Judicial Law Clerks Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for judicial law clerks is $64,920, or $31.21 per hour. About 13,290 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $143,350 in Massachusetts to $44,990 in Oklahoma.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 39 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $143,350 | $68.92 | 500 | 1.61 |
| 2 | New York | $133,320 | $64.10 | 850 | 1.03 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $98,670 | $47.44 | 270 | 1.83 |
| 4 | Oregon | $86,870 | $41.76 | 30 | 0.20 |
| 5 | North Dakota | $85,530 | $41.12 | 40 | 1.19 |
| 6 | Washington | $80,240 | $38.58 | 580 | 1.92 |
| 7 | Arkansas | $80,150 | $38.54 | 50 | 0.47 |
| 8 | California | $79,030 | $38.00 | 1,800 | 1.15 |
| 9 | Idaho | $75,540 | $36.32 | 60 | 0.81 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $75,190 | $36.15 | 400 | 1.44 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $71,070 | $34.17 | 410 | 1.61 |
| 12 | Maryland | $70,110 | $33.71 | 370 | 1.55 |
| 13 | Nevada | $69,600 | $33.46 | 70 | 0.50 |
| 14 | Maine | $67,890 | $32.64 | 30 | 0.62 |
| 15 | Alaska | $67,580 | $32.49 | 140 | 4.92 |
| 16 | Colorado | $67,230 | $32.32 | 140 | 0.55 |
| 17 | Missouri | $66,060 | $31.76 | 100 | 0.42 |
| 18 | Virginia | $65,940 | $31.70 | 380 | 1.09 |
| 19 | Delaware | $64,720 | $31.11 | 100 | 2.39 |
| 20 | Iowa | $64,260 | $30.90 | 90 | 0.65 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $63,180 | $30.38 | 90 | 0.55 |
| 22 | Texas | $63,130 | $30.35 | 220 | 0.18 |
| 23 | Michigan | $62,260 | $29.93 | 280 | 0.76 |
| 24 | Arizona | $60,170 | $28.93 | 250 | 0.90 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $58,890 | $28.31 | 530 | 1.44 |
| 26 | Indiana | $57,140 | $27.47 | 70 | 0.24 |
| 27 | Florida | $55,180 | $26.53 | 1,300 | 1.53 |
| 28 | Georgia | $55,120 | $26.50 | 560 | 1.33 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $54,250 | $26.08 | 180 | 0.72 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $52,120 | $25.06 | 260 | 4.27 |
| 31 | Utah | $51,900 | $24.95 | 630 | 4.23 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $50,590 | $24.32 | 970 | 1.87 |
| 33 | South Carolina | $50,330 | $24.20 | 230 | 1.19 |
| 34 | Ohio | $49,840 | $23.96 | 240 | 0.50 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $49,570 | $23.83 | 110 | 1.25 |
| 36 | Montana | $47,320 | $22.75 | 40 | 0.92 |
| 37 | Hawaii | $47,010 | $22.60 | 330 | 6.09 |
| 38 | Kansas | $45,720 | $21.98 | 40 | 0.31 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $44,990 | $21.63 | 130 | 0.89 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do judicial law clerks make?
The median annual wage for judicial law clerks in the United States is $64,920, or $31.21 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $46,180, and the top 10% earn $113,140.
How many judicial law clerks are employed in the U.S.?
About 13,290 people work as judicial law clerks nationwide.
Which state pays judicial law clerks the most?
Massachusetts pays the most at a median of $143,350, followed by New York ($133,320) and Connecticut ($98,670).
Which state pays judicial law clerks the least?
Oklahoma has the lowest median at $44,990.
Where are judicial law clerks jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Hawaii at 6.09×.