SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 43-4031.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $36,300 | $3,025 | $698 | $17.45 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $40,810 | $3,401 | $785 | $19.62 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $48,700 | $4,058 | $937 | $23.41 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $60,840 | $5,070 | $1,170 | $29.25 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $73,820 | $6,152 | $1,420 | $35.49 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Court, Municipal, and License Clerks is $48,700, which is 4% lower. Among the 54 occupations of the field Office and Administrative Support, it ranks number 27 by median pay. With 179,750 jobs, it makes up about 12 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($66,130), Washington ($64,680) and California ($63,320). The lowest was in Arkansas ($36,960), Mississippi ($37,210) and West Virginia ($37,810). The most jobs were in Texas (15,730), California (12,460) and New York (11,850). The occupation is most concentrated in Vermont, where its share of all jobs is 2.5 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 50 | $66,130 | $69,620 | $31.79 |
| Washington | 3,450 | $64,680 | $66,090 | $31.10 |
| California | 12,460 | $63,320 | $67,330 | $30.44 |
| Massachusetts | 4,360 | $61,730 | $64,540 | $29.68 |
| Rhode Island | 660 | $61,670 | $63,290 | $29.65 |
| Oregon | 1,820 | $61,300 | $61,470 | $29.47 |
| Connecticut | 1,300 | $60,480 | $60,960 | $29.08 |
| Maryland | 2,360 | $58,380 | $59,800 | $28.07 |
| Nevada | 1,250 | $56,680 | $59,390 | $27.25 |
| Minnesota | 5,360 | $56,520 | $59,170 | $27.18 |
| Alaska | 650 | $54,270 | $56,980 | $26.09 |
| North Dakota | 600 | $53,850 | $55,060 | $25.89 |
| New Jersey | 5,710 | $53,700 | $56,090 | $25.82 |
| New York | 11,850 | $53,500 | $61,150 | $25.72 |
| Vermont | 890 | $53,000 | $55,870 | $25.48 |
| Wisconsin | 1,240 | $51,920 | $54,660 | $24.96 |
| Hawaii | 510 | $51,890 | $55,960 | $24.95 |
| Utah | 1,280 | $51,130 | $55,100 | $24.58 |
| Colorado | 7,920 | $50,410 | $52,240 | $24.24 |
| North Carolina | 5,240 | $49,110 | $51,810 | $23.61 |
| Arizona | 3,560 | $48,700 | $51,140 | $23.41 |
| Michigan | 5,620 | $48,690 | $50,620 | $23.41 |
| Maine | 1,150 | $48,580 | $52,490 | $23.35 |
| Idaho | 1,500 | $48,450 | $50,490 | $23.29 |
| Nebraska | 1,210 | $48,420 | $55,300 | $23.28 |
| Iowa | 2,390 | $48,280 | $50,470 | $23.21 |
| Ohio | 9,550 | $48,030 | $50,040 | $23.09 |
| Florida | 11,180 | $47,100 | $49,220 | $22.65 |
| New Mexico | 1,040 | $46,960 | $47,720 | $22.58 |
| Illinois | 8,370 | $46,920 | $51,240 | $22.56 |
| New Hampshire | 550 | $46,590 | $49,850 | $22.40 |
| Texas | 15,730 | $46,580 | $46,510 | $22.39 |
| Louisiana | 2,900 | $46,570 | $48,430 | $22.39 |
| Wyoming | 770 | $46,540 | $49,200 | $22.37 |
| Indiana | 3,460 | $46,350 | $46,530 | $22.29 |
| Montana | 1,340 | $45,680 | $45,840 | $21.96 |
| Virginia | 4,610 | $45,650 | $48,120 | $21.95 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,320 | $44,830 | $49,180 | $21.56 |
| Kansas | 1,290 | $44,740 | $45,710 | $21.51 |
| Tennessee | 3,050 | $44,720 | $47,100 | $21.50 |
| Delaware | 980 | $44,600 | $44,720 | $21.44 |
| South Dakota | 920 | $43,850 | $44,750 | $21.08 |
| Kentucky | 2,370 | $43,680 | $44,480 | $21.00 |
| South Carolina | 2,020 | $43,460 | $45,710 | $20.89 |
| Georgia | 5,750 | $42,960 | $44,990 | $20.66 |
| Missouri | 4,760 | $41,020 | $44,380 | $19.72 |
| Oklahoma | 2,730 | $39,120 | $43,230 | $18.81 |
| Alabama | 2,050 | $38,360 | $42,040 | $18.44 |
| West Virginia | 1,590 | $37,810 | $39,780 | $18.18 |
| Mississippi | 2,950 | $37,210 | $42,050 | $17.89 |
| Arkansas | 2,090 | $36,960 | $39,310 | $17.77 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Information and Record Clerks, All Other$49,500 a year
- Word Processors and Typists$49,280 a year
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks$49,230 a year
- Billing and Posting Clerks$48,500 a year
- Meter Readers, Utilities$48,150 a year
- New Accounts Clerks$47,670 a year
Common questions
How much do Court, Municipal, and License Clerks earn in the United States?
The median pay was $48,700 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,300 and the highest-paid 10% more than $73,820.
How many people work as Court, Municipal, and License Clerks?
About 179,750 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.