Judicial Law Clerks Salary
The median pay for a judicial law clerks in Charleston, WV is $52,120/year ($25.06/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.72), which stretches that salary to about $58,747 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,036/month, about 30.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $52K get you in Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (88.72). 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 Charleston
Pay for judicial law clerks in Charleston runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $65K. Rent runs $1,036/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.72 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for judicial law clerks in metros near Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $59K | $57K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $70K | $67K |
| Pittsburgh | $51K | $53K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $47K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston, WV
Entry-level judicial law clerks (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $47K 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 with published data
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 Charleston numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a judicial law clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston?
Yes — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 29.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,036/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for judicial law clerks in Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new judicial law clerks typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,127/month. At HUD’s $1,036/month FMR, rent would take 33% 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 Charleston?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $52K here vs. $65K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Charleston compare to the national average for judicial law clerks?
Charleston pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.72), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do judicial law clerks make in Charleston, WV?
The median is $52,120 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,120, and experienced judicial law clerks can clear $98,890. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,509/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,036/month, which eats 29.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a judicial law clerks salary go in Charleston?
Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 88.72 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median judicial law clerks salary is worth about $58,747 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.