Prevailing Wage for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks
Prevailing wage rates for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks (SOC 43-3051) are set by the DOL across four experience levels, from entry-level Payroll Clerk positions through senior Payroll Specialist and Payroll Coordinator roles. The floor varies significantly by worksite city, so a Payroll Assistant offer in San Jose clears a much higher bar than the same title in a lower-cost metro.
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Level 1 covers entry-level payroll clerks with limited experience, typically performing routine data entry, timekeeping recordkeeping, and basic payroll calculations under close supervision. Candidates are still building familiarity with payroll systems and compliance requirements.
Level 2 applies to qualified payroll professionals who work independently on standard payroll processing tasks with moderate supervision. This is the most common filing level for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks, reflecting typical mid-career hires with one to three years of payroll experience.
Level 3 covers experienced payroll professionals who handle complex payroll functions, troubleshoot discrepancies, and may guide junior staff. Candidates typically bring several years of demonstrated payroll expertise and familiarity with multi-state or multi-system environments.
Level 4 applies to fully competent senior payroll professionals exercising broad independent judgment, leading payroll operations, overseeing compliance audits, and serving as subject-matter experts. Employers filing at this level typically designate the role as a lead, senior specialist, or payroll manager equivalent.
Prevailing Wage for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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Confirm your title maps to SOC 43-3051
Payroll Coordinator and Payroll Specialist titles sometimes get filed under HR Specialists (SOC 13-1071), which carries a higher prevailing wage floor. Verify your employer's LCA lists SOC 43-3051 so your offer is benchmarked against the correct occupation.
Account for bonus exclusions in payroll roles
Signing bonuses and performance bonuses typically cannot count toward the prevailing wage floor on an LCA. For Payroll Specialist offers with a modest base and a large variable component, confirm the base salary alone clears the applicable level wage.
Prioritize California and Seattle metros for higher floors
San Jose, San Francisco, and Seattle post the highest prevailing wages for this occupation nationally. If you have flexibility on location, offers in these metros clear a higher floor and reflect stronger market rates for payroll professionals.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers sponsoring payroll roles
Migrate Mate shows which employers have historically sponsored Payroll Clerk and Payroll Specialist positions, so you can focus your search on companies with a real track record of H-1B or green card filings for this occupation rather than those new to sponsorship.
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Find Jobs for Payroll and Timekeeping ClerksPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 43-3051.00 alongside Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Payroll Assistant Prevailing Wage
Payroll Assistant Prevailing Wage
Payroll Assistant positions fall under SOC 43-3051.00 (Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Payroll Clerk Prevailing Wage
Payroll Clerk Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Payroll Clerk for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 43-3051.00 (Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Payroll Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Payroll Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Payroll Coordinator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 43-3051.00 (Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Payroll Representative Prevailing Wage
Payroll Representative Prevailing Wage
Payroll Representative positions fall under SOC 43-3051.00 (Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Payroll Specialist Prevailing Wage
Payroll Specialist Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Payroll Specialist for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 43-3051.00 (Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Payroll Technician Prevailing Wage
Payroll Technician Prevailing Wage
Payroll Technician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 43-3051.00 (Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Personnel Assistant Prevailing Wage
Personnel Assistant Prevailing Wage
Personnel Assistant positions fall under SOC 43-3051.00 (Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Personnel Technician Prevailing Wage
Personnel Technician Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Personnel Technician for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 43-3051.00 (Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Timekeeper Prevailing Wage
Timekeeper Prevailing Wage
Timekeeper is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 43-3051.00 (Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the DOL set the prevailing wage for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks?
The DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics from employers across every metro area. For SOC 43-3051, those survey results are translated into four wage levels corresponding to the 17th, 34th, 50th, and 67th percentiles of local wages. Employers file a Labor Condition Application with OFLC certifying they will pay at least the applicable level wage for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision; Level 2 is a qualified professional working independently, which is the most common filing level for this occupation; Level 3 is an experienced professional handling complex tasks; and Level 4 is a fully competent senior or lead. The level is determined by the actual duties and supervision in the position, not just the job title. Review the employer's LCA filing, available through OFLC, to see which level was certified.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same payroll role vary so much by city?
The DOL sets wages from regional OES surveys, so the wage floor reflects local labor market conditions in the area where the work is actually performed. Dense employer markets like San Jose or San Francisco bid up wages for payroll professionals, producing a much higher floor than lower-cost metros. The worksite address on the LCA controls which metro rate applies, so a remote arrangement where you work from a different city than the employer's headquarters can change your applicable floor.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA with OFLC if the offered wage falls below the prevailing wage for the worksite and experience level. If the offer is below the floor, the LCA will not be certified and the H-1B or PERM process cannot proceed. The employer must either increase the offered salary to meet the floor or reclassify the role to a level with a lower prevailing wage if the duties genuinely support that classification. USCIS also reviews LCA compliance during petition adjudication.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks position in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 43-3051 for any of the 355 covered metro areas. Enter the occupation code and worksite location to see the four level wages for that area. You can also cross-reference with O*NET for occupation details. Migrate Mate lets you filter job listings by role and location to see which employers are actively sponsoring payroll positions in the cities you are targeting.
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