$Who Earns What

How much does a court clerk make?

US Court, Municipal, and License Clerks

Answer: A typical court clerk in the United States makes $48,700 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Yearly pay of a typical person doing this job in the US
$48,700

Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 180,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).

Lower earner
$36,300
10th from the bottom of 100
Typical person
$48,700
Right in the middle (median)
Higher earner
$73,820
10th from the top of 100

If 100 people had this job

Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-right

Hover over a person to see their yearly pay

47 of 100
not many

Court clerk pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)

Court clerk pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$36,300$48,700$73,820about 180,000
States where court clerks earn the most (median, May 2025)
StateTypical person (median)People in this job
Washington$64,680about 3,000
California$63,320about 12,000
Massachusetts$61,730about 4,000
Rhode Island$61,670about 660
Oregon$61,300about 2,000

Why does pay differ?

In the United States, pay can differ with experience, skills, and how much responsibility a clerk has. It also depends on whether the job is with a court, city, or licensing office, and on the local area and any special training or credentials.

What if you lived in a different state?

Pay varies a lot by state in the US
Whole US$48,700
Washington$64,680
California$63,320
Massachusetts$61,730
Rhode Island$61,670
Oregon$61,300
West Virginia$37,810
Mississippi$37,210
Arkansas$36,960

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

What does a court 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. Clerks of Court are classified in “Managers, All Other” (11-9199).

What's a typical day like?

At court, a clerk may check legal papers, update case records, and help people with questions about court dates or fees. At a city or licensing counter, they may review applications, issue permits, collect fees, or prepare meeting agendas.

How to get this job

In the United States, most jobs ask for a high school diploma or GED, and you can apply for an entry-level clerk position. New clerks learn forms and procedures on the job; the amount of prior experience and training required depends on the position.

High school plus some training (preparation level 2 of 5)

Good for people who like keeping things organized and leading and selling.

Did you know?

A U.S. court clerk may ask witnesses and potential jurors to swear to tell the truth—and keep track of physical evidence shown at trial.

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Sources and data

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY