Judicial Law Clerks · California

Judicial Law Clerks Salary in California

Judicial Law Clerks in California earn a median annual wage of $79,030 —21.7% above the national median of $64,920. That ranks CA #8 of 39 covered states and territories for this occupation.

Median annual
$79,030
Median hourly
$38.00
Entry level (P10)
$59,620
10th percentile
Top 10% (P90)
$90,680
90th percentile
Employment
1,800
0.1 per 1,000 jobs
vs U.S. median
+21.7%
U.S. $64,920

Wage distribution

How earnings are spread across workers in this occupation, from the 10th to the 90th percentile.

10th percentile90th percentile
$59,620
$65,740
$79,030
$82,200
$59,620$79,030$90,680
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $79,030.

Employment is 1.15× as concentrated as the national average, making California a strong market for this occupation.

Highest-paying states for judicial law clerks

All 39 states ranked by median annual wage. California is highlighted.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmploymentLocation quotient
1Massachusetts$143,350$68.925001.61
2New York$133,320$64.108501.03
3Connecticut$98,670$47.442701.83
4Oregon$86,870$41.76300.20
5North Dakota$85,530$41.12401.19
6Washington$80,240$38.585801.92
7Arkansas$80,150$38.54500.47
8California$79,030$38.001,8001.15
9Idaho$75,540$36.32600.81
10Tennessee$75,190$36.154001.44

Related occupations in California

Occupations in the same job family, compared within California.

OccupationCalifornia medianU.S. median
Lawyers$195,080$159,670
Paralegals and Legal Assistants$77,390$62,890
Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers$67,230$58,650
Legal Support Workers, All Other$85,830$72,110
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates—$153,990
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers—$117,860

Frequently asked questions

How much do judicial law clerks make in California?

The median annual wage for judicial law clerks in California is $79,030, or $38.00 per hour. That is 21.7% above the national median of $64,920.

What is the entry-level judicial law clerks salary in California?

Workers at the 10th percentile earn $59,620 per year ($28.67/hour). The 25th percentile is $65,740.

How many people work as judicial law clerks in California?

About 1,800 people work in this occupation in California, or 0.1 per 1,000 jobs statewide.

Is California a good state for judicial law clerks?

California ranks #8 of 39 states by median wage for this occupation. Employment is 1.15x as concentrated as the national average, making California a strong market for this occupation.

Which state pays judicial law clerks the most?

Massachusetts has the highest median wage at $143,350 per year, followed by New York ($133,320) and Connecticut ($98,670).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, cross-industry estimates. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Figures are rounded by BLS to the nearest dollar (annual) and cent (hourly). Percentile wages describe the distribution of workers, not the pay range for a single job posting. bls.gov/oes