Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Salary — Los Angeles, California

The average Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks in Los Angeles, California earns $68,830 a year.

$68,830 / year, mean
↑ 14.0% above national average 88th percentile in California

Los Angeles pays well above most of California for this role, landing in the top third statewide. That's a solid premium over the national average for payroll and timekeeping clerks. Cost of living here runs meaningfully above the national average. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within California

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
6,600
Estimate confidence
RSE 1.8%
Cost of living 114 #3 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 2124 #140 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $968,608 #5 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $93,525 #23 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Los Angeles ranks #3 for cost of living and #5 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

San Jose $84,640 San Francisco $81,730 Seattle $70,360 Santa Rosa $69,640 Bremerton $69,250 Los Angeles $68,830 Napa $67,880 Olympia $67,710 Mount Vernon $67,140 Sacramento $66,670 Vallejo $66,440 Santa Cruz $66,230 New York $66,110 San Diego $65,590 Bellingham $65,410 Longview $64,560 Portland $64,530 Chicago $64,400 Salem $63,610 Riverside $63,580 Oxnard $63,520 San Luis Obispo $63,300 Modesto $63,190 Spokane $62,820 Baltimore $62,710 Yakima $62,530 Hanford $62,450 Kennewick $62,450 Merced $62,340 Kiryas Joel $62,320 Stockton $62,290 Bend $61,630 Corvallis $61,520 Midland $61,220 Wenatchee $61,220 Yuba City $61,160 Elizabethtown $60,820 Santa Maria $60,820 Philadelphia $60,770 Midland $60,560 Lansing $60,520 Fresno $60,480 Kalamazoo $60,480 Salinas $60,410 Austin $60,360 Grants Pass $60,300 Chico $60,280 Champaign $60,210 Bloomington $60,110 Staunton $60,100 Ann Arbor $60,020 Charlottesville $60,020 Eugene $59,860 Detroit $59,720 Bakersfield $59,590 Redding $59,580 Glens Falls $59,500 Lexington $59,440 El Centro $59,220 Richmond $58,960 Rochester $58,930 Springfield $58,800 Albany $58,730 Lynchburg $58,690 Albany $58,500 Peoria $58,500 Dallas $58,450 Salisbury $58,390 Decatur $58,330 Trenton $58,160 Owensboro $57,840 Syracuse $57,750 Atlantic City $57,710 Medford $57,670 Allentown $57,500 Harrisburg $57,470 Saginaw $57,430 Rockford $57,300 Reading $57,200 Columbus $57,190 Indianapolis $57,140 Houston $57,080 Miami $57,070 Visalia $56,990 Paducah $56,930 Odessa $56,840 Buffalo $56,800 Traverse City $56,760 Harrisonburg $56,710 Naples $56,700 Hagerstown $56,570 Louisville $56,440 Grand Rapids $56,320 Elkhart $56,210 Virginia Beach $56,200 Ithaca $56,130 Pittsburgh $56,090 Kokomo $55,990 Waco $55,730 Muskegon $55,720 Crestview $55,520 Palm Bay $55,510 Flint $55,340 Port St. Lucie $55,230 Jackson $55,180 Lancaster $54,970 Bloomington $54,870 Sarasota $54,820 Winchester $54,680 Erie $54,600 Orlando $54,570 Jacksonville $54,380 State College $54,330 Tampa $54,320 Vineland $54,280 York $54,280 Battle Creek $54,180 Sherman $54,120 Lakeland $54,050 Chambersburg $53,980 Roanoke $53,980 San Antonio $53,930 Monroe $53,760 Kingston $53,550 Tallahassee $53,530 Deltona $53,420 Punta Gorda $53,370 Binghamton $53,330 Fort Myers $53,320 Fort Wayne $53,290 Killeen $53,260 Evansville $53,090 Gainesville $53,070 South Bend $52,910 Lebanon $52,860 Utica $52,810 Lafayette $52,770 Bowling Green $52,760 Wildwood $52,450 Dover $52,410 Beaumont $52,170 Longview $52,100 Ocala $52,040 Watertown $51,920 Muncie $51,380 Altoona $51,320 Texarkana $51,090 Panama City $51,060 Blacksburg $50,960 Scranton $50,900 Corpus Christi $50,590 Amarillo $50,500 Michigan City $50,420 Pensacola $50,160 Niles $50,140 Johnstown $50,130 College Station $49,720 Terre Haute $49,700 Abilene $49,100 Weirton $49,070 El Paso $49,000 Lubbock $48,950 Wichita Falls $48,750 Tyler $48,620 San Angelo $48,560 Homosassa Springs $48,050 Huntington $47,730 Wheeling $47,660 Charleston $46,290 Morgantown $43,900 Laredo $42,880 McAllen $42,870 Brownsville $42,120
CityMean salaryvs. Los Angeles
Abilene, Texas$49,100-28.7%
Albany, Oregon$58,500-15.0%
Albany, New York$58,730-14.7%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$57,500-16.5%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$51,320-25.4%
Amarillo, Texas$50,500-26.6%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$60,020-12.8%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$57,710-16.2%
Austin, Texas$60,360-12.3%
Bakersfield, California$59,590-13.4%
Baltimore, Maryland$62,710-8.9%
Battle Creek, Michigan$54,180-21.3%
Beaumont, Texas$52,170-24.2%
Bellingham, Washington$65,410-5.0%
Bend, Oregon$61,630-10.5%
Binghamton, New York$53,330-22.5%
Blacksburg, Virginia$50,960-26.0%
Bloomington, Illinois$60,110-12.7%
Bloomington, Indiana$54,870-20.3%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$52,760-23.3%
Bremerton, Washington$69,250+0.6%
Brownsville, Texas$42,120-38.8%
Buffalo, New York$56,800-17.5%
Fort Myers, Florida$53,320-22.5%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$53,980-21.6%
Champaign, Illinois$60,210-12.5%
Charleston, West Virginia$46,290-32.7%
Charlottesville, Virginia$60,020-12.8%
Chicago, Illinois$64,400-6.4%
Chico, California$60,280-12.4%
College Station, Texas$49,720-27.8%
Columbus, Indiana$57,190-16.9%
Corpus Christi, Texas$50,590-26.5%
Corvallis, Oregon$61,520-10.6%
Crestview, Florida$55,520-19.3%
Dallas, Texas$58,450-15.1%
Decatur, Illinois$58,330-15.3%
Deltona, Florida$53,420-22.4%
Detroit, Michigan$59,720-13.2%
Dover, Delaware$52,410-23.9%
El Centro, California$59,220-14.0%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$60,820-11.6%
Elkhart, Indiana$56,210-18.3%
El Paso, Texas$49,000-28.8%
Erie, Pennsylvania$54,600-20.7%
Eugene, Oregon$59,860-13.0%
Evansville, Indiana$53,090-22.9%
Flint, Michigan$55,340-19.6%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$53,290-22.6%
Fresno, California$60,480-12.1%
Gainesville, Florida$53,070-22.9%
Glens Falls, New York$59,500-13.6%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$56,320-18.2%
Grants Pass, Oregon$60,300-12.4%
Hagerstown, Maryland$56,570-17.8%
Hanford, California$62,450-9.3%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$57,470-16.5%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$56,710-17.6%
Homosassa Springs, Florida$48,050-30.2%
Houston, Texas$57,080-17.1%
Huntington, West Virginia$47,730-30.7%
Indianapolis, Indiana$57,140-17.0%
Ithaca, New York$56,130-18.5%
Jackson, Michigan$55,180-19.8%
Jacksonville, Florida$54,380-21.0%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$50,130-27.2%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$60,480-12.1%
Kennewick, Washington$62,450-9.3%
Killeen, Texas$53,260-22.6%
Kingston, New York$53,550-22.2%
Kiryas Joel, New York$62,320-9.5%
Kokomo, Indiana$55,990-18.7%
Lafayette, Indiana$52,770-23.3%
Lakeland, Florida$54,050-21.5%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$54,970-20.1%
Lansing, Michigan$60,520-12.1%
Laredo, Texas$42,880-37.7%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$52,860-23.2%
Lexington, Kentucky$59,440-13.6%
Longview, Texas$52,100-24.3%
Longview, Washington$64,560-6.2%
Louisville, Kentucky$56,440-18.0%
Lubbock, Texas$48,950-28.9%
Lynchburg, Virginia$58,690-14.7%
McAllen, Texas$42,870-37.7%
Medford, Oregon$57,670-16.2%
Merced, California$62,340-9.4%
Miami, Florida$57,070-17.1%
Michigan City, Indiana$50,420-26.7%
Midland, Michigan$61,220-11.1%
Midland, Texas$60,560-12.0%
Modesto, California$63,190-8.2%
Monroe, Michigan$53,760-21.9%
Morgantown, West Virginia$43,900-36.2%
Mount Vernon, Washington$67,140-2.5%
Muncie, Indiana$51,380-25.4%
Muskegon, Michigan$55,720-19.0%
Napa, California$67,880-1.4%
Naples, Florida$56,700-17.6%
New York, New York$66,110-4.0%
Niles, Michigan$50,140-27.2%
Sarasota, Florida$54,820-20.4%
Ocala, Florida$52,040-24.4%
Odessa, Texas$56,840-17.4%
Olympia, Washington$67,710-1.6%
Orlando, Florida$54,570-20.7%
Owensboro, Kentucky$57,840-16.0%
Oxnard, California$63,520-7.7%
Paducah, Kentucky$56,930-17.3%
Palm Bay, Florida$55,510-19.4%
Panama City, Florida$51,060-25.8%
Pensacola, Florida$50,160-27.1%
Peoria, Illinois$58,500-15.0%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$60,770-11.7%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$56,090-18.5%
Portland, Oregon$64,530-6.2%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$55,230-19.8%
Punta Gorda, Florida$53,370-22.5%
Reading, Pennsylvania$57,200-16.9%
Redding, California$59,580-13.4%
Richmond, Virginia$58,960-14.3%
Riverside, California$63,580-7.6%
Roanoke, Virginia$53,980-21.6%
Rochester, New York$58,930-14.4%
Rockford, Illinois$57,300-16.8%
Sacramento, California$66,670-3.1%
Saginaw, Michigan$57,430-16.6%
Salem, Oregon$63,610-7.6%
Salinas, California$60,410-12.2%
Salisbury, Maryland$58,390-15.2%
San Angelo, Texas$48,560-29.4%
San Antonio, Texas$53,930-21.6%
San Diego, California$65,590-4.7%
San Francisco, California$81,730+18.7%
San Jose, California$84,640+23.0%
San Luis Obispo, California$63,300-8.0%
Santa Cruz, California$66,230-3.8%
Santa Maria, California$60,820-11.6%
Santa Rosa, California$69,640+1.2%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$50,900-26.0%
Seattle, Washington$70,360+2.2%
Sherman, Texas$54,120-21.4%
South Bend, Indiana$52,910-23.1%
Spokane, Washington$62,820-8.7%
Springfield, Illinois$58,800-14.6%
State College, Pennsylvania$54,330-21.1%
Staunton, Virginia$60,100-12.7%
Stockton, California$62,290-9.5%
Syracuse, New York$57,750-16.1%
Tallahassee, Florida$53,530-22.2%
Tampa, Florida$54,320-21.1%
Terre Haute, Indiana$49,700-27.8%
Texarkana, Texas$51,090-25.8%
Traverse City, Michigan$56,760-17.5%
Trenton, New Jersey$58,160-15.5%
Tyler, Texas$48,620-29.4%
Utica, New York$52,810-23.3%
Vallejo, California$66,440-3.5%
Vineland, New Jersey$54,280-21.1%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$56,200-18.3%
Visalia, California$56,990-17.2%
Waco, Texas$55,730-19.0%
Watertown, New York$51,920-24.6%
Weirton, West Virginia$49,070-28.7%
Wenatchee, Washington$61,220-11.1%
Wheeling, West Virginia$47,660-30.8%
Wichita Falls, Texas$48,750-29.2%
Wildwood, Florida$52,450-23.8%
Winchester, Virginia$54,680-20.6%
Yakima, Washington$62,530-9.2%
York, Pennsylvania$54,280-21.1%
Yuba City, California$61,160-11.1%
Gross salary
68,830/yr
Estimated take-home
54,818/yr
Est. total withheld
20.4%

Single filer, federal + California state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks salaries in California → All Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks salaries →
Community reality check

Community reality check for Los Angeles

These notes add local color around Los Angeles, California: comfort ranges, budget constraints and location trade-offs reported in public discussions.

Relocation gap2.0× calculator gap
City comparison anecdotal

Discussion highlights that calculators may imply roughly 2x gross income for comparable standard of living, while some employers offer only about 10% location premiums. Tech total compensation can be an exception, so the page should distinguish salary from total compensation.

2.0×calculator multiplier10%HCOL premium cited$200KAtlanta TC example$450KBay Area TC example

Anecdotal public-discussion signals, not official salary data, rent data or financial advice. Read this alongside the official figures on the page.

Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 43-3051 SOC code
Official area Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 31080 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: ca_ftb_verificado 2025
Metro also includes
Long BeachAnaheim
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: California

Population (metro area)
13,012,469