Court, Municipal, and License Clerks
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks (SOC 43-4031) earn a median $48,700 a year ($23.41 an hour) in the United States, with 179,750 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What court, municipal, and license clerks do
Court, municipal, and license clerks perform clerical duties for courts of law, municipalities, and governmental licensing agencies and bureaus. In a court, a clerk may prepare the docket of cases to be called, file court documents, secure information for judges, and record case dispositions, court orders, and payment arrangements for court fees. In a municipal office, the clerk may prepare draft agendas, record and edit the minutes of meetings, issue public notice of official activities, answer official correspondence, and keep vital and fiscal records. In licensing work, the clerk questions applicants for required details, checks applications for completeness and accuracy to decide whether the applicant qualifies, verifies documents such as foreign identification, issues licenses or permits, administers tests, and collects fees. Clerks of Court are classified separately, under managers, all other, and are not part of this group. Answering telephones and keeping office supplies and equipment in order are common to all three settings.
Typical entry: O*NET survey respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the education level for this occupation.
Also called: Agent Licensing Clerk, Animal Control Licensing Worker, Appeals Clerk, Appellate Court Clerk, Basic Traffic Minute Clerk.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.45 | $19.62 | $23.41 | $29.25 | $35.49 | $25.15 | 179,750 |
| Annual | $36,300 | $40,810 | $48,700 | $60,840 | $73,820 | $52,320 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where court, municipal, and license clerks earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $24.38 | $27.32 | $31.79 | $38.11 | $45.67 | $33.47 | 50 | 0.07 | 0.06 |
| Annual | $50,720 | $56,820 | $66,130 | $79,270 | $95,000 | $69,620 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $24.02 | $27.98 | $31.10 | $36.52 | $38.81 | $31.77 | 3,450 | 0.97 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $49,970 | $58,200 | $64,680 | $75,960 | $80,720 | $66,090 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $23.61 | $27.97 | $30.44 | $35.60 | $40.48 | $32.37 | 12,460 | 0.68 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $49,110 | $58,170 | $63,320 | $74,040 | $84,190 | $67,330 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $23.01 | $25.01 | $29.68 | $35.48 | $40.57 | $31.03 | 4,360 | 1.20 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $47,860 | $52,030 | $61,730 | $73,800 | $84,390 | $64,540 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $23.45 | $25.07 | $29.65 | $34.13 | $39.45 | $30.43 | 660 | 1.31 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $48,780 | $52,150 | $61,670 | $70,990 | $82,050 | $63,290 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $17.41 | $19.04 | $22.39 | $23.76 | $28.90 | $22.36 | 15,730 | 1.12 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $36,220 | $39,610 | $46,580 | $49,410 | $60,120 | $46,510 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $23.61 | $27.97 | $30.44 | $35.60 | $40.48 | $32.37 | 12,460 | 0.68 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $49,110 | $58,170 | $63,320 | $74,040 | $84,190 | $67,330 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $19.11 | $21.74 | $25.72 | $36.37 | $46.69 | $29.40 | 11,850 | 1.22 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $39,740 | $45,230 | $53,500 | $75,640 | $97,120 | $61,150 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.76 | $19.28 | $22.65 | $27.22 | $29.75 | $23.66 | 11,180 | 1.13 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $36,950 | $40,090 | $47,100 | $56,610 | $61,880 | $49,220 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $16.56 | $18.61 | $23.09 | $29.01 | $35.21 | $24.06 | 9,550 | 1.72 | 1.49 |
| Annual | $34,450 | $38,720 | $48,030 | $60,340 | $73,230 | $50,040 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $28.10 | $30.40 | $40.14 | $42.76 | $47.83 | $38.70 | 550 | 0.48 | 0.42 |
| Annual | $58,450 | $63,240 | $83,490 | $88,930 | $99,490 | $80,500 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $30.19 | $32.27 | $37.43 | $38.81 | $40.05 | $35.91 | 1,240 | 0.60 | 0.52 |
| Annual | $62,800 | $67,130 | $77,860 | $80,720 | $83,300 | $74,680 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $29.21 | $31.03 | $37.38 | $44.30 | $48.98 | $38.66 | 1,820 | 0.77 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $60,750 | $64,540 | $77,750 | $92,150 | $101,870 | $80,410 | ||||
| Madison, WI | Hourly | $23.91 | $24.23 | $36.54 | $36.54 | $36.54 | $31.77 | 170 | 0.41 | 0.35 |
| Annual | $49,740 | $50,400 | $75,990 | $75,990 | $75,990 | $66,080 | ||||
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | Hourly | $29.11 | $31.31 | $35.46 | $36.42 | $36.85 | $33.69 | 50 | 0.88 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $60,560 | $65,120 | $73,760 | $75,750 | $76,650 | $70,070 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $20.55 | $23.16 | $28.52 | $36.98 | $48.04 | $31.02 | 9,340 | 0.98 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $42,740 | $48,160 | $59,320 | $76,920 | $99,920 | $64,520 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $17.04 | $18.37 | $23.35 | $32.29 | $37.85 | $25.89 | 4,590 | 1.02 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $35,450 | $38,200 | $48,560 | $67,170 | $78,720 | $53,860 | ||||
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | Hourly | $18.32 | $20.79 | $24.57 | $29.94 | $34.35 | $25.90 | 3,600 | 2.24 | 1.94 |
| Annual | $38,100 | $43,230 | $51,110 | $62,280 | $71,440 | $53,870 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $17.77 | $22.34 | $23.53 | $29.23 | $29.75 | $25.21 | 3,350 | 1.19 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $36,970 | $46,470 | $48,940 | $60,800 | $61,880 | $52,430 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $23.00 | $24.57 | $27.49 | $31.50 | $36.20 | $28.70 | 3,100 | 1.59 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $47,840 | $51,110 | $57,180 | $65,520 | $75,300 | $59,700 | ||||
Top industries employing court, municipal, and license clerks
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) employ 72.1% of court, municipal, and license clerks nationally (129,600 jobs) at a median $47,960 a year ($23.06 an hour), followed by State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (26.1%) and Other Support Services (1.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 129,600 | 72.1% | $47,960 | $23.06 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 46,850 | 26.1% | $52,940 | $25.45 |
| Other Support Services NAICS 561900 | 2,270 | 1.3% | $34,100 | $16.40 |
| Legal Services NAICS 541100 | 260 | 0.1% | $48,560 | $23.35 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 260 | 0.1% | $38,190 | $18.36 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (179,750). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $44,610 for court, municipal, and license clerks in May 2021 and $48,700 in May 2025, with employment of 150,170 and 179,750.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $44,610 | $21.45 | 150,170 |
| May 2022 | $44,140 | $21.22 | 159,760 |
| May 2023 | $46,110 | $22.17 | 157,960 |
| May 2024 | $47,700 | $22.93 | 170,010 |
| May 2025 | $48,700 | $23.41 | 179,750 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $31.79 | $66,130 | $50,720 | $95,000 | 50 | 0.07 | 0.06 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $31.10 | $64,680 | $49,970 | $80,720 | 3,450 | 0.97 | 0.84 |
| 3 | California profile | $30.44 | $63,320 | $49,110 | $84,190 | 12,460 | 0.68 | 0.59 |
| 4 | Massachusetts profile | $29.68 | $61,730 | $47,860 | $84,390 | 4,360 | 1.20 | 1.04 |
| 5 | Rhode Island profile | $29.65 | $61,670 | $48,780 | $82,050 | 660 | 1.31 | 1.13 |
| 6 | Oregon profile | $29.47 | $61,300 | $47,520 | $78,790 | 1,820 | 0.93 | 0.80 |
| 7 | Connecticut profile | $29.08 | $60,480 | $43,670 | $78,120 | 1,300 | 0.77 | 0.66 |
| 8 | Maryland profile | $28.07 | $58,380 | $49,810 | $71,850 | 2,360 | 0.85 | 0.74 |
| 9 | Nevada profile | $27.25 | $56,680 | $42,790 | $77,760 | 1,250 | 0.80 | 0.69 |
| 10 | Minnesota profile | $27.18 | $56,520 | $46,340 | $75,950 | 5,360 | 1.82 | 1.57 |
| 11 | Alaska profile | $26.09 | $54,270 | $36,810 | $78,580 | 650 | 1.98 | 1.72 |
| 12 | North Dakota profile | $25.89 | $53,850 | $38,790 | $74,790 | 600 | 1.39 | 1.20 |
| 13 | New Jersey profile | $25.82 | $53,700 | $40,000 | $74,770 | 5,710 | 1.33 | 1.15 |
| 14 | New York profile | $25.72 | $53,500 | $39,740 | $97,120 | 11,850 | 1.22 | 1.06 |
| 15 | Vermont profile | $25.48 | $53,000 | $44,350 | $70,460 | 890 | 2.92 | 2.52 |
| 16 | Wisconsin profile | $24.96 | $51,920 | $44,100 | $75,390 | 1,240 | 0.42 | 0.37 |
| 17 | Hawaii profile | $24.95 | $51,890 | $43,630 | $72,360 | 510 | 0.81 | 0.70 |
| 18 | Utah profile | $24.58 | $51,130 | $39,230 | $77,240 | 1,280 | 0.74 | 0.64 |
| 19 | Colorado profile | $24.24 | $50,410 | $34,950 | $68,900 | 7,920 | 2.76 | 2.39 |
| 20 | North Carolina profile | $23.61 | $49,110 | $37,290 | $71,400 | 5,240 | 1.06 | 0.92 |
| 21 | Arizona profile | $23.41 | $48,700 | $39,870 | $61,770 | 3,560 | 1.10 | 0.95 |
| 22 | Michigan profile | $23.41 | $48,690 | $36,750 | $63,000 | 5,620 | 1.28 | 1.10 |
| 23 | Maine profile | $23.35 | $48,580 | $40,910 | $64,450 | 1,150 | 1.79 | 1.55 |
| 24 | Idaho profile | $23.29 | $48,450 | $37,900 | $63,500 | 1,500 | 1.75 | 1.51 |
| 25 | Nebraska profile | $23.28 | $48,420 | $43,150 | $75,010 | 1,210 | 1.18 | 1.02 |
| 26 | Iowa profile | $23.21 | $48,280 | $37,790 | $63,610 | 2,390 | 1.53 | 1.33 |
| 27 | Ohio profile | $23.09 | $48,030 | $34,450 | $73,230 | 9,550 | 1.72 | 1.49 |
| 28 | Florida profile | $22.65 | $47,100 | $36,950 | $61,880 | 11,180 | 1.13 | 0.97 |
| 29 | New Mexico profile | $22.58 | $46,960 | $38,230 | $57,970 | 1,040 | 1.20 | 1.04 |
| 30 | Illinois profile | $22.56 | $46,920 | $35,450 | $75,230 | 8,370 | 1.37 | 1.19 |
| 31 | New Hampshire profile | $22.40 | $46,590 | $36,830 | $71,700 | 550 | 0.80 | 0.69 |
| 32 | Texas profile | $22.39 | $46,580 | $36,220 | $60,120 | 15,730 | 1.12 | 0.97 |
| 33 | Louisiana profile | $22.39 | $46,570 | $32,060 | $65,300 | 2,900 | 1.50 | 1.30 |
| 34 | Wyoming profile | $22.37 | $46,540 | $38,260 | $65,740 | 770 | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| 35 | Indiana profile | $22.29 | $46,350 | $31,900 | $60,570 | 3,460 | 1.08 | 0.94 |
| 36 | Montana profile | $21.96 | $45,680 | $37,030 | $60,090 | 1,340 | 2.61 | 2.26 |
| 37 | Virginia profile | $21.95 | $45,650 | $40,410 | $61,450 | 4,610 | 1.12 | 0.97 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania profile | $21.56 | $44,830 | $35,440 | $67,490 | 3,320 | 0.55 | 0.47 |
| 39 | Kansas profile | $21.51 | $44,740 | $36,260 | $59,860 | 1,290 | 0.89 | 0.77 |
| 40 | Tennessee profile | $21.50 | $44,720 | $32,880 | $60,690 | 3,050 | 0.93 | 0.80 |
| 41 | Delaware profile | $21.44 | $44,600 | $35,620 | $53,610 | 980 | 2.03 | 1.75 |
| 42 | South Dakota profile | $21.08 | $43,850 | $34,490 | $58,260 | 920 | 2.02 | 1.75 |
| 43 | Kentucky profile | $21.00 | $43,680 | $34,830 | $54,640 | 2,370 | 1.18 | 1.02 |
| 44 | South Carolina profile | $20.89 | $43,460 | $30,050 | $64,760 | 2,020 | 0.88 | 0.76 |
| 45 | Georgia profile | $20.66 | $42,960 | $34,010 | $60,740 | 5,750 | 1.18 | 1.02 |
| 46 | Missouri profile | $19.72 | $41,020 | $33,970 | $60,530 | 4,760 | 1.62 | 1.40 |
| 47 | Oklahoma profile | $18.81 | $39,120 | $29,260 | $60,390 | 2,730 | 1.60 | 1.38 |
| 48 | Alabama profile | $18.44 | $38,360 | $29,140 | $57,130 | 2,050 | 0.97 | 0.84 |
| 49 | West Virginia profile | $18.18 | $37,810 | $28,580 | $50,370 | 1,590 | 2.26 | 1.96 |
| 50 | Mississippi profile | $17.89 | $37,210 | $29,510 | $59,850 | 2,950 | 2.54 | 2.19 |
| 51 | Arkansas profile | $17.77 | $36,960 | $28,410 | $50,600 | 2,090 | 1.61 | 1.39 |
Part of Office and Administrative Support Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 43-4031 Court, Municipal, and License Clerks.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 43-4031, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 43-4031.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.