Judicial Law Clerks: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Legal · SOC 23-1012 · O*NET 23-1012.00
Assist judges in court or by conducting research or preparing legal documents.
Judicial Law Clerks fall under the Legal category in the U.S. occupational classification. Judicial Law Clerks earn a median salary of $60,400 per year, ranking in the top 48% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +2.5% job growth through 2034, projected to grow slower than the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a professional doctorate (such as MD, DO, JD, DDS, or PharmD), with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do judicial law clerks earn?
The median annual wage for judicial law clerks is $60,400. That puts judicial law clerks at #385 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $42,000 |
| 25th percentile | $49,840 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $60,400 |
| 75th percentile | $78,060 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $113,150 |
| Median hourly wage | $29.04/hr |
Is judicial law clerks a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for judicial law clerks is +2.5%, projected to grow slower than the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 14K positions in 2024 to 14K in 2034, a net change of 0K. Flat growth typically reflects a mature, stable field. Most openings will come from retirements rather than new positions, which can favor candidates with strong networks and willingness to relocate.
What do judicial law clerks do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working judicial law clerks, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Prepare briefs, legal memoranda, or statements of issues involved in cases, including appropriate suggestions or recommendations.
- 2.Research laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, or other information related to cases before the court.
- 3.Draft or proofread judicial opinions, decisions, or citations.
- 4.Confer with judges concerning legal questions, construction of documents, or granting of orders.
- 5.Review complaints, petitions, motions, or pleadings that have been filed to determine issues involved or basis for relief.
- 6.Keep abreast of changes in the law and inform judges when cases are affected by such changes.
- 7.Attend court sessions to hear oral arguments or record necessary case information.
- 8.Review dockets of pending litigation to ensure adequate progress.
Top skills for judicial law clerks
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become judicial law clerk?
Becoming a judicial law clerk typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's, doctoral, or professional degree, plus state licensure or board certification depending on specialty. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$156,210 median
- Lawyers$151,160 median
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$115,230 median
- Legal Support Workers, All Other$68,760 median
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$67,710 median
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants$61,010 median
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about judicial law clerks
What is the median salary for judicial law clerks?
The median annual salary for judicial law clerks is $60,400 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is judicial law clerks a growing career?
BLS projects +2.5% growth for judicial law clerks from 2024 through 2034, which is flat growth projected to grow slower than the US average.
What education does my child need to become judicial law clerk?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree followed by a professional doctorate (such as MD, DO, JD, DDS, or PharmD), plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to judicial law clerks?
Related occupations within the Legal category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.