Judicial Law Clerks Salary
The median pay for a judicial law clerks in Wisconsin is $54,250/year ($26.08/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $68K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.33), which stretches that salary to about $57,511 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,202/month, about 33.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Wisconsin. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $54K get you in Wisconsin?
About judicial law clerks
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What this looks like in Wisconsin
Pay for judicial law clerks in Wisconsin runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $65K. Rent runs $1,202/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.33 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wisconsin
Entry-level judicial law clerks (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $68K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Judicial Law Clerks salary by metro in Wisconsin
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $63K | +15% | 30 |
Compare to other states
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Frequently asked questions
Can a judicial law clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wisconsin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 32.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,202/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Wisconsin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new judicial law clerks typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,909/month. At HUD’s $1,202/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Wisconsin?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $54K here vs. $65K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Wisconsin compare to the national average for judicial law clerks?
Wisconsin pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — below the national median.
How much do judicial law clerks make in Wisconsin?
The median is $54,250 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,480, and experienced judicial law clerks can clear $67,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Wisconsin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,650/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,202/month, which eats 32.9% 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 Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has a Regional Price Parity of 94.33 (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 $57,511 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.