Judicial Law Clerks Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for judicial law clerks in the U.S. is $64,920 ($31.21 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $64,920
- Mean annual wage
- $72,950
- Median hourly wage
- $31.21
- Employment
- 13,290
13,290 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $46,180 | $22.20 |
| 25th percentile | $52,870 | $25.42 |
| Median (50th) | $64,920 | $31.21 |
| 75th percentile | $80,420 | $38.67 |
| 90th percentile | $113,140 | $54.40 |
Highest-paying states for judicial law clerks
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $143,350 | 500 |
| New York | $133,320 | 850 |
| Connecticut | $98,670 | 270 |
| Oregon | $86,870 | 30 |
| North Dakota | $85,530 | 40 |
| Washington | $80,240 | 580 |
| Arkansas | $80,150 | 50 |
| California | $79,030 | 1,800 |
| Idaho | $75,540 | 60 |
| Tennessee | $75,190 | 400 |
Lowest-paying states
- Oklahoma: $44,990 median annual wage
- Kansas: $45,720 median annual wage
- Hawaii: $47,010 median annual wage
- Montana: $47,320 median annual wage
- Nebraska: $49,570 median annual wage
About this occupation
Assist judges in court or by conducting research or preparing legal documents.
Typical tasks
- Research laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, or other information related to cases before the court.
- Draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations.
- Keep abreast of changes in the law and inform judges when cases are affected by such changes.
- Verify that all files, complaints, or other papers are available and in the proper order.
- Enter information into computerized court calendar, filing, or case management systems.
- Coordinate judges' meeting and appointment schedules.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Doctoral or professional degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 0.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 8.9% |
| Some college, no degree | 12.6% |
| Associate's degree | 6.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 18.4% |
| Master's degree | 3.2% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 50.1% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Lawyers$159,670
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants$62,890
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$58,650
- Legal Support Workers, All Other$72,110
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$153,990
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$117,860
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$75,530
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.