Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Office and administrative support / 43-3051.00

Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks

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.

US jobs
153,140
Median wage
$58,260 a year
Job family
Office and administrative support

Can agents do the work of payroll and timekeeping clerks?

We read the evidence for the whole job family, Office and administrative support: Most tasks (no change in 12 months)

Agents complete 60% or more of the tasks (or projects) on two direct benchmarks from independent institutions.

Evidence: OSWorld-Verified, 90.2% of tasks completed; SpreadsheetBench, 83.1% of tasks completed.

37% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 26%Maintain operational recordsMeasured
  • 17%Verify personal informationNot measured
  • 10%Compile records, documentation, or other dataNot measured
  • 6%Execute financial transactionsNot measured
  • 6%Process digital or online dataMeasured
  • 6%Distribute materials, supplies, or resourcesNot measured
  • 5%Reconcile financial dataNot measured
  • 4%Communicate with others about operational plans or activitiesMeasured

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in office and administrative support, not always this occupation's tasks.

Direct evidence

Work benchmarks mapped primary to this family. They set the step when they report how many tasks agents complete.

Also relevant

These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.

Context only

These benchmarks span many occupations, or they test how agents behave. They give context but do not set the step.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • Verify attendance, hours worked, and pay adjustments, and post information onto designated records.
  • Process and issue employee paychecks and statements of earnings and deductions.
  • Compute wages and deductions, and enter data into computers.
  • Process paperwork for new employees and enter employee information into the payroll system.
  • Prepare and balance period-end reports, and reconcile issued payrolls to bank statements.
  • Review time sheets, work charts, wage computation, and other information to detect and reconcile payroll discrepancies.
  • Distribute and collect timecards each pay period.
  • Record employee information, such as exemptions, transfers, and resignations, to maintain and update payroll records.
  • Issue and record adjustments to pay related to previous errors or retroactive increases.
  • Keep track of leave time, such as vacation, personal, and sick leave, for employees.
  • Compile employee time, production, and payroll data from time sheets and other records.
  • Keep informed about changes in tax and deduction laws that apply to the payroll process.
Other job titles for this occupation (38)

Payroll Assistant · Payroll Clerk · Payroll Coordinator · Payroll Representative · Payroll Specialist · Payroll Technician · Personnel Assistant · Personnel Technician · Timekeeper · Accounting Assistant · Attendance Clerk · Bonus Clerk · Checkman · Commissions Clerk · Finance Specialist · Flight Crew Scheduler · Flight Crew Time Clerk · HR and Payroll Admin (Human Resources and Payroll Administrator) · Human Resources Administrative Assistant (HR Administrative Assistant) · Human Resources Coordinator (HR Coordinator) · Human Resources Specialist (HR Specialist) · Payroll Administrator (Payroll Admin) · Payroll Analyst · Payroll and Benefits Specialist · Payroll Associate · Payroll Bookkeeper · Payroll Officer · Payroll Processor · Payroll Secretary · Payroll Tax Specialist · Personnel Clerk · Personnel Scheduler · Sign Out Clerk · Time and Attendance Clerk · Time Checker · Time Clerk · Time Recorder · Wanigan Clerk