Judicial Law Clerks earn a median of $64,920 per year ($31.21/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 2.8% through 2035, with about 1,500 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
- SOC 23-1012
- Legal
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Judicial Law Clerk in four numbers
- Median pay
- $64,920a year, or $31.21/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $46KTop 10% $113K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.8%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,50014,000 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202514K
- Projected 203514.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 14K Projected 2035 14.4K - Typical education
- Doctorateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school7.2%
- Certificate2.2%
- Master's2.1%
- Professional degree16.5%
- Doctorate51.9%
- Post-doctoral training20.2%
Highest education held by judicial law clerks Segment Value High school 7.2% Certificate 2.2% Master's 2.1% Professional degree 16.5% Doctorate 51.9% Post-doctoral training 20.2%
Also advertised as: Appellate Law Clerk, Career Judicial Law Clerk, Career Law Clerk, Judicial Assistant, Judicial Clerk, Judicial Law Clerk.
Pay
How much do Judicial Law Clerks make?
Every judicial law clerk in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$64,920
Middle half earn $52,870 to $80,420
- 10th
- $46,180
- 25th
- $52,870
- 75th
- $80,420
- 90th
- $113,140
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $46,180 |
| 25th | $52,870 |
| Median | $64,920 |
| 75th | $80,420 |
| 90th | $113,140 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $64,920
- Median hourly wage
- $31.21/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $72,950
- People employed
- 13,290
Versus all US occupations
At $64,920, Judicial Law Clerks earn 27% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $13,940 a year.
Versus legal occupations
Inside the Legal group, where the middle occupation pays $159,670, this is 59% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $113,140 or more while the bottom 10% earn $46,180, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 40% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Massachusetts pays the most at $143,350, and still leads at $135,547 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Judicial Law Clerks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Massachusetts | $143,350 | $135,547 | 500 |
| 2New York | $133,320 | $123,535 | 850 |
| 3Connecticut | $98,670 | $95,232 | 270 |
| 4Oregon | $86,870 | $84,045 | 30 |
| 5North Dakota | $85,530 | $96,145 | 40 |
| 6Washington | $80,240 | $74,982 | 580 |
| 7Arkansas | $80,150 | $92,193 | 50 |
| 8California | $79,030 | $71,378 | 1,800 |
| 9Idaho | $75,540 | $79,104 | 60 |
| 10Tennessee | $75,190 | $81,844 | 400 |
Job outlook
Is Judicial Law Clerk a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +2.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judicial Law Clerks | +2.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Judicial Law Clerks to change 2.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,500 openings are projected each year, 10.7% of the 14,000 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Judicial Law Clerk
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Doctoral or professional degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as judicial law clerks.
- Doctoral Degree51.9%
- Post-Doctoral Training20.2%
- First Professional Degree16.5%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)7.2%
- Post-Secondary Certificate2.2%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Doctoral Degree | 51.9% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 20.2% |
| First Professional Degree | 16.5% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 7.2% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 2.2% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Judicial Law Clerk do?
Assist judges in court or by conducting research or preparing legal documents.
Day-to-day tasks
- Confer with judges concerning legal questions, construction of documents, or granting of orders.
- Review complaints, petitions, motions, or pleadings that have been filed to determine issues involved or basis for relief.
- Attend court sessions to hear oral arguments or record necessary case information.
- Prepare briefs, legal memoranda, or statements of issues involved in cases, including appropriate suggestions or recommendations.
- Keep abreast of changes in the law and inform judges when cases are affected by such changes.
- Research laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, or other information related to cases before the court.
- Respond to questions from judicial officers or court staff on general legal issues.
- Draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors 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
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely 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
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
- Reading Comprehension4.5
- Active Listening4.3
- Critical Thinking4.3
- Writing4.1
- Speaking4.0
- Active Learning3.8
- Learning Strategies3.0
- Monitoring3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.5 |
| Active Listening | 4.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.3 |
| Writing | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Time Management3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Persuasion2.8
- Negotiation2.8
- Instructing2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Time Management | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 2.8 |
| Negotiation | 2.8 |
| Instructing | 2.6 |
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
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Judicial Law Clerk?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Judicial Law Clerk |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 5 |
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.
- Conventional5.1
- Enterprising4.5
- Investigative4.0
- Social3.4
- Artistic2.1
- Realistic1.6
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 Judicial Law Clerk
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More legal careers
Median annual pay, with judicial law clerks highlighted
- Lawyer$159,670
- BigLaw Equity Partner$159,670
- Non-Equity Partner$159,670
- BigLaw Senior Associate$159,670
- Public Company General Counsel$159,670
- Mergers and Acquisitions Attorney$159,670
- Judge$153,990
- Judicial Law Clerk$64,920
- Paralegal$62,890
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Lawyer | $159,670 |
| BigLaw Equity Partner | $159,670 |
| Non-Equity Partner | $159,670 |
| BigLaw Senior Associate | $159,670 |
| Public Company General Counsel | $159,670 |
| Mergers and Acquisitions Attorney | $159,670 |
| Judge | $153,990 |
| Judicial Law Clerk | $64,920 |
| Paralegal | $62,890 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Judicial Law Clerk appears on
Questions
Judicial Law Clerk: frequently asked questions
How much do Judicial Law Clerks make?
Judicial Law Clerks earn a median of $64,920 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 27% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $31.21/hr. The middle half earn between $52,870 and $80,420. The top 10% earn $113,140 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Judicial Law Clerk?
Yes, and beyond a bachelor's: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry requirement for Judicial Law Clerks. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 51.9% hold doctoral degree.
Is Judicial Law Clerk a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 2.8% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Judicial Law Clerk do?
Assist judges in court or by conducting research or preparing legal documents. A core O*NET task: confer with judges concerning legal questions, construction of documents, or granting of orders. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Document management software, Electronic mail software.
Which states pay Judicial Law Clerks the most?
The highest state medians for Judicial Law Clerks are Massachusetts ($143,350), New York ($133,320), Connecticut ($98,670) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Judicial Law Clerk?
O*NET scores Judicial Law Clerks highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Investigative 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 ESTJ, ESFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.