Court, Municipal, and License Clerks earn a median of $48,700 per year ($23.41/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 3.4% through 2035, with about 17,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 43-4031
- Office and Administrative Support
- Last updated October 15, 2026
At a glance
Court, Municipal, and License Clerk in four numbers
- Median pay
- $48,700a year, or $23.41/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $36KTop 10% $74K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.4%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 17,100187,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025187K
- Projected 2035193.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 187K Projected 2035 193.3K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: City Clerk, City Recorder, City Secretary, Court Clerk, License Clerk, License Specialist.
Pay
How much do court make?
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks earn a median of $48,700 a year ($23.41 an hour, or about $4,060 a month); the lowest-paid 10% earn less than $36,300 and the top 10% more than $73,820 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The best-paying state is District of Columbia, with a median of $66,130. See Court, municipal, and license clerk salary in District of Columbia and every other state. By city, pay is highest around San Jose ($80,500 average): salary in every city.
Every court, municipal, and license clerk in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$48,700
Middle half earn $40,810 to $60,840
- 10th
- $36,300
- 25th
- $40,810
- 75th
- $60,840
- 90th
- $73,820
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $36,300 |
| 25th | $40,810 |
| Median | $48,700 |
| 75th | $60,840 |
| 90th | $73,820 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $48,700
- Median hourly wage
- $23.41/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $52,320
- People employed
- 179,750
Versus all US occupations
At $48,700, Court, Municipal, and License Clerks earn 4% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $2,280 a year.
Versus office and administrative support occupations
The median is typical for the Office and Administrative Support group, where the middle occupation pays $49,230.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $73,820 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,300, a gap of 2.0×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 20% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($66,130), but once local prices are taken into account North Dakota leads at $60,534 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay court the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $66,130 | $60,172 | 50 |
| 2Washington | $64,680 | $60,441 | 3,450 |
| 3California | $63,320 | $57,189 | 12,460 |
| 4Massachusetts | $61,730 | $58,370 | 4,360 |
| 5Rhode Island | $61,670 | $60,295 | 660 |
| 6Oregon | $61,300 | $59,307 | 1,820 |
| 7Connecticut | $60,480 | $58,373 | 1,300 |
| 8Maryland | $58,380 | $55,622 | 2,360 |
| 9Nevada | $56,680 | $56,692 | 1,250 |
| 10Minnesota | $56,520 | $57,310 | 5,360 |
Job outlook
Is court, municipal, and license clerk a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Court, Municipal, and License Clerks | +3.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Court, Municipal, and License Clerks to change 3.4% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 6,300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 17,100 openings are projected each year, 9.1% of the 187,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of information clerks is projected to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, decline.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of information clerks varies by occupation (see table).
The increased use of online ordering and self-service systems will limit demand for some of these workers, such as order clerks and human resources assistants.
AI exposure: very high
BLS places this occupation in its very high relative AI exposure category, among the occupations most exposed to current AI.
Getting in
How to become a court, municipal, and license clerk
Information clerks typically need a high school diploma and learn their skills on the job.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
Full BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entryThe work
What does a court, municipal, and license clerk do?
Perform clerical duties for courts of law, municipalities, or governmental licensing agencies and bureaus. May prepare docket of cases to be called; secure information for judges and court; prepare draft agendas or bylaws for town or city council; answer official correspondence; keep fiscal records and accounts; issue licenses or permits; and record data, administer tests, or collect fees.
Information clerks do routine clerical tasks such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.
Day-to-day tasks
- Respond to requests for information from the public, other municipalities, state officials, or state and federal legislative offices.
- Perform administrative tasks, such as answering telephone calls, filing court documents, or maintaining office supplies or equipment.
- Perform general office duties, such as taking or transcribing dictation, typing or proofreading correspondence, distributing or filing official forms, or scheduling appointments.
- Plan or direct the maintenance, filing, safekeeping, or computerization of all municipal documents.
- Answer inquiries from the general public regarding judicial procedures, court appearances, trial dates, adjournments, outstanding warrants, summonses, subpoenas, witness fees, or payment of fines.
- Question applicants to obtain required information, such as name, address, or age, and record data on prescribed forms.
- Coordinate or maintain office tracking systems for correspondence or follow-up actions.
- Record case dispositions, court orders, or arrangements made for payment of court fees.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most information clerks work full time. However, part-time work is common for hotel clerks and file clerks.
Clerks in lodging and transportation establishments that are open around the clock may work evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.3
- Writing3.1
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Monitoring3.0
- Active Learning2.8
- Learning Strategies2.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.3 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 2.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Complex Problem Solving2.6
- Systems Analysis2.6
- Management of Personnel Resources2.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.6 |
| Systems Analysis | 2.6 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 2.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video conferencing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Data base reporting software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Project management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
The workforce
Who works as a court, municipal, and license clerk?
Women make up 82.7% of court, municipal, and license clerks, against 47.1% of all employed people: a female-dominated occupation.
35.9% are 55 or older (23.2% across all jobs), so a larger-than-usual share of the workforce reaches retirement age over the next decade. Those exits are counted in the BLS openings figure.
The median worker is 51.3 years old (all workers: 42.1).
- Women
- 82.7%All workers 47.1% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Median age
- 51.3All workers 42.1 · BLS CPS, 2025
- Aged 55+
- 35.9%All workers 23.2% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Employed (CPS)
- 64,000BLS CPS, 2025
| Group | Share of court, municipal, and license clerks | All employed people |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 82.7% | 47.1% |
| White | 86.6% | 75.7% |
| Black or African American | 9.8% | 12.7% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 7.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 17.5% | 20.0% |
| Aged 55 and over | 35.9% | 23.2% |
| Aged 16 to 24 | 4.7% | 12.2% |
Current Population Survey annual averages, 2025 (BLS tables 11 and 11b). Race groups can overlap with Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, so they do not sum to 100%.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a court, municipal, and license clerk?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Court, Municipal, and License Clerk |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Conventional6.2
- Enterprising4.2
- Social3.5
- Realistic2.0
- Investigative1.9
- Artistic1.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Court, Municipal, and License Clerk
O*NET related occupations
- Office and Administrative Support
Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant
$55,570median a year
Most earn $37K to $92K
−5.2%High school - Business and Financial Operations
- Office and Administrative Support
- Legal
- Legal
- Office and Administrative Support
Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
$47,540median a year
Most earn $33K to $66K
−6.0%High school
More office and administrative support careers
Median annual pay, with court, municipal, and license clerks highlighted
- Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant$76,590
- Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant$55,570
- Public Safety Telecommunicator$53,040
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk$50,670
- Human Resources Assistant, Except Payroll and Timekeeping$50,610
- Court, Municipal, and License Clerk$48,700
- Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$47,540
- Teller$43,030
- Receptionist and Information Clerk$38,010
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Executive Secretary and Executive Administrative Assistant | $76,590 |
| Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant | $55,570 |
| Public Safety Telecommunicator | $53,040 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk | $50,670 |
| Human Resources Assistant, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | $50,610 |
| Court, Municipal, and License Clerk | $48,700 |
| Secretary and Administrative Assistant, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $47,540 |
| Teller | $43,030 |
| Receptionist and Information Clerk | $38,010 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within court, municipal, and license clerk
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Court, Municipal, and License Clerk appears on
Questions
Court, Municipal, and License Clerk: frequently asked questions
How much do court make?
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks earn a median of $48,700 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 4% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $23.41/hr. The middle half earn between $40,810 and $60,840. The top 10% earn $73,820 or more.
How much do court make an hour?
The median hourly wage for court, municipal, and license clerks is $23.41 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). On a full-year basis the $48,700 annual median works out to about $4,060 a month before tax.
What is the starting salary for a court, municipal, and license clerk?
BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of court, municipal, and license clerks earn less than $36,300 a year and the bottom quarter less than $40,810 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.
Do court make $100k?
Rarely. Even the 90th percentile is $73,820, so fewer than 10% of court, municipal, and license clerks earn $100,000 or more (BLS OEWS, May 2025). No state's median reaches $100,000; the highest is District of Columbia at $66,130.
Which states pay court the most?
The highest state medians for Court, Municipal, and License Clerks are District of Columbia ($66,130), Washington ($64,680), California ($63,320) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Dakota moves to the top at $60,534.
What kind of court, municipal, and license clerk earns the most?
BLS does not split court, municipal, and license clerks' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $73,820, against a median of $48,700 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are District of Columbia ($66,130), Washington ($64,680), California ($63,320). BLS also counts a specialty career inside this occupation (election administrator), which shares its federal pay figures.
Do you need a degree to become a court, municipal, and license clerk?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Court, Municipal, and License Clerks. BLS also lists long-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
How long does it take to become a court, municipal, and license clerk?
BLS does not publish a fixed length; it depends on the route. What it does publish: the typical way in for court is a high school diploma or equivalent. Once hired, BLS lists long-term on-the-job training as typical. O*NET classes the work as needing some preparation.
Is court, municipal, and license clerk a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.4% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 17,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a court, municipal, and license clerk do?
Information clerks do routine clerical tasks such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers. A core O*NET task: respond to requests for information from the public, other municipalities, state officials, or state and federal legislative offices. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Document management software, Electronic mail software.
Do court work 40 hours a week?
Yes, for most. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 8% of court, municipal, and license clerks usually work more than 40 hours a week, 64% work exactly 40 and 28% work fewer. 100% say their schedule is regular and 0% irregular. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.
What personality type suits a court, municipal, and license clerk?
O*NET scores Court, Municipal, and License Clerks highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Social interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.
What percentage of court are women?
Women make up 82.7% of court, municipal, and license clerks, against 47.1% of all employed people: a female-dominated occupation. 35.9% are 55 or older (23.2% across all jobs), so a larger-than-usual share of the workforce reaches retirement age over the next decade. Those exits are counted in the BLS openings figure. The median worker is 51.3 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages.