SOC 43-3051 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks — Nashville
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN · 9 metro areas compared
At $55,960, median pay for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks in Nashville, TN tracks the national median of $58,260 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -16.7%
- Openings per year
- 13,000
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $55,960, median pay for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks in Nashville, TN tracks the national median of $58,260 closely. Pay ranges from under $42,820 at the tenth percentile to more than $76,180 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $48,690 to $62,440.
Employment stands at 1,460, or 1.3 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Memphis records the highest median at $53,420. Of the 609 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 329th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $42,820 | −26.5% |
| 25th | $48,690 | −16.4% |
| Median (50th) | $55,960 | −3.9% |
| 75th | $62,440 | +7.2% |
| 90th | $76,180 | +30.8% |
| Mean | $57,010 | −2.1% |
Other metro areas in Tennessee
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memphis | $53,420 | 520 | |
| 2 | Knoxville | $52,910 | 500 | |
| 3 | Clarksville | $52,420 | 100 | |
| 4 | Chattanooga | $51,870 | 190 | |
| 5 | Kingsport | $51,170 | 90 | |
| 6 | Cleveland | $47,940 | 40 | |
| 7 | Jackson | $47,820 | 60 | |
| 8 | Johnson City | $46,150 | 90 | |
| 9 | Morristown | $44,790 | 40 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Nashville run 3.7% below the national average, so the median of $55,960 goes as far as $58,110 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 0.3% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$55,960as reported by BLSLocal price level
96.3US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$58,110US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $55,960 a year, 3.9% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $42,820 to $76,180 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 1,460 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Memphis, at $53,420.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks in Nashville, TN?
The median annual wage is $55,960, or $26.91 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $58,260, so pay in Nashville, TN is 3.9% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Nashville, TN earns more than $76,180 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $42,820 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Memphis, at $53,420 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 1,460 jobs in this occupation in Nashville, TN. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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