Often handed to AI
Task areas most often handled directively in observed AI conversations — candidates to delegate with light review.
- Compute wages and deductions, and enter data into computers. · 0.5%
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
Occupation · SOC 43-3051.00
Compile and record employee time and payroll data. May compute employees' time worked, production, and commission. May compute and post wages and deductions, or prepare paychecks.
Also called: Payroll Assistant · Payroll Clerk · Payroll Coordinator · Payroll Specialist · Payroll Representative · Payroll Technician · Personnel Assistant · Personnel Technician · Timekeeper · Accounting Assistant · Attendance Clerk · Bonus Clerk
Job family: Office and Administrative Support Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-43-3051-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Use as a copilot
Task areas where people work with AI — iterating, learning, or checking — staying in the loop rather than handing the task off.
- Provide information to employees and managers on payroll matters, tax issues, benefit plans, and collective agreement provisions. · 1.0%
Keep a human in the loop
Task areas where a human was still judged necessary in a large share of observed conversations — not a safety ruling, an observed-need signal.
- Provide information to employees and managers on payroll matters, tax issues, benefit plans, and collective agreement provisions. · 97.1% need a human
- Compute wages and deductions, and enter data into computers. · 96.2% need a human
Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Declining employment outlook (-16.7% by 2034)
- 13,000 openings/yr
- High AI exposure
- Observed AI use leans augmentation
- Median pay $55,290/yr
- Can largely be done remotely (teleworkable)
- Both the 2013 computerization estimate and today's AI exposure rank this high
89th-percentile task overlap — yet about 13,000 openings a year (-16.7% projected, BLS), and observed AI use leans 5286% copilot, not hand-off (AEI) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) High | 84th | 1.3 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) High | 95th | 1.0 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) High | 73rd | 0.2 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.7), with simple added tooling (β 0.8), and including AI-powered software (γ 1.0). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
Most of this job's tasks can be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman), which tends to track with higher digital and AI exposure.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 1.0 · 94th percentile among occupations · High
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Provide information to employees and managers on payroll matters, tax issues, benefit plans, and collective agreement provisions. | 1.1% | |
| Compute wages and deductions, and enter data into computers. | 0.4% | |
| Issue and record adjustments to pay related to previous errors or retroactive increases. | 0.2% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Declining · -16.7% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 13,000 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 161,100 → 134,200 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks sits at the 98th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure eased from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
61% mean task exposure (2025)
98th percentile of 427 placed occupations
−1 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll Clerks · 4313 | 61% | Gradient 4 |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Working with AI in this job
How people actually apply AI to this occupation's tasks, from Claude.ai (Free and Pro) conversations in the Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15. This is one AI assistant's consumer sample — not all AI, not the whole workforce. Autonomy and the collaboration mix are model-rated estimates; figures below the sample floor are hidden.
| Augmentation vs. automation | 52.9% working with AI · 40.8% handed to AI |
| Most common way people use AI here | Directive · AI does it; you give the instruction |
| Typical AI autonomy | 3.5 / 5 · higher = AI acts more independently |
| Used for work (vs. personal / coursework) | 71.3% |
What people delegate to AI
The role's most common tasks in AI conversations, each tagged with how people work with the AI on it. “Usage” is the share of observed conversations, not of the job.
| Task | How | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Provide information to employees and managers on payroll matters, tax issues, benefit plans, and collective agreement provisions. | Iteration | 1.0% |
| Compute wages and deductions, and enter data into computers. | Directive | 0.5% |
Where a human is still needed
Tasks where the model most often judged that a person remained necessary — a useful read on the current boundary, not a guarantee.
| Provide information to employees and managers on payroll matters, tax issues, benefit plans, and collective agreement provisions. | 97.1% | |
| Compute wages and deductions, and enter data into computers. | 96.2% |
What people most often hand AI here
Example prompts phrased from the tasks people most often delegate to AI in this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index). Each shows the underlying measured task and its share of observed AI use. They are suggested phrasings of real tasks — starting points, not endorsed instructions.
-
Help me provide information to employees and managers on payroll matters, tax issues, benefit plans, and collective agreement provisions.From: Provide information to employees and managers on payroll matters, tax issues, benefit plans, and collective agreement provisions. · 1.0% of measured AI use · task iteration
-
Help me compute wages and deductions, and enter data into computers.From: Compute wages and deductions, and enter data into computers. · 0.5% of measured AI use · directive
Tasks
All 22 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Verify attendance, hours worked, and pay adjustments, and post information onto designated records. Core · importance 4.7
- Process and issue employee paychecks and statements of earnings and deductions. Core · importance 4.7
- Compute wages and deductions, and enter data into computers. Core · importance 4.7
- Prepare and file payroll tax returns. Supplemental · importance 4.7
- Process paperwork for new employees and enter employee information into the payroll system. Core · importance 4.7
- Prepare and balance period-end reports, and reconcile issued payrolls to bank statements. Core · importance 4.6
- Distribute and collect timecards each pay period. Core · importance 4.6
- Review time sheets, work charts, wage computation, and other information to detect and reconcile payroll discrepancies. Core · importance 4.6
- Issue and record adjustments to pay related to previous errors or retroactive increases. Core · importance 4.5
- Record employee information, such as exemptions, transfers, and resignations, to maintain and update payroll records. Core · importance 4.5
- Compile statistical reports, statements, and summaries related to pay and benefits accounts, and submit them to appropriate departments. Supplemental · importance 4.5
- Keep track of leave time, such as vacation, personal, and sick leave, for employees. Core · importance 4.4
- Balance cash and payroll accounts. Supplemental · importance 4.4
- Compile employee time, production, and payroll data from time sheets and other records. Core · importance 4.4
- Keep informed about changes in tax and deduction laws that apply to the payroll process. Core · importance 4.3
- Complete time sheets showing employees' arrival and departure times. Core · importance 4.3
- Complete, verify, and process forms and documentation for administration of benefits, such as pension plans, and unemployment and medical insurance. Supplemental · importance 4.1
- Provide information to employees and managers on payroll matters, tax issues, benefit plans, and collective agreement provisions. Core · importance 4.0
- Train employees on organizations' timekeeping systems. Supplemental · importance 3.8
- Conduct verifications of employment. Core · importance 3.5
- Coordinate special programs, such as United Way campaigns, that involve payroll deductions. Supplemental · importance 3.1
- Post relevant work hours to client files to bill clients properly. Supplemental
Work activities
- Enter information into databases or software programs.
- Record personnel information.
- Verify employee information.
- Reconcile records of sales or other financial transactions.
- Train others in operational procedures.
- Prepare financial documents.
- File documents or records.
- Execute sales or other financial transactions.
- Calculate financial data.
- Compile data or documentation.
- Maintain current knowledge related to work activities.
- Provide information to coworkers.
- Distribute materials to employees or customers.
- Check data for recording errors.
- Prepare documentation for contracts, transactions, or regulatory compliance.
- Prepare research or technical reports.
- Coordinate operational activities.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
Essential skills
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Active Listening | 3.8 | |
| Mathematics | 3.3 | |
| Writing | 3.1 | |
| Speaking | 3.1 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 | |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | |
| Active Learning | 2.8 |
Abilities
| Oral Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Written Expression | 3.8 | |
| Near Vision | 3.8 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.6 | |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.5 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.4 | |
| Number Facility | 3.4 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.3 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.1 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.1 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.0 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.0 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.0 | |
| Category Flexibility | 2.9 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.9 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.8 |
Transferable skills
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.9 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.9 | |
| Time Management | 2.9 | |
| Coordination | 2.8 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Showing the top 40 of 46.
Tools & technology
Showing the top 40 of 64.
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Preparation level
- SVP (6.0 to < 7.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
What to study: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| Bachelor's Degree | 31.8% | |
| High School Diploma | 20.6% | |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 17.3% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Conventional | 7.0 | |
| Enterprising | 3.3 | |
| Social | 1.9 | |
| Realistic | 1.9 |
Interest areas
| Accounting | 6.8 | |
| Office Work | 6.4 | |
| Human Resources | 3.4 | |
| Finance | 3.1 | |
| Management/Administration | 2.7 | |
| Mathematics/Statistics | 2.0 | |
| Information Technology | 1.7 | |
| Personal Service | 1.4 |
Work styles
| Dependability | 4.0 | |
| Attention to Detail | 3.0 | |
| Integrity | 2.3 | |
| Cautiousness | 2.2 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $36,670 |
| 25th percentile | $45,440 |
| Median (50th) | $55,290 |
| 75th percentile | $65,750 |
| 90th percentile | $78,830 |
| People employed | 156,950 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 27,300 | $49,990 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 19,060 | $51,340 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance · Sector | 14,120 | $53,330 |
| Construction · Sector | 13,510 | $57,360 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 13,490 | $60,260 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 12,380 | $58,080 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 7,740 | $58,500 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 7,620 | $48,750 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 7,210 | $49,960 |
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 5,940 | $52,390 |
| Finance and Insurance · Sector | 5,040 | $55,880 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 4,560 | $55,050 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 4.72× | 13,490 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting · Sector | 3.69× | 1,590 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 2.82× | 7,620 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 2.49× | 27,300 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 2.07× | 19,060 |
| Other Building Equipment Contractors · National industry | 2.05× | 320 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction · National industry | 1.93× | 460 |
| Masonry Contractors · National industry | 1.85× | 270 |
Related occupations
Part of the Management & Entrepreneurship career cluster.
- Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping · 43-4161.00 Compare →
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks · 43-3031.00 Compare →
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers · 43-1011.00 Compare →
- Billing and Posting Clerks · 43-3021.00 Compare →
- Office Clerks, General · 43-9061.00 Compare →
- Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs · 43-4061.00 Compare →
- Administrative Services Managers · 11-3012.00 Compare →
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive · 43-6014.00 Compare →
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks · 43-4041.00 Compare →
- File Clerks · 43-4071.00 Compare →
- Accountants and Auditors · 13-2011.00 Compare →
- Compensation and Benefits Managers · 11-3111.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services · field of study
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 98th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks show 89th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 13,000 annual U.S. openings
- Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks rank in the 89th percentile (High band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 13,000 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be declining (-16.7%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $55,290, across about 156,950 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
- Of the AI use actually observed for this work, 53% looks like augmentation (drafting, iterating, checking) rather than hands-off automation — from a Claude.ai usage sample, not a census.2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2
Copy the whole kit
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks show 89th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 13,000 annual U.S. openings • Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks rank in the 89th percentile (High band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 13,000 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be declining (-16.7%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $55,290, across about 156,950 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) • Of the AI use actually observed for this work, 53% looks like augmentation (drafting, iterating, checking) rather than hands-off automation — from a Claude.ai usage sample, not a census. (2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2) Source: Singulariki — "Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-43-3051-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-43-3051-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-43-3051-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-43-3051-00,
title = {Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-43-3051-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.