Judicial Law Clerks: salary, outlook & degrees
Assist judges in court or by conducting research or preparing legal documents.
Middle half $52,870–$80,420. 13,290 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
90% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $61,101.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 1,500 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Political Science And Government | 16% | Political Science |
| Economics | 7% | Economics |
| History | 6% | History |
| Psychology | 6% | Psychology |
| English Language And Literature | 5% | English |
| Sociology | 5% | Sociology |
| Pre-Law And Legal Studies | 3% | Legal Studies / Paralegal · Legal Support Services |
| Criminal Justice And Fire Protection | 3% | Criminal Justice · Security / Homeland Security |
| Marketing And Marketing Research | 3% | Marketing · Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations |
| Philosophy And Religious Studies | 2% | Philosophy · Religious Studies |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $143,350 |
| New York | $133,320 |
| Connecticut | $98,670 |
| Oregon | $86,870 |
| North Dakota | $85,530 |
| Washington | $80,240 |
| Arkansas | $80,150 |
| California | $79,030 |
| Idaho | $75,540 |
| Tennessee | $75,190 |
| Minnesota | $71,070 |
| Maryland | $70,110 |
| Nevada | $69,600 |
| Maine | $67,890 |
| Alaska | $67,580 |
| Colorado | $67,230 |
| Missouri | $66,060 |
| Virginia | $65,940 |
| Delaware | $64,720 |
| Iowa | $64,260 |
| Louisiana | $63,180 |
| Texas | $63,130 |
| Michigan | $62,260 |
| Arizona | $60,170 |
| New Jersey | $58,890 |
| Indiana | $57,140 |
| Florida | $55,180 |
| Georgia | $55,120 |
| Wisconsin | $54,250 |
| West Virginia | $52,120 |
| Utah | $51,900 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,590 |
| South Carolina | $50,330 |
| Ohio | $49,840 |
| Nebraska | $49,570 |
| Montana | $47,320 |
| Hawaii | $47,010 |
| Kansas | $45,720 |
| Oklahoma | $44,990 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$55,620
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$57,060
- Tallahassee$51,980
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$54,480
- Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$56,880
- Jacksonville$56,620
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$55,000
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$70,110
- Richmond$70,520
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$65,260
California metro areas
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$80,420
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$90,650
- Bakersfield-Delano$66,170
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$79,580
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma$79,770
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Speaking
Knowledge used
- Law and Government
- English Language
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Public Safety and Security
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Dependability
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Cautiousness
People in this job tend to have Conventional (organizing), Enterprising (leading), Investigative (analytical) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Judicial Law Clerks: questions
How much do judicial Law Clerks make?
Judicial Law Clerks earn a U.S. median $64,920 a year; the middle half earn $52,870 to $80,420 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $57,721 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is judicial Law Clerks a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 2.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,500 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a judicial Law Clerk?
BLS lists the typical entry education as doctoral or professional degree. In O*NET's survey, 91% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is political Science And Government (16%).
How much do judicial Law Clerks make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $55,180 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $64,920 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 23-1012. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Judicial Law Clerks: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/judicial-law-clerks.