Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks salary in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area earn a median of $68,380 a year ($32.88 an hour), based on BLS data for 120 workers.
Pay ranges from $39,110 for the lowest-paid 10% to $88,480 for the top 10%. That is 17% higher than the national median of $58,260. Pay here is 5% higher than the California statewide median of $65,340. There are 1.2 payroll and timekeeping clerks per 1,000 jobs here — the job is 1.2× more common than nationally. The average (mean) salary is $66,230, close to the median.
Pay range for payroll and timekeeping clerks in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $39,110 | $18.80 |
| 25th percentile | $56,970 | $27.39 |
| Median | $68,380 | $32.88 |
| 75th percentile | $75,360 | $36.23 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $88,480 | $42.54 |
| Average (mean) | $66,230 | $31.84 |
Half of payroll and timekeeping clerks earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $5,698.33 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $2,849.17 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $2,630 |
| Weekly | $1,315 |
| Hourly | $32.88 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Buying a home? On a $68,380 salary, see how much house you can afford in California at today's mortgage rates, or work out a payment with the mortgage calculator.
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks salary in other metro areas nearby
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $80,510 | 2,260 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $77,950 | 1,000 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $68,870 | 300 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $65,810 | 2,000 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $65,040 | 6,600 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $63,810 | 1,840 |
| Vallejo, CA | $63,170 | 190 |
| Napa, CA | $62,920 | 100 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $62,050 | 90 |
| Modesto, CA | $61,980 | 260 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $61,310 | 320 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $61,230 | 340 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $61,200 | 1,630 |
| Merced, CA | $60,350 | 100 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $60,040 | 150 |
| Fresno, CA | $59,730 | 710 |
| Chico, CA | $59,720 | 80 |
| Salinas, CA | $59,530 | 270 |
| Yuba City, CA | $58,840 | 70 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $57,970 | 240 |
| El Centro, CA | $57,610 | 100 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $56,650 | 500 |
| Redding, CA | $55,430 | 80 |
| Visalia, CA | $54,890 | 240 |
Highest-paying states for payroll and timekeeping clerks
| State | Median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $74,670 |
| California | $65,340 |
| Washington | $64,560 |
| Colorado | $64,140 |
| Massachusetts | $63,670 |
| New Hampshire | $63,090 |
| Alaska | $62,210 |
| Connecticut | $62,200 |
| Hawaii | $62,070 |
| Illinois | $61,390 |
See Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks pay in every state or the California statewide figures.
Related jobs in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $61,960 | $29.79 |
| Billing and Posting Clerks | $58,400 | $28.08 |
| Teller | $46,370 | $22.29 |
| Bill and Account Collectors | $60,390 | $29.04 |
| Procurement Clerk | $55,920 | $26.88 |
| Office Clerks, General | $41,040 | $19.73 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $57,510 | $27.65 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $77,410 | $37.22 |
| Customer Service Representative | $48,110 | $23.13 |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | $50,230 | $24.15 |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | $44,980 | $21.63 |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | $48,340 | $23.24 |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $84,090 | $40.43 |
| Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks | $38,200 | $18.37 |
More: Office and Administrative Support Occupations · all salaries in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 43-3051. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a payroll and timekeeping clerks make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The median salary for payroll and timekeeping clerks in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area is $68,380 a year, or $32.88 an hour. Pay ranges from $39,110 for the lowest-paid 10% to $88,480 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid payroll and timekeeping clerks make in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
The top 10% of payroll and timekeeping clerks in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area earn at least $88,480 a year. The top 25% earn $75,360 or more.
What is the starting pay for payroll and timekeeping clerks in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $39,110 a year, and a quarter of payroll and timekeeping clerks earn $56,970 or less.
How many payroll and timekeeping clerks work in Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA?
About 120 payroll and timekeeping clerks are employed in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area, not counting the self-employed.