Judicial Law Clerks Salary
The median pay for a judicial law clerks in Pennsylvania is $50,590/year ($24.32/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $76K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $53,269 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 39.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $51K get you in Pennsylvania?
About judicial law clerks
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What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Pay for judicial law clerks in Pennsylvania runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $65K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 39.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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, Pennsylvania
Entry-level judicial law clerks (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $76K or more, a $42K spread from bottom to top.
Judicial Law Clerks salary by metro in Pennsylvania
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $59K | +16% | 460 |
| Pittsburgh | $51K | +0% | 240 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $49K | -3% | 60 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $47K | -7% | 70 |
Compare to other states
Track judicial law clerks salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a judicial law clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 39.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/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 Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new judicial law clerks typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,059/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Pennsylvania?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $51K here vs. $65K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for judicial law clerks?
Pennsylvania pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do judicial law clerks make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $50,590 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,310, and experienced judicial law clerks can clear $76,250. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,428/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 39.4% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $53,269 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.