Judicial Law Clerk Salary
Judicial Law Clerks earn a median $64,920 a year nationally. Legal Occupations
U.S. median
$64,920
$31.21 per hour
Range
$46,180 – $113,140
10th to 90th percentile
Employed
13,290
across the U.S.
▲7.5%
Pay trend: The median for judicial law clerks in the U.S. rose from $60,400 (May 2024) to $64,920 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 5.1%.
What judicial law clerks do
Assist judges in court or by conducting research or preparing legal documents.
- Typical education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- None
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +2.8% (about average)
- Openings per year
- 1,500
Employment of judicial law clerks is projected to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 1,500 openings are expected each year, on average, including jobs left by workers who retire or switch careers.
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Judicial Law Clerk take-home pay calculator
Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.
Your take-home pay
$54,343
per year · effective tax rate 16.3%
$4,529Monthly
$2,264Twice a month
$2,090Every 2 weeks
$26.13Hourly
- Federal income tax$5,610
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,025
- Medicare (1.45%)$941
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$54,343
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 0.00% state
Pay by experience
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home (no state tax) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $46,180 | $22.20 | $39,286 |
| 25th percentile | $52,870 | $25.42 | $44,661 |
| Median (50th) | $64,920 | $31.21 | $54,343 |
| 75th percentile | $80,420 | $38.66 | $65,405 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $113,140 | $54.39 | $88,424 |
Judicial Law Clerk salary by state
| State | Median | 1-yr change | Take-home | Range | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $143,350 | — | $102,298 | $82,210 – $143,350 | 500 |
| New York | $133,320 | +4.3% | $95,565 | $82,190 – $171,870 | 850 |
| Connecticut | $98,670 | +2.5% | $74,392 | $61,640 – $146,370 | 270 |
| Oregon | $86,870 | +111.3% | $63,172 | $77,370 – $86,870 | 30 |
| North Dakota | $85,530 | −4.0% | $68,592 | $70,690 – $111,580 | 40 |
| Washington | $80,240 | −0.0% | $65,279 | $62,400 – $113,700 | 580 |
| Arkansas | $80,150 | −15.2% | $62,302 | $47,050 – $112,690 | 50 |
| California | $79,030 | +3.4% | $60,280 | $59,620 – $90,680 | 1,800 |
| Idaho | $75,540 | +5.4% | $59,077 | $49,480 – $79,880 | 60 |
| Tennessee | $75,190 | −6.5% | $61,726 | $50,240 – $100,100 | 400 |
| Minnesota | $71,070 | — | $55,518 | $64,980 – $79,850 | 410 |
| Maryland | $70,110 | — | $55,186 | $59,900 – $90,120 | 370 |
| Nevada | $69,600 | +5.3% | $57,794 | $53,300 – $96,610 | 70 |
| Maine | $67,890 | −0.9% | $53,190 | $67,890 – $92,190 | 30 |
| Alaska | $67,580 | — | $56,373 | $62,820 – $93,140 | 140 |
| Colorado | $67,230 | +3.0% | $53,877 | $61,530 – $70,890 | 140 |
| Missouri | $66,060 | +5.0% | $53,092 | $59,530 – $74,710 | 100 |
| Virginia | $65,940 | — | $52,185 | $54,310 – $89,960 | 380 |
| Delaware | $64,720 | +2.0% | $51,252 | $60,910 – $64,720 | 100 |
| Iowa | $64,260 | +3.0% | $52,023 | $55,210 – $86,350 | 90 |
| Louisiana | $63,180 | +7.7% | $51,436 | $40,410 – $83,230 | 90 |
| Texas | $63,130 | +1.9% | $52,905 | $46,320 – $82,400 | 220 |
| Michigan | $62,260 | +6.8% | $49,811 | $48,690 – $83,380 | 280 |
| Arizona | $60,170 | +0.8% | $49,231 | $46,580 – $77,710 | 250 |
| New Jersey | $58,890 | +9.0% | $47,792 | $58,890 – $69,740 | 530 |
| Indiana | $57,140 | +14.4% | $46,436 | $38,830 – $96,520 | 70 |
| Florida | $55,180 | +2.3% | $46,517 | $44,950 – $63,730 | 1,300 |
| Georgia | $55,120 | +4.0% | $44,231 | $42,260 – $78,050 | 560 |
| Wisconsin | $54,250 | +0.6% | $44,164 | $48,480 – $67,900 | 180 |
| West Virginia | $52,120 | +5.9% | $42,444 | $52,120 – $83,890 | 260 |
| Utah | $51,900 | +2.8% | $42,512 | $45,430 – $85,700 | 630 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,590 | +5.5% | $41,276 | $34,310 – $76,250 | 970 |
| South Carolina | $50,330 | −16.4% | $40,757 | $41,100 – $82,490 | 230 |
| Ohio | $49,840 | +1.5% | $41,638 | $41,730 – $102,440 | 240 |
| Nebraska | $49,570 | +3.4% | $40,634 | $38,350 – $104,860 | 110 |
| Montana | $47,320 | +5.3% | $38,734 | $44,240 – $66,970 | 40 |
| Hawaii | $47,010 | −3.0% | $37,884 | $40,250 – $73,840 | 330 |
| Kansas | $45,720 | −2.6% | $37,165 | $33,350 – $68,920 | 40 |
| Oklahoma | $44,990 | +16.9% | $36,850 | $31,200 – $125,990 | 130 |
Related jobs
| Job | Median salary | Education | Growth 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $159,670 | Doctoral or professional degree | +4.7% |
| Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators | $75,530 | Bachelor's degree | +4.7% |
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | $117,860 | Doctoral or professional degree | 0.0% |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $153,990 | Doctoral or professional degree | +2.8% |
| Paralegal and Legal Assistant | $62,890 | Associate's degree | -0.3% |
| Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers | $58,650 | High school diploma or equivalent | +2.1% |
| Legal Support Workers, All Other | $72,110 | Associate's degree | -0.3% |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a judicial law clerk make?
The national median salary for judicial law clerks is $64,920 a year ($31.21 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $46,180 and the top 10% earn over $113,140. Source: BLS, May 2025.
Which state pays judicial law clerks the most?
Massachusetts has the highest median pay at $143,350.
How many judicial law clerks are there in the U.S.?
About 13,290 people work as judicial law clerks nationwide.