SOC 43-3051 · Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Salary in Cape Girardeau, MO

The average salary for payroll and timekeeping clerks in Cape Girardeau, Missouri is $48,420 a year ($23.28 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $43,610: half of the 40 people in this job in the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 19% less than the U.S. average for this job ($59,630).

$48,420average per year

$23.28 / hourMedian $43,610Take-home ≈ $39,747

  • $32K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $56K75th
  • $70K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

40people in this job
-19%vs U.S. average
#8 of 8Missouri metros
86cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks pay range in Cape Girardeau

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,600 a year or less, while the top 10% make $69,610 or more. The middle half of payroll and timekeeping clerks in Cape Girardeau earn between $36,550 and $56,430.

  • $32K10th
  • $37K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $56K75th
  • $70K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$48,420$4,035$23.28
Median$43,610$3,634$20.97
Entry level (25th percentile)$36,550$3,046$17.57
Experienced (75th percentile)$56,430$4,702$27.13

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks pay in Cape Girardeau vs. Missouri and the U.S.

Payroll and timekeeping clerks in Cape Girardeau earn 14% less than the Missouri average ($56,000) and 19% less than the U.S. average ($59,630). At the median the gap is -25% against the U.S. median of $58,260.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Cape Girardeau$48,420$43,610$31,600$69,61040
Missouri$56,000$54,080$37,030$79,4703,460
United States$59,630$58,260$39,500$81,350153,140

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks salary after taxes in Cape Girardeau

On the average salary of $48,420, a single filer in Cape Girardeau takes home about $39,747 a year, or $3,312 a month and $1,529 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

The Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in MO$39,747$3,312
Working in IL$38,830$3,236

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Missouri paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Cape Girardeau a good place for payroll and timekeeping clerks? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Cape Girardeau area are 14% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 86.1), so the average $48,420 buys what about $56,251 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Cape Girardeau ($44,470). A typical home costs $232,332, or 4.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $48,420 is worth in another city

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks salary in other Missouri cities

Cape Girardeau ranks 8th of 8 Missouri metro areas for this job; St. Joseph pays the most ($63,430).

All Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks salaries in Missouri

Highest-paying cities for payroll and timekeeping clerks

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($84,640).

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks salary by city

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Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks salary in Cape Girardeau: questions

How much do payroll and timekeeping clerks make an hour in Cape Girardeau?

$23.28 an hour on average, and $20.97 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level payroll and timekeeping clerks salary in Cape Girardeau?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,600 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,550, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the payroll and timekeeping clerks take-home pay in Cape Girardeau?

About $39,747 a year ($3,312 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $48,420. The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.

Do payroll and timekeeping clerks earn more in Cape Girardeau than elsewhere?

The average here is 19% less than the U.S. average for this job ($59,630).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 43-3051; area Cape Girardeau, MO-IL (16020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). The 1% earnings tax applies to people who live or work in Kansas City or St. Louis itself, not in the suburbs.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.00, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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