Judicial Law Clerk Salary


How Much Does a Judicial Law Clerk Make?

On average, a Judicial Law Clerk make $69,850 a year. The lowest-paid 10 percent made $42,000, while the top-paid 10 percent made $113,150.

Annually National Average Salary: $69,850

$42K
$49K
$69K
$78K
$113K
10%
25%
50%
75%
90%

* Based on information from the May 2024 salary report from the BLS.




Salary by State

  • Annually
  • Monthly
  • Hourly

Annual Salary by State

State 10% Annual 25% Annual Avg. Annual 75% Annual 90% Annual
Arizona$38,330$48,140$57,860$60,170$75,100
Arkansas$55,630$73,480$88,330$106,220$119,990
California$49,240$62,460$72,390$78,060$86,090
Connecticut$59,270$82,330$99,510$109,150$147,010
Delaware$59,720$63,450$62,810$63,450$63,450
Florida$43,640$48,110$58,210$57,800$65,440
Georgia$39,920$45,950$64,450$66,040$87,690
Hawaii$38,330$41,390$51,510$61,330$68,560
Idaho$62,310$63,650$67,000$73,570$76,690
Indiana$36,350$38,430$56,170$69,770$86,700
Iowa$53,610$56,070$67,200$71,530$85,120
Kansas$36,810$38,140$49,340$61,980$71,930
Kentucky$37,670$37,670$55,520$63,870$99,730
Louisiana$38,390$47,930$62,570$71,760$90,130
Maine$65,920$65,920$71,540$76,460$86,070
Michigan$43,220$47,340$57,640$62,060$77,140
Mississippi$31,200$36,050$43,700$48,950$52,820
Missouri$55,490$59,180$61,160$65,420$68,350
Montana$39,200$42,080$48,340$45,440$63,450
Nebraska$37,630$37,630$57,420$67,180$99,870
Nevada$50,640$56,700$69,240$76,800$94,210
New Jersey$54,040$54,040$56,990$58,670$64,000
New York$48,530$79,800$118,180$158,880$169,250
North Dakota$73,180$76,080$87,240$100,630$107,280
Ohio$39,040$39,650$59,240$75,000$98,510
Oklahoma$27,040$31,200$63,180$109,530$120,000
Oregon$37,080$37,080$55,830$77,370$82,730
Pennsylvania$31,200$38,590$48,930$58,690$67,720
South Carolina$33,810$40,770$57,210$62,990$77,840
Tennessee$46,550$57,780$81,080$96,000$128,000
Texas$48,920$50,350$65,670$70,940$80,830
Utah$44,220$45,800$54,980$58,240$83,200
Washington$58,940$63,770$81,720$100,000$110,390
West Virginia$49,220$49,220$57,350$64,990$80,990
Wisconsin$46,850$50,320$56,180$57,200$70,320

Annual Average Salary: Top 5 States

The top earning state in the field is New York, where the average salary is $118,180.

These are the top 5 earning states in the field:

New York - $118,180
Connecticut - $99,510
Arkansas - $88,330
North Dakota - $87,240
Washington - $81,720

Judicial Law Clerks: Salary Overview

Judicial law clerks assist judges by preparing legal documents, by conducting research or in court.

Their job description typically includes making legal documentation or researching issues.

They are usually law school graduates who have performed well in school and have the opportunity of gaining legal experience in this prestigious position.

Many professors of law, judges, and other notable legal figures in the United States have started their careers as law clerks.

Because this position can be a good start to a career in law, the competition for jobs in this field is strong.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for this profession was $54,010 as of May 2019 which means that half of all workers in this profession earned less than this amount while half earned more.

Salaries for this profession vary depending on experience level, education, the region of employment, and the type of court, among other facts.

The report shows that the top 10 percent of judicial law clerks made more than $96,990 while the lowest 10 percent earned less than $33,910 a year.

The 25th percentile for this profession was $41,640 which means that most (75 percent) judicial clerks made more than this amount.

Judicial Law Clerk Salary by Industry

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, most judicial law clerks worked for state governments or for legal governments.

The average annual wage reported by judicial law clerks who worked for state governments was $66,190 as of May 2019.

Judicial law clerks who worked for local governments usually earn less than those who work at a state level.

Those who work for state courts are primarily focused on state law and are sometimes referred to as “staff attorneys”.

The average annual wage reported by judicial law clerks who worked in local courts was $52,990 as of May 2019.

Some law clerks work for federal judges and this is one of the most highly sought positions for a law school graduate.

Federal law clerks have a similar job description as law clerks who serve at a state or local level but they are primarily focused on federal law issues.

Federal judges usually have at least one law clerk, some of them having two or more.

Every year there are 37 positions for clerkships at the Supreme Court Justice but you will need some experience in a clerkship position for a federal judge before qualifying for the Supreme Court.

Salaries for judicial law clerks vary widely depending on the region and the state of employment.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top-paying states for judicial law clerks were New York, Connecticut, and North Dakota states where the reported average annual wage for this profession was $119,510, $80,220, and $74,520, respectively.

The lowest average annual salaries were reported by judicial law clerks in Indiana, Utah, and South Carolina.

Judicial law clerks in Indiana reported an average annual wage of $36,150 while those in Utah and South Carolina earned between $40,000-$41,000 a year, on average.

The same report shows that the state with the highest employment level in this occupation was California where judicial law clerks reportedly earned $64,730 a year, on average.

In conclusion, the region of employment plays a very important part in determining a judicial law clerks salary and the average annual salary in the top-paying state was more than triple the mean annual salary reported in the lowest-paying state.

Salaries for judicial law clerks also vary by metropolitan area.

The report published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the average annual wage reported by judicial law clerks in Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio was $74,490 while those in Lafayette, LA metropolitan area reportedly earned $60,570 a year, on average.

* Based on information from the May 2024 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Judicial Law Clerks. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.

* Employment conditions in your area may vary.


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