Judicial Law Clerks vs Lawyers
Side-by-side salary and career comparison using Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Judicial Law Clerks
$60,400
median annual salary
Lawyers
$151,160
median annual salary
Lawyers earns $90,760 more per year (60% higher)
Salary & Career Comparison
| Metric | Judicial Law Clerks | Lawyers |
|---|---|---|
| Median Salary | $60,400 | $151,160 |
| Median Hourly | $29.04/hr | $72.67/hr |
| Mean Salary | $69,850 | $182,760 |
| 10th Percentile | $42,000 | $72,780 |
| 90th Percentile | $113,150 | N/A |
| Total Employment | 13,220 | 747,750 |
| Job Growth (2023–2033) | +2.5% | +4.1% |
| Annual Openings | 1 | 31.5 |
| Education | Doctoral or professional degree | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Work Experience | None | None |
Salary by State
States where both occupations have reported wage data, sorted by salary difference.
| State | Judicial Law Clerks | Lawyers | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | $94,490 | $86,970 | +$7,520 |
| North Dakota | $89,080 | $104,940 | $-15,860 |
| Idaho | $71,690 | $102,280 | $-30,590 |
| Maine | $68,540 | $100,340 | $-31,800 |
| South Carolina | $60,190 | $104,160 | $-43,970 |
| Iowa | $62,390 | $107,870 | $-45,480 |
| Mississippi | $43,680 | $92,610 | $-48,930 |
| New York | $127,780 | $177,210 | $-49,430 |
| Tennessee | $80,440 | $130,570 | $-50,130 |
| West Virginia | $49,220 | $102,240 | $-53,020 |
| Louisiana | $58,690 | $112,600 | $-53,910 |
| Montana | $44,920 | $100,750 | $-55,830 |
| Nebraska | $47,960 | $104,970 | $-57,010 |
| Oklahoma | $38,480 | $98,870 | $-60,390 |
| Missouri | $62,900 | $124,210 | $-61,310 |
| Connecticut | $96,260 | $159,240 | $-62,980 |
| Kentucky | $37,680 | $102,670 | $-64,990 |
| Kansas | $46,950 | $112,000 | $-65,050 |
| Wisconsin | $53,940 | $119,970 | $-66,030 |
| Hawaii | $48,460 | $116,010 | $-67,550 |
Showing top 20 of 35 states.
Also Compare
Judicial Law Clerks vs Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Judicial Law Clerks vs Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Judicial Law Clerks vs Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Lawyers vs Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Lawyers vs Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators Lawyers vs Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
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Common Questions
Which pays more, Judicial Law Clerks or Lawyers?
Lawyers pays more, with a median annual salary of $151,160 compared to $60,400 — a difference of $90,760 per year.
Which has better job outlook?
Lawyers has faster projected growth at 4.1% from 2023 to 2033, compared to 2.5% for Judicial Law Clerks.
Where does this data come from?
All salary data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. Job outlook data comes from the BLS Employment Projections program covering 2023-2033.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024.