Court, Municipal, and License Clerks: Career Profile
Perform clerical duties for courts of law, municipalities, or governmental licensing agencies and bureaus. May prepare docket of cases to be called; secure information for judges and court; prepare draft agendas or bylaws for town or city council; answer official correspondence; keep fiscal records and accounts; issue licenses or permits; and record data, administer tests, or collect fees.
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What Tasks Do Court, Municipal, and License Clerks Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of court, municipal, and license clerks include:
- Evaluate information on applications to verify completeness and accuracy and to determine whether applicants are qualified to obtain desired licenses.
- Perform administrative tasks, such as answering telephone calls, filing court documents, or maintaining office supplies or equipment.
- Verify the authenticity of documents, such as foreign identification or immigration documents.
- Record and edit the minutes of meetings and distribute to appropriate officials or staff members.
- Question applicants to obtain required information, such as name, address, or age, and record data on prescribed forms.
- Issue public notification of all official activities or meetings.
- Record and maintain all vital and fiscal records and accounts.
- Record case dispositions, court orders, or arrangements made for payment of court fees.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful court, municipal, and license clerks draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Court, Municipal, and License Clerks Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Agent Licensing Clerk
- Animal Control Licensing Worker
- Appeals Clerk
- Appellate Court Clerk
- Basic Traffic Minute Clerk
- Birth Certification Clerk
- Calendar Clerk
- Case Clerk
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 791,548 court, municipal, and license clerks working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +12.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Court, Municipal, and License Clerks
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $39,473 |
| Hourly median | $18.98 |
| 10th percentile | $26,239 |
| 25th percentile | $32,856 |
| 75th percentile | $46,090 |
| 90th percentile | $52,707 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $62,460 |
| California | $62,390 |
| Connecticut | $60,610 |
| Massachusetts | $59,950 |
| Oregon | $58,790 |
| Rhode Island | $58,560 |
| Maryland | $56,440 |
| Alaska | $55,930 |
| Nevada | $55,390 |
| Minnesota | $55,310 |
| New York | $54,230 |
| Wisconsin | $53,540 |
| Hawaii | $52,570 |
| North Dakota | $52,190 |
| New Jersey | $51,890 |
| Nebraska | $50,850 |
| Colorado | $50,510 |
| Vermont | $49,110 |
| Iowa | $48,710 |
| North Carolina | $48,140 |
| Maine | $48,100 |
| Idaho | $47,690 |
| New Hampshire | $47,550 |
| Utah | $47,330 |
| Michigan | $47,240 |
| Arizona | $47,110 |
| Wyoming | $47,070 |
| Ohio | $46,890 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,500 |
| Illinois | $46,490 |
| Texas | $46,030 |
| Florida | $45,820 |
| Indiana | $45,340 |
| New Mexico | $45,010 |
| Tennessee | $44,920 |
| Montana | $44,460 |
| Louisiana | $44,120 |
| Virginia | $42,620 |
| Kentucky | $42,150 |
| South Dakota | $42,140 |
| Kansas | $41,780 |
| Georgia | $40,810 |
| South Carolina | $40,500 |
| Delaware | $39,750 |
| Missouri | $39,730 |
| Alabama | $38,120 |
| Oklahoma | $37,300 |
| Arkansas | $36,470 |
| West Virginia | $36,120 |
| Mississippi | $36,070 |
Where Court, Municipal, and License Clerks Earn the Most
Pay for court, municipal, and license clerks vary by region. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $61,315 | 12.4% | 0.74 |
| New England | $55,727 | 4.3% | 1.15 |
| Middle Atlantic | $52,185 | 13.8% | 1.03 |
| Rocky Mountains | $49,006 | 7.3% | 2.06 |
| Plains States | $47,983 | 10.0% | 1.51 |
| Great Lakes | $46,717 | 14.7% | 1.26 |
| Southwest | $44,919 | 12.9% | 1.05 |
| Southeast | $42,693 | 24.7% | 1.08 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $80,760 | 560 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $77,730 | 2,000 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $72,270 | 110 |
| Madison, WI | WI | $70,140 | 170 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | CA | $69,630 | 70 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $68,550 | 1,170 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $67,270 | 140 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $64,390 | 130 |
Top Industries Employing Court, Municipal, and License Clerks
Most court, municipal, and license clerks are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 1,830 | $33,530 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 400 | $37,280 |
| Retail Trade | 130 | $41,100 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 130 | $45,640 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 110 | $34,410 |
Below are examples of industries where court, municipal, and license clerks work:
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Video conferencing software: Zoom (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for court, municipal, and license clerks tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How to Become Court, Municipal, and License Clerks
Typical court, municipal, and license clerks positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Compliance Officers (Primary-Short)
- Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents (Supplemental)
- Lawyers (Supplemental)
- Judicial Law Clerks (Supplemental)
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers (Supplemental)
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates (Supplemental)
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants (Primary-Short)
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers (Primary-Short)
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-4031.00 (Court, Municipal, and License Clerks).
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