Judicial Law Clerks Salary
The median pay for a judicial law clerks in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD is $70,110/year ($33.71/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $54K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.49), that's roughly $67,097 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,857/month, about 40.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $70K get you in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson’s Regional Price Parity (104.49). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About judicial law clerks
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What this looks like in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Judicial law clerks pay in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson tracks closely to the national median, $70K locally vs. $65K nationwide, a 8% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,857/month, which is 40.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 104.49) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for judicial law clerks in metros near Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $59K | $57K |
| Pittsburgh | $51K | $53K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $70K | $64K |
| Richmond | $71K | $72K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Entry-level judicial law clerks (10th percentile) start around $54K. Mid-career wages sit at $70K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $49K spread from bottom to top.
Judicial Law Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Judicial Law Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $143K | +121% | 500 |
| New York | $133K | +105% | 850 |
| Connecticut | $99K | +52% | 270 |
| Oregon | $87K | +34% | 30 |
| North Dakota | $86K | +32% | 40 |
| Washington | $80K | +24% | 580 |
| Arkansas | $80K | +23% | 50 |
| California | $79K | +22% | 1,800 |
| Idaho | $76K | +16% | 60 |
| Tennessee | $75K | +16% | 400 |
| Minnesota | $71K | +9% | 410 |
| Maryland | $70K | +8% | 370 |
| Nevada | $70K | +7% | 70 |
| Maine | $68K | +5% | 30 |
| Alaska | $68K | +4% | 140 |
| Colorado | $67K | +4% | 140 |
| Missouri | $66K | +2% | 100 |
| Virginia | $66K | +2% | 380 |
| Delaware | $65K | -0% | 100 |
| Iowa | $64K | -1% | 90 |
| Louisiana | $63K | -3% | 90 |
| Texas | $63K | -3% | 220 |
| Michigan | $62K | -4% | 280 |
| Arizona | $60K | -7% | 250 |
| New Jersey | $59K | -9% | 530 |
| Indiana | $57K | -12% | 70 |
| Florida | $55K | -15% | 1,300 |
| Georgia | $55K | -15% | 560 |
| Wisconsin | $54K | -16% | 180 |
| West Virginia | $52K | -20% | 260 |
| Utah | $52K | -20% | 630 |
| Pennsylvania | $51K | -22% | 970 |
| South Carolina | $50K | -22% | 230 |
| Ohio | $50K | -23% | 240 |
| Nebraska | $50K | -24% | 110 |
| Montana | $47K | -27% | 40 |
| Hawaii | $47K | -28% | 330 |
| Kansas | $46K | -30% | 40 |
| Oklahoma | $45K | -31% | 130 |
Showing 1–10 of 39 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track judicial law clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Baltimore-Columbia-Towson numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a judicial law clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $70K, rent takes 40.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,857/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for judicial law clerks in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new judicial law clerks typically earn — is $54K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,229/month. At HUD’s $1,857/month FMR, rent would take 58% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is judicial law clerk a high-paying job in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $70K locally vs. $65K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Baltimore-Columbia-Towson compare to the national average for judicial law clerks?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pays $70K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do judicial law clerks make in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
The median is $70,110 a year, that works out to about $34 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,810, and experienced judicial law clerks can clear $102,520. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $70K enough to live in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,546/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,857/month, which eats 40.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a judicial law clerks salary go in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson has a Regional Price Parity of 104.49 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median judicial law clerks salary is worth about $67,097 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do judicial law clerks get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.