Judicial Law Clerks Salary
Legal Occupations · 13K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$64,920
Median hourly
$31
Average annual
$72,950
Typical range
$46,180–$113,140
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Judicial Law Clerks is $64,920 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $31 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Assist judges in court or by conducting research or preparing legal documents..
Most earn between $46,180 and $113,140 a year. There are roughly 13K people employed as judicial law clerks in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Judicial Law Clerks.
- Hourly
- $31.21
- Daily
- $250
- Weekly
- $1,248
- Bi-weekly
- $2,497
- Monthly
- $5,410
- Annual
- $64,920
$64,920 a year is around the 50th percentile for Judicial Law Clerkss. The median is $64,920.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Massachusetts$143,350
- 2New York$133,320
- 3Connecticut$98,670
- 4Oregon$86,870
- 5North Dakota$85,530
- 6Washington$80,240
- 7Arkansas$80,150
- 8California$79,030
- 9Idaho$75,540
- 10Tennessee$75,190
- 11Minnesota$71,070
- 12Maryland$70,110
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$143,350
- 2Springfield, MA$143,350
- 3Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$136,950
- 4Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$101,890
- 5Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR$97,840
- 6San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$90,650
- 7Knoxville, TN$87,820
- 8Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA$84,010
- 9Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$80,420
- 10Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,240
- 11Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$79,770
- 12Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$79,580
Related job titles
Employers advertise Judicial Law Clerks roles under these titles.
- Appellate Law Clerk
- Attorney Law Clerk
- Career Judicial Law Clerk
- Career Law Clerk
- Court of Appeals Law Clerk
- District Court Law Clerk
- Federal Appellate Clerk
- Federal Appellate Law Clerk
- Federal Court of Appeals Law Clerk
- Federal District Clerk
- Federal District Law Clerk
- Federal Judicial Law Clerk
- Federal Law Clerk
- Judicial Assistant
- Judicial Clerk
- Judicial Law Clerk
Related occupations
- Lawyers$159,670
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$153,990
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$117,860
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants$62,890
- Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants$55,570
- Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners$72,420
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$75,530
- Compliance Officers$80,730
What a Judicial Law Clerks does
- Prepare briefs, legal memoranda, or statements of issues involved in cases, including appropriate suggestions or recommendations.
- Research laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, or other information related to cases before the court.
- Draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations.
- Confer with judges concerning legal questions, construction of documents, or granting of orders.
- Review complaints, petitions, motions, or pleadings that have been filed to determine issues involved or basis for relief.
- Attend court sessions to hear oral arguments or record necessary case information.
- Review dockets of pending litigation to ensure adequate progress.
- Respond to questions from judicial officers or court staff on general legal issues.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Judicial Law Clerks make?
- The median annual wage for Judicial Law Clerks is $64,920 ($31 per hour). Pay ranges from about $46,180 at the 10th percentile to $113,140 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Judicial Law Clerks?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $72,950, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Judicial Law Clerkss the most?
- Massachusetts has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $143,350.
- Is Judicial Law Clerks a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 13K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Judicial Law Clerks do?
- Prepare briefs, legal memoranda, or statements of issues involved in cases, including appropriate suggestions or recommendations.; Research laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, or other information related to cases before the court.; Draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations..