Court, Municipal, and License Clerks salary in the U.S.
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks in the U.S. earn a median of $48,700 a year ($23.41 an hour), based on BLS data for 179,750 workers.
Pay ranges from $36,300 for the lowest-paid 10% to $73,820 for the top 10%. The average (mean) salary is $52,320, above the median because a few high earners pull it up.
Pay range for court, municipal, and license clerks in the U.S.
| Pay level | Yearly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $36,300 | $17.45 |
| 25th percentile | $40,810 | $19.62 |
| Median | $48,700 | $23.41 |
| 75th percentile | $60,840 | $29.25 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $73,820 | $35.49 |
| Average (mean) | $52,320 | $25.15 |
Half of court, municipal, and license clerks earn more than the median and half earn less. Percentiles show the spread: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
Median paycheck, before taxes
| Pay period | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $4,058.33 |
| Semi-monthly (24 a year) | $2,029.17 |
| Biweekly (26 a year) | $1,873.08 |
| Weekly | $936.54 |
| Hourly | $23.41 |
Based on a full-time year of 2,080 hours. Convert any amount with the hourly to salary converter.
Buying a home? On a $48,700 salary, see how much house you can afford at today's mortgage rates, or work out a payment with the mortgage calculator.
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks salary by state
| State | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $66,130 | 50 |
| Washington | $64,680 | 3,450 |
| California | $63,320 | 12,460 |
| Massachusetts | $61,730 | 4,360 |
| Rhode Island | $61,670 | 660 |
| Oregon | $61,300 | 1,820 |
| Connecticut | $60,480 | 1,300 |
| Maryland | $58,380 | 2,360 |
| Nevada | $56,680 | 1,250 |
| Minnesota | $56,520 | 5,360 |
| Alaska | $54,270 | 650 |
| North Dakota | $53,850 | 600 |
| New Jersey | $53,700 | 5,710 |
| New York | $53,500 | 11,850 |
| Vermont | $53,000 | 890 |
| Wisconsin | $51,920 | 1,240 |
| Hawaii | $51,890 | 510 |
| Utah | $51,130 | 1,280 |
| Colorado | $50,410 | 7,920 |
| North Carolina | $49,110 | 5,240 |
| Arizona | $48,700 | 3,560 |
| Michigan | $48,690 | 5,620 |
| Maine | $48,580 | 1,150 |
| Idaho | $48,450 | 1,500 |
| Nebraska | $48,420 | 1,210 |
| Iowa | $48,280 | 2,390 |
| Ohio | $48,030 | 9,550 |
| Florida | $47,100 | 11,180 |
| New Mexico | $46,960 | 1,040 |
| Illinois | $46,920 | 8,370 |
| New Hampshire | $46,590 | 550 |
| Texas | $46,580 | 15,730 |
| Louisiana | $46,570 | 2,900 |
| Wyoming | $46,540 | 770 |
| Indiana | $46,350 | 3,460 |
| Montana | $45,680 | 1,340 |
| Virginia | $45,650 | 4,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,830 | 3,320 |
| Kansas | $44,740 | 1,290 |
| Tennessee | $44,720 | 3,050 |
| Delaware | $44,600 | 980 |
| South Dakota | $43,850 | 920 |
| Kentucky | $43,680 | 2,370 |
| South Carolina | $43,460 | 2,020 |
| Georgia | $42,960 | 5,750 |
| Missouri | $41,020 | 4,760 |
| Oklahoma | $39,120 | 2,730 |
| Alabama | $38,360 | 2,050 |
| West Virginia | $37,810 | 1,590 |
| Mississippi | $37,210 | 2,950 |
| Arkansas | $36,960 | 2,090 |
Best-paying metro areas for court, municipal, and license clerks
| Metro area | Median salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $83,490 | 550 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $77,860 | 1,240 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $77,750 | 1,820 |
| Madison, WI | $75,990 | 170 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $73,760 | 50 |
| Modesto, CA | $65,640 | 90 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $64,610 | 2,390 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $64,550 | 1,600 |
| Salinas, CA | $63,830 | 100 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $63,720 | 280 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $63,600 | 150 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $63,270 | 110 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | $63,250 | 170 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $63,240 | 150 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $63,240 | 1,740 |
Metro areas with the most court, municipal, and license clerks
| Metro area | Workers | Median salary |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 9,340 | $59,320 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 4,590 | $48,560 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 3,600 | $51,110 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 3,350 | $48,940 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 3,100 | $57,180 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 3,030 | $48,930 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 2,840 | $49,030 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,580 | $62,850 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,480 | $49,550 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 2,430 | $47,080 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,390 | $64,610 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 2,280 | $48,700 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 2,140 | $50,520 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 2,040 | $53,210 |
| Cleveland, OH | 2,020 | $50,060 |
Related jobs in the U.S.
| Job | Median salary | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Service Representative | $44,770 | $21.53 |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | $38,010 | $18.27 |
| Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks | $35,070 | $16.86 |
| Loan Interviewers and Clerks | $50,020 | $24.05 |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | $54,210 | $26.06 |
| Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan | $45,920 | $22.08 |
| Information and Record Clerks, All Other | $49,500 | $23.80 |
| Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks | $44,390 | $21.34 |
| Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | $50,610 | $24.33 |
| Library Assistants, Clerical | $36,910 | $17.74 |
| Order Clerk | $46,170 | $22.20 |
| File Clerk | $43,600 | $20.96 |
| New Accounts Clerk | $47,670 | $22.92 |
| Brokerage Clerk | $65,750 | $31.61 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, occupation code 43-4031. Wages include base pay, tips, commissions and shift pay, but not overtime, bonuses or benefits, and exclude the self-employed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a court, municipal, and license clerks make in the U.S.?
The median salary for court, municipal, and license clerks in the U.S. is $48,700 a year, or $23.41 an hour. Pay ranges from $36,300 for the lowest-paid 10% to $73,820 for the top 10%.
How much do the highest-paid court, municipal, and license clerks make in the U.S.?
The top 10% of court, municipal, and license clerks in the U.S. earn at least $73,820 a year. The top 25% earn $60,840 or more.
What is the starting pay for court, municipal, and license clerks in the U.S.?
Entry-level pay (the 10th percentile) is about $36,300 a year, and a quarter of court, municipal, and license clerks earn $40,810 or less.
How many court, municipal, and license clerks work in the U.S.?
About 179,750 court, municipal, and license clerks are employed in the U.S., not counting the self-employed.