Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$46,180
- 25th Percentile — Junior$52,870
- 50th Percentile — Median$64,920
- 75th Percentile — Senior$80,420
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$113,140
The top 10% of Judicial Law Clerks earn $113,140 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $46,180, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $132,380 | +81.5% |
| New York | $126,340 | +73.2% |
| District of Columbia (est.) | $110,884 | +52.0% |
| Connecticut | $102,260 | +40.2% |
| North Dakota | $89,920 | +23.3% |
| Arkansas | $87,120 | +19.4% |
| Washington | $85,030 | +16.6% |
| Rhode Island (est.) | $83,892 | +15.0% |
| New Hampshire (est.) | $83,163 | +14.0% |
| Oregon | $82,920 | +13.7% |
| Vermont (est.) | $78,786 | +8.0% |
| Tennessee | $77,120 | +5.7% |
| Illinois (est.) | $76,598 | +5.0% |
| California | $76,070 | +4.3% |
| Maine | $73,640 | +0.9% |
| Nevada | $72,800 | -0.2% |
| Maryland | $72,130 | -1.1% |
| Alaska | $72,050 | -1.2% |
| Minnesota | $71,180 | -2.4% |
| Virginia | $70,140 | -3.9% |
| Idaho | $70,030 | -4.0% |
| Iowa | $69,700 | -4.5% |
| Wyoming (est.) | $67,844 | -7.0% |
| Texas | $67,810 | -7.0% |
| Georgia | $66,480 | -8.9% |
| Missouri | $66,400 | -9.0% |
| North Carolina (est.) | $66,384 | -9.0% |
| Colorado | $66,290 | -9.1% |
| Oklahoma | $65,960 | -9.6% |
| Michigan | $65,150 | -10.7% |
| Louisiana | $64,990 | -10.9% |
| Delaware | $64,300 | -11.9% |
| New Mexico (est.) | $64,196 | -12.0% |
| Alabama (est.) | $63,466 | -13.0% |
| South Dakota (est.) | $63,466 | -13.0% |
| Arizona | $62,480 | -14.4% |
| Indiana | $61,650 | -15.5% |
| New Jersey | $61,530 | -15.7% |
| Kentucky (est.) | $60,548 | -17.0% |
| Ohio | $60,080 | -17.6% |
| West Virginia | $59,970 | -17.8% |
| South Carolina | $59,310 | -18.7% |
| Mississippi (est.) | $58,360 | -20.0% |
| Nebraska | $57,240 | -21.5% |
| Wisconsin | $57,090 | -21.7% |
| Utah | $56,770 | -22.2% |
| Florida | $56,650 | -22.3% |
| Hawaii | $54,200 | -25.7% |
| Montana | $52,460 | -28.1% |
| Pennsylvania | $52,010 | -28.7% |
| Kansas | $48,140 | -34.0% |
What Factors Affect Judicial Law Clerks Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Judicial Law Clerks is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: Massachusetts pays an average of $132,380, while Kansas pays $48,140 — a gap of $84,240 per year.
The middle half of Judicial Law Clerks earn between $52,870 and $80,420 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $46,180, while the top 10% earn more than $113,140.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
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- Paralegals and Legal Assistants $69,700/yr United States 4.5% vs this role
- Administrative Law Judges $125,990/yr United States +72.7% vs this role
- Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners $78,760/yr United States +8.0% vs this role
- Title Examiners Abstractors and Searchers $62,350/yr United States 14.5% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +39.0% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +88.2% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Judicial Law Clerks?
The average salary for Judicial Law Clerks in the United States is $72,950 per year, with a median of $64,920.
What is the starting salary for Judicial Law Clerks?
Entry-level Judicial Law Clerks typically earn between $46,180 and $52,870 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Judicial Law Clerks the most?
Massachusetts pays Judicial Law Clerks the most at $132,380 per year on average, followed by New York ($126,340) and Connecticut ($102,260).
How much do Judicial Law Clerks make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $72,950, Judicial Law Clerks earn approximately $35.07 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Judicial Law Clerks a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 13,290 Judicial Law Clerks jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $72,950 and a median of $64,920 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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