Judicial Law Clerks Salary
The median pay for a judicial law clerks in Maryland is $70,110/year ($33.71/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $90K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.76), that's roughly $70,990 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,795/month, about 39.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Maryland. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $70K get you in Maryland?
About judicial law clerks
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Maryland
Judicial law clerks pay in Maryland 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 $1,795/month, which is 39.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.76) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Maryland
Entry-level judicial law clerks (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $70K. Top earners bring in $90K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Judicial Law Clerks salary by metro in Maryland
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $70K | +0% | 240 |
Compare to other states
Track judicial law clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Maryland numbers change.
Related careers in Legal
Frequently asked questions
Can a judicial law clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Maryland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $70K, rent takes 39.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,795/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 Maryland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new judicial law clerks typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,594/month. At HUD’s $1,795/month FMR, rent would take 50% 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 Maryland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $70K locally vs. $65K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Maryland compare to the national average for judicial law clerks?
Maryland pays $70K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.76), the purchasing-power equivalent is $71K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do judicial law clerks make in Maryland?
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 $59,900, and experienced judicial law clerks can clear $90,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $70K enough to live in Maryland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,546/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,795/month, which eats 39.5% 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 Maryland?
Maryland has a Regional Price Parity of 98.76 (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 $70,990 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.