Judicial Law Clerks Salary
The median pay for a judicial law clerks in New Jersey is $58,890/year ($28.31/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $70K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.34), that's roughly $59,281 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,067/month, about 53.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of New Jersey. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $59K get you in New Jersey?
About judicial law clerks
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What this looks like in New Jersey
Judicial law clerks pay in New Jersey tracks closely to the national median, $59K locally vs. $65K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,067/month, which is 52.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.34) 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, New Jersey
Entry-level judicial law clerks (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $70K or more, a $11K 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 New Jersey numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a judicial law clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Jersey?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 52.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,067/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 New Jersey?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new judicial law clerks typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,533/month. At HUD’s $2,067/month FMR, rent would take 59% 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 New Jersey?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $59K locally vs. $65K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does New Jersey compare to the national average for judicial law clerks?
New Jersey pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do judicial law clerks make in New Jersey?
The median is $58,890 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $58,890, and experienced judicial law clerks can clear $69,740. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in New Jersey?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,966/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,067/month, which eats 52.1% 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 New Jersey?
New Jersey has a Regional Price Parity of 99.34 (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 $59,281 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.