SOC 43-3051 · Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks Salary in Hickory, NC

The average salary for payroll and timekeeping clerks in Hickory, North Carolina is $54,040 a year ($25.98 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $50,800: half of the 90 people in this job in the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 9% less than the U.S. average for this job ($59,630).

$54,040average per year

$25.98 / hourMedian $50,800Take-home ≈ $43,954

  • $36K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $51KMedian
  • $60K75th
  • $76K90th

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

90people in this job
-9%vs U.S. average
#8 of 13North Carolina metros
88cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks pay range in Hickory

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,880 a year or less, while the top 10% make $75,750 or more. The middle half of payroll and timekeeping clerks in Hickory earn between $42,610 and $59,710.

  • $36K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $51KMedian
  • $60K75th
  • $76K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$54,040$4,503$25.98
Median$50,800$4,233$24.42
Entry level (25th percentile)$42,610$3,551$20.49
Experienced (75th percentile)$59,710$4,976$28.71

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

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks pay in Hickory vs. North Carolina and the U.S.

Payroll and timekeeping clerks in Hickory earn about the same as the North Carolina average ($54,800) and 9% less than the U.S. average ($59,630). At the median the gap is -13% against the U.S. median of $58,260.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Hickory$54,040$50,800$35,880$75,75090
North Carolina$54,800$53,550$36,620$74,4803,630
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 Hickory

On the average salary of $54,040, a single filer in Hickory takes home about $43,954 a year, or $3,663 a month and $1,691 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

North Carolina paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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

Prices in the Hickory area are 12% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 88.5), so the average $54,040 buys what about $61,072 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Hickory ($45,220). A typical home costs $271,739, or 5.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $54,040 is worth in another city

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks salary in other North Carolina cities

Hickory ranks 8th of 13 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Charlotte pays the most ($58,980).

All Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks salaries in North Carolina

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 Hickory: questions

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

$25.98 an hour on average, and $24.42 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,880 a year and the 25th percentile is $42,610, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $43,954 a year ($3,663 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $54,040.

Do payroll and timekeeping clerks earn more in Hickory than elsewhere?

The average here is 9% 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC (25860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.5%.
  • 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).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.61, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.61).

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