Law Clerk Salary in California
BLS OEWS May 2025 · SOC 23-1012 Judicial Law Clerks
Median in California
$79,030
$38.00 an hour
10th percentile
$59,620
90th percentile
$90,680
Jobs (wage & salary)
1,800
The median annual wage for judicial law clerks in California was $79,030 in May 2025, $14,110 (22%) above the national median of $64,920.
The middle half earned between $65,740 (25th percentile) and $82,200 (75th percentile).
California ranks 8 of the 39 states and DC with a published median for this occupation.
The comparison is not adjusted for living costs.
SOC 23-1012 covers judicial law clerks, who work for judges and courts.
Law-firm and student law clerks have no BLS occupation, so these figures do not describe them.
Percentiles
Pay range in California
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $59,620 | $28.67 |
| 25th | $65,740 | $31.61 |
| 50th (median) | $79,030 | $38.00 |
| 75th | $82,200 | $39.52 |
| 90th | $90,680 | $43.60 |
| Mean (average) | $76,070 | $36.57 |
BLS OEWS May 2025.
Annual = hourly × 2,080.
OEWS covers wage-and-salary workers only and leaves out the self-employed, overtime pay and most bonuses.