Jobs Similar to Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
The careers below use the most similar skills, knowledge and work activities to payroll and timekeeping clerks, according to O*NET 31.0. The closest are Billing and Posting Clerks, Human Resources Assistants and Correspondence Clerks.
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks: $58,260 median pay · usual preparation: Training or associate.
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
The 20 most similar careers
| # | Career | Similarity | Median pay (vs. Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks) | Usual preparation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billing and Posting ClerksSame group | 84% | $48,500−17% | High school |
| 2 | Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | 83% | $50,610−13% | Training or associate |
| 3 | Correspondence Clerks | 83% | $46,800−20% | High school |
| 4 | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 83% | $47,540−18% | High school |
| 5 | Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing ClerksSame group | 83% | $50,670−13% | Training or associate |
| 6 | Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks | 82% | $49,230−15% | High school |
| 7 | Office Clerks, General | 81% | $45,010−23% | High school |
| 8 | Tax Preparers | 81% | $54,920−6% | Training or associate |
| 9 | Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 80% | $55,570−5% | Training or associate |
| 10 | Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers | 80% | $58,650+1% | High school |
| 11 | Brokerage Clerks | 80% | $65,750+13% | Training or associate |
| 12 | Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | 80% | $76,590+31% | Training or associate |
| 13 | Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents | 79% | $62,370+7% | Training or associate |
| 14 | Accountants and Auditors | 79% | $83,680+44% | Bachelor's degree |
| 15 | Bill and Account CollectorsSame group | 79% | $47,030−19% | High school |
| 16 | Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 79% | $45,930−21% | High school |
| 17 | Data Entry Keyers | 79% | $41,340−29% | High school |
| 18 | File Clerks | 79% | $43,600−25% | High school |
| 19 | Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | 78% | $54,210−7% | Training or associate |
| 20 | Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan | 78% | $45,920−21% | Training or associate |
- 1Billing and Posting Clerks
84% similar · $48,500 (−17%) · High school · Same group
- 2Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
83% similar · $50,610 (−13%) · Training or associate
- 3Correspondence Clerks
83% similar · $46,800 (−20%) · High school
- 4Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
83% similar · $47,540 (−18%) · High school
- 5Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
83% similar · $50,670 (−13%) · Training or associate · Same group
- 6Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks
82% similar · $49,230 (−15%) · High school
- 7Office Clerks, General
81% similar · $45,010 (−23%) · High school
- 8Tax Preparers
81% similar · $54,920 (−6%) · Training or associate
- 9Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
80% similar · $55,570 (−5%) · Training or associate
- 10Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
80% similar · $58,650 (+1%) · High school
- 11Brokerage Clerks
80% similar · $65,750 (+13%) · Training or associate
- 12Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
80% similar · $76,590 (+31%) · Training or associate
- 13Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
79% similar · $62,370 (+7%) · Training or associate
- 14Accountants and Auditors
79% similar · $83,680 (+44%) · Bachelor's degree
- 15Bill and Account Collectors
79% similar · $47,030 (−19%) · High school · Same group
- 16Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
79% similar · $45,930 (−21%) · High school
- 17Data Entry Keyers
79% similar · $41,340 (−29%) · High school
- 18File Clerks
79% similar · $43,600 (−25%) · High school
- 19Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs
78% similar · $54,210 (−7%) · Training or associate
- 20Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan
78% similar · $45,920 (−21%) · Training or associate
Similarity: weighted correlation of O*NET 31.0 transferable skills (35%), knowledge (25%), work activities (15%) and interests (15%). Pay and schooling do not change it. Pay change compares BLS May 2025 national medians; careers with only a broader BLS group wage are not compared. “Same group”: the same BLS occupation group (SOC minor group). Methodology
Similar jobs that pay more
Only careers that usually need no more preparation than payroll and timekeeping clerks.
Similar jobs that need less preparation
- Billing and Posting Clerks84% similar · High school
- Correspondence Clerks83% similar · High school
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive83% similar · High school
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks82% similar · High school
- Office Clerks, General81% similar · High school
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers80% similar · High school
Thinking of a career change?
Similar is not the same as a good next step. Our career-change list for payroll and timekeeping clerks also weighs pay drops and extra schooling, and puts jobs outside the field first.
Jobs that can lead here
Careers where payroll and timekeeping clerks is one of the best career-change matches (match score in brackets).
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping (93)
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents (86)
- Tax Preparers (85)
- Correspondence Clerks (82)
- Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan (82)
- Data Entry Keyers (81)
- File Clerks (81)
- Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants (80)
- Brokerage Clerks (79)
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs (78)
Questions about jobs like payroll and timekeeping clerks
What jobs are most similar to payroll and timekeeping clerks?
By O*NET 31.0 data, the closest are Billing and Posting Clerks (84% similar), Human Resources Assistants (83% similar), Correspondence Clerks (83% similar), Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive (83% similar) and Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks (83% similar).
Which jobs like payroll and timekeeping clerks pay more?
Among the 20 most similar careers, Accountants and Auditors ($83,680, +44%; usually a bachelor's degree), Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants ($76,590, +31%; usually training or an associate degree) and Brokerage Clerks ($65,750, +13%; usually training or an associate degree) have the highest BLS median pay compared with payroll and timekeeping clerks ($58,260). Without more preparation than payroll and timekeeping clerks usually need: Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, Brokerage Clerks and Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents.
How is the similarity percentage worked out?
We compare how important each transferable skill, knowledge area, work activity and interest area is in both jobs (O*NET 31.0 ratings) with a weighted correlation. 100% would mean the same profile. Unlike our career-change matches, pay and extra schooling do not lower the similarity on this page.