uniforms, and other employee elections
- Reconcile the pre-processing payroll register against the time data and flag differences to the payroll specialist
- Review the payroll system’s audit and anomaly reports, including AI-flagged items in tools such as ADP or Paycom, and confirm each flag against the time data before the batch is submitted
- Direct employees to pay stubs in the self-service portal, respond to routine pay questions, and route the complex ones to the specialist
- Maintain employee payroll files, including I-9 and W-4 forms, in compliance with retention rules
- Prepare manual checks and off-cycle payments for approval when corrections are needed
- Scan and index payroll documents in the document management system and keep the payroll calendar and checklists current
Required Skills and Qualifications
Hard skills
- Data entry speed with high accuracy, including 10-key
- Experience with at least one payroll or HRIS platform such as ADP Workforce Now, Paychex Flex, Paycom, UKG Pro, or Workday
- Basic Excel, including sorting, filtering, and simple formulas
- Understanding of timekeeping rules: overtime, shift differentials, and meal breaks
- Familiarity with mobile timekeeping, geofenced punches, and employee self-service portals
- Familiarity with garnishment and child support order processing
- Knowledge of new hire paperwork, including W-4 and I-9 requirements
- Ability to read a payroll register and spot a figure that does not look right
- Ability to calculate gross pay by hand for an hourly employee with overtime, to check what the system produced
Soft skills
- Strict confidentiality with pay rates and personal information
- Follows a checklist the same way every pay period
- Polite but firm with supervisors who submit time late
- Asks before guessing when a timesheet is unclear
- Calm with an employee who is upset about a paycheck
Education
- High school diploma or GED required
- Associate degree in accounting, business, or a related field preferred
Certifications
- None required
- The PayrollOrg Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) is the usual next step for a clerk who wants to become a specialist
Preferred Qualifications
- 1 or more years of payroll, timekeeping, or bookkeeping experience
- Experience with a time and attendance system such as UKG Pro Workforce Management, TCP, or When I Work
- Multi-state or multi-location payroll exposure
- Experience in the employer’s industry, such as healthcare, construction, or hospitality
- Bilingual English and Spanish for workforces where it applies
- Experience answering employee questions at a service desk or front counter
How Much Does a Payroll Clerk Make?
Typical national range: $39,982 to $56,680, with a national average of $47,550. Salary data reviewed October 2026 by 4 Corner Resources.
Payroll clerk salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. Click below to explore salaries by local market.
The average national salary for a Payroll Clerk is:
$47,550
Sample Job Description Templates for Payroll Clerks
Payroll Clerk (Multi-State)
Position Overview
We are hiring a Payroll Clerk to support biweekly payroll for about 900 employees across 6 states. You will enter and audit time data in ADP Workforce Now, process new hires and changes, maintain garnishments, and reconcile the pre-processing register before the Payroll Specialist submits the batch. The position reports to the Payroll Manager.
Responsibilities
- Audit timecards in ADP each pay period and resolve exceptions with supervisors
- Enter new hires, terminations, and pay changes from HR paperwork
- Set up garnishments and child support orders from agency notices
- Verify state tax setup for employees who move or transfer
- Reconcile the payroll preview to time data and flag discrepancies
- Review ADP payroll anomaly alerts before the preview goes to the Payroll Specialist and confirm each one against the time data
- Answer routine pay stub and direct deposit questions
Requirements
Hard skills
- 1 or more years of payroll or timekeeping experience
- ADP Workforce Now experience preferred
- Basic Excel, including sorting, filtering, and simple formulas
- Familiarity with state and local tax withholding differences, including reciprocity agreements
Soft skills
- Accurate under a biweekly deadline
- Discreet with pay information
- Persistent with late timecard approvals
Education
- High school diploma or GED
Preferred qualifications
- FPC certification or progress toward it
Payroll Clerk, Hospital
Position Overview
Our hospital is seeking a Payroll Clerk to support biweekly payroll for 2,400 employees, including nursing staff on 12-hour shifts, on-call pay, and shift differentials. You will audit time in UKG Pro Workforce Management, enter changes from HR, process PTO adjustments, and help nurses and managers correct missed punches before the deadline. The role reports to the Payroll Supervisor within the Finance department.
Responsibilities
- Audit UKG timecards for missed punches, unapproved time, and differential coding
- Help staff correct missed punches through the UKG mobile app and time clocks before the deadline
- Enter pay rate changes, department transfers, and status changes from HR
- Process PTO and sick leave adjustments and verify accrual balances
- Calculate on-call and callback pay according to policy
- Prepare off-cycle checks for approved corrections
- Respond to employee pay questions at the payroll window and by email
Requirements
Hard skills
- 1 or more years of payroll or timekeeping experience, healthcare preferred
- UKG Pro Workforce Management or similar time and attendance experience
- Understanding of shift differentials, overtime, and on-call pay
- Basic Excel, including sorting, filtering, and simple formulas
Soft skills
- Patient with clinical staff who cannot leave the floor to fix a punch
- Careful with a high volume of corrections
- Keeps pay data private in a busy hospital
Education
- High school diploma or GED; associate degree preferred
Payroll Clerk, Construction (Certified Payroll and Union)
Position Overview
Our general contractor is hiring a Payroll Clerk to process weekly payroll for about 300 field employees across union and prevailing wage projects. You will enter daily time by job and cost code, apply the correct union rates and fringes, prepare certified payroll reports, and maintain the records our contracts require. The position reports to the Payroll Specialist and works with project managers and field superintendents.
Responsibilities
- Enter daily field time by job, cost code, and craft classification
- Review field time submitted through mobile apps such as Procore Timesheets for the correct job and cost code
- Apply union wage rates, fringe benefits, and prevailing wage rates by project
- Prepare weekly certified payroll reports (WH-347 or state equivalent) for public projects
- Maintain union remittance and fringe benefit records for monthly reporting
- Verify new hire paperwork and union dispatch slips
- Track apprentice ratios and wage step increases
Requirements
Hard skills
- 1 or more years of payroll experience, construction preferred
- Familiarity with certified payroll and prevailing wage (Davis-Bacon or state law)
- Experience with Sage 300 CRE, Vista by Trimble, Foundation, or a similar construction payroll system
- Basic Excel
Soft skills
- Precise with rate tables that change by project and craft
- Works well with superintendents who report time by phone or text
- Meets a weekly deadline without errors
Education
- High school diploma or GED
Preferred qualifications
- Union payroll experience
- LCPtracker or eMars certified payroll reporting experience
Payroll Clerk (Part-Time or Temporary)
Position Overview
We are hiring a part-time Payroll Clerk for about 20 hours per week to support our Payroll Specialist during peak pay periods and year-end. You will enter time and changes in Paychex Flex, scan and file payroll records, and help with the W-2 preparation project from November through January. The role reports to the Payroll Specialist and may extend or convert to full-time.
Responsibilities
- Enter timesheets and approved changes in Paychex Flex on processing days
- Scan, index, and organize payroll records in the document management system for the current and prior year
- Verify employee addresses and tax setup ahead of W-2 preparation
- Prepare garnishment and deduction changes for specialist review
- Answer basic employee questions about pay dates and direct deposit
- Support special projects such as system cleanup and audit document requests
Requirements
Hard skills
- Some payroll, bookkeeping, or data entry experience
- Paychex, ADP, or similar system exposure preferred
- Basic Excel and 10-key
- Comfort with scanning and document management software
Soft skills
- Reliable on scheduled processing days
- Discreet with employee information
- Flexible with hours during year-end
Education
- High school diploma or GED