Judicial Law Clerk Salary: How Much Do They Make? (2026)

Median pay, hourly rates, salary ranges, and best-paying states for Judicial Law Clerks — from official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Official BLS wage data · Unknown vintage
Median Salary
$64,920
per year, national
Hourly Rate
$31.21
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
Top 10% Earn
$113,140
entry level starts ~$46,180
Pay Grade
B
solid pay · 13,000 employed

How much does a Judicial Law Clerk make?

A Judicial Law Clerk earns a median annual salary of $64,920 in the United States, which works out to roughly $31.21 per hour for full-time work. Most Judicial Law Clerks earn between $46,180 at the entry level and $113,140 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $52,870 and $80,420 a year.

That is $3,530 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).

Judicial Law Clerk salary range by percentile

Half of all Judicial Law Clerks earn between $52,870 and $80,420 a year.

Pay levelAnnual salaryHourly rate
10th percentile (entry level)$46,180$22.20
25th percentile (early career)$52,870$25.42
50th percentile (median)$64,920$31.21
75th percentile (experienced)$80,420$38.66
90th percentile (top earners)$113,140$54.39

Highest-paying states for Judicial Law Clerk

Where you work matters more than almost anything else. Massachusetts leads the country for Judicial Law Clerk pay at $143,350 a year, followed by New York ($133,320) and Connecticut ($98,670). At the other end, Oklahoma posts the lowest median at $44,990 — a gap of $98,360 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.

#StateMedian salaryHourlyvs national
1Massachusetts$143,350$68.92+121%
2New York$133,320$64.10+105%
3Connecticut$98,670$47.44+52%
4Oregon$86,870$41.76+34%
5North Dakota$85,530$41.12+32%

Workforce and education

About 13,000 people work as Judicial Law Clerks in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $72,950 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a doctoral or professional degree (8 or more years of higher education) is required, per O*NET occupation data.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Judicial Law Clerk make in the United States?
The median Judicial Law Clerk salary in the United States is $64,920 per year, or about $31.21 per hour, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. Entry-level pay (10th percentile) starts around $46,180, while the top 10% of earners make $113,140 or more.
How does Judicial Law Clerk pay compare to other jobs?
With a pay grade of B (solid pay), the Judicial Law Clerk median of $64,920 is above the national median across all occupations tracked in BLS data ($61,390).
Which state pays Judicial Law Clerks the most?
Massachusetts is the highest-paying state for Judicial Law Clerks, with a median salary of $143,350 per year, based on official state-level BLS wage estimates.
How long does it take to become a Judicial Law Clerk?
Becoming a Judicial Law Clerk typically requires 8 or more years of higher education. A doctoral or professional degree (8 or more years of higher education) is required.
How many Judicial Law Clerks work in the United States?
About 13,000 people were employed as Judicial Law Clerks in the United States in the latest BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates.

Related salaries

Other legal roles with similar pay.

Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers

$58,650
median pay · 49,000 employed

Paralegals and Legal Assistants

$62,890
median pay · 393,000 employed

Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

$153,990
median pay · 24,000 employed

Lawyer

$159,670
median pay · 755,000 employed

Legal Support Worker, All Other

$72,110
median pay · 47,000 employed

Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators

$75,530
median pay · 9,000 employed
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Unknown vintage. Education requirements: O*NET (U.S. Department of Labor). Percentiles, employment, and state figures are official BLS estimates; hourly figures assume 2,080 hours/year. Individual pay varies by employer, experience, and location.