Judicial Law Clerks Salary
The median pay for a judicial law clerks in Montana is $47,320/year ($22.75/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $67K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $48,784 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 35% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Montana. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $47K get you in Montana?
About judicial law clerks
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What this looks like in Montana
Pay for judicial law clerks in Montana runs about 27% below the U.S. median of $65K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,129/month, which is 35.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for judicial law clerkss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montana
Entry-level judicial law clerks (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $67K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track judicial law clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Montana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a judicial law clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 35.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,129/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new judicial law clerks typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,654/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Montana?
Local pay runs 27% below the national median — $47K here vs. $65K nationally.
How does Montana compare to the national average for judicial law clerks?
Montana pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s -27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — below the national median.
How much do judicial law clerks make in Montana?
The median is $47,320 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $44,240, and experienced judicial law clerks can clear $66,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,198/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 35.3% 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 Montana?
Montana has a Regional Price Parity of 97 (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 $48,784 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.