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Payroll Clerk

Business

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.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

AccountingHuman Resources

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Verify attendance, hours worked, and pay adjustments, and post information onto designated records.
  2. 2Process and issue employee paychecks and statements of earnings and deductions.
  3. 3Prepare and file payroll tax returns.
  4. 4Compute wages and deductions, and enter data into computers.
  5. 5Process paperwork for new employees and enter employee information into the payroll system.
  6. 6Prepare and balance period-end reports, and reconcile issued payrolls to bank statements.
  7. 7Review time sheets, work charts, wage computation, and other information to detect and reconcile payroll discrepancies.
  8. 8Distribute and collect timecards each pay period.
  9. 9Record employee information, such as exemptions, transfers, and resignations, to maintain and update payroll records.
  10. 10Issue and record adjustments to pay related to previous errors or retroactive increases.
  11. 11Compile statistical reports, statements, and summaries related to pay and benefits accounts, and submit them to appropriate departments.
  12. 12Keep track of leave time, such as vacation, personal, and sick leave, for employees.
  13. 13Balance cash and payroll accounts.
  14. 14Compile employee time, production, and payroll data from time sheets and other records.
  15. 15Keep informed about changes in tax and deduction laws that apply to the payroll process.
  16. 16Complete time sheets showing employees' arrival and departure times.
  17. 17Complete, verify, and process forms and documentation for administration of benefits, such as pension plans, and unemployment and medical insurance.
  18. 18Provide information to employees and managers on payroll matters, tax issues, benefit plans, and collective agreement provisions.
  19. 19Train employees on organizations' timekeeping systems.
  20. 20Conduct verifications of employment.
  21. 21Coordinate special programs, such as United Way campaigns, that involve payroll deductions.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Checkman
  • Time Clerk
  • Timekeeper
  • Bonus Clerk
  • Time Checker
  • HR Specialist
  • Payroll Admin
  • Payroll Clerk
  • Time Recorder
  • Wanigan Clerk

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BusinessDraws directly on Administrative — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Principles of AccountingDraws directly on Economics and Accounting — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Administrative90%

    Business

  • Mathematics84%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • English Language84%

    English

  • Economics and Accounting81%

    Principles of AccountingEconomics

  • Personnel and Human Resources78%

    Business

  • Administration and Management77%

    BusinessEconomics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Leading or coordinating othersA little
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never
  • Time spent sittingAlmost all the time

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

16%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org