City / County Clerk: Pay & Requirements

Overview

Sourced

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.

O*NET definition of Court, Municipal, and License Clerks (SOC 43-4031) · Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed.

176,450

in government (SOC 43-4031)

98%

of this occupation works for government

$48,880

median pay in government

Local

levels of government

Occupation figures cover every job classified under SOC 43-4031, including Court Clerk, DMV Clerk / Driver License Examiner.

Titles employers use

City ClerkCourt ClerkLicense ClerkTown ClerkCity RecorderCity SecretaryLicense SpecialistMotor Vehicle Licensing ClerkMunicipal ClerkPermit Service Representative (Permit Service Rep)

How people usually get in Editorial

elected or appointed; clerk certification (IIMC). Requirements vary by employer; each employer page will list its exact rules.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership; U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database; GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Requirements

Sourced

Typical entry requirements (BLS, SOC 43-4031)

Education needed to enter: High school diploma or equivalent
Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training

Education workers say the job requires

High School Diploma or the equivalent

50%

Post-Secondary Certificate

Some College Courses

10%

Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree

20%

Bachelor's Degree

10%

Master's Degree

10%

Share of surveyed workers in Court, Municipal, and License Clerks (SOC 43-4031) naming each level as required to be hired, 24 respondents, O*NET survey August 2026. Each employer sets its own minimum.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4); U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

How to get hired

Sourced

Information clerks typically need a high school diploma and learn their skills on the job. Some employers may prefer to hire candidates with some college education or an associate's degree, depending on the occupation.

From the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile “Information Clerks”, published August 27, 2026 · Read the full profile. National guidance; each employer runs its own hiring process.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–35 edition (XML compilation). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Academy and training

Sourced

Training to become competent (BLS)

SOC 43-4031: Long-term on-the-job training

Preparation level (O*NET)

Job zone: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Academy length, curriculum and paid-training policies are set by each employer and state; they are part of the employer collection stage.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Promotion ladder

Editorial

Fixed salary (elected, appointed or per diem): elected/appointed; salary set by statute or ordinance. Typical structure for a elected, appointed or per-diem position; titles, steps and timing differ by employer.

Elected or appointed; salary set by statute/ordinance or board contract (no ladder — compare peers)

Source: GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial).

Pay

Sourced

Federal

Not published

State

$52,940

Local

$47,960

All government

$48,880

Private sector

$35,190

Median annual wage by employer type, national, May 2025. Federal includes the U.S. Postal Service; state and local include public schools and hospitals.

Employer type	Workers	10th pct.	25th	Median	75th	90th
State	46,860	$40,990	$45,560	$52,940	$63,240	$73,310
Local	129,600	$35,590	$39,450	$47,960	$60,370	$74,040
All government	176,450	$36,600	$41,070	$48,880	$60,940	$73,910
Private sector	3,290	$29,230	$32,370	$35,190	$42,220	$48,850

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Schedule

Sourced

Work schedule

Regular

100%

Irregular

Seasonal

Typical work week

Less than 40 hours

28%

40 hours

64%

More than 40 hours

Share of surveyed workers in the occupation (O*NET work context, August 2026). Shift patterns and differentials depend on the employer.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Day-to-day work

Sourced

Plan or direct the maintenance, filing, safekeeping, or computerization of all municipal documents.4.6
Examine legal documents submitted to courts for adherence to laws or court procedures.4.5
Record case dispositions, court orders, or arrangements made for payment of court fees.4.4
Answer inquiries from the general public regarding judicial procedures, court appearances, trial dates, adjournments, outstanding warrants, summonses, subpoenas, witness fees, or payment of fines.4.4
Perform general office duties, such as taking or transcribing dictation, typing or proofreading correspondence, distributing or filing official forms, or scheduling appointments.4.2
Question applicants to obtain required information, such as name, address, or age, and record data on prescribed forms.4.2
Instruct parties about timing of court appearances.4.2
Perform administrative tasks, such as answering telephone calls, filing court documents, or maintaining office supplies or equipment.4.1
Respond to requests for information from the public, other municipalities, state officials, or state and federal legislative offices.4.1
Coordinate or maintain office tracking systems for correspondence or follow-up actions.4.0

The 10 most important of 11 core tasks for Court, Municipal, and License Clerks, ranked by importance (1–5) in the O*NET survey of August 2026.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

13Derived

By state

Sourced

Median annual wage for Court, Municipal, and License Clerks (SOC 43-4031) in each state, all employers (BLS state estimates do not separate government from private). Highest first.

State	Workers	10th pct.	Median	90th pct.
District of Columbia	50	$50,720	$66,130	$95,000
Washington	3,450	$49,970	$64,680	$80,720
California	12,460	$49,110	$63,320	$84,190
Massachusetts	4,360	$47,860	$61,730	$84,390
Rhode Island	660	$48,780	$61,670	$82,050
Oregon	1,820	$47,520	$61,300	$78,790
Connecticut	1,300	$43,670	$60,480	$78,120
Maryland	2,360	$49,810	$58,380	$71,850
Nevada	1,250	$42,790	$56,680	$77,760
Minnesota	5,360	$46,340	$56,520	$75,950
Alaska	650	$36,810	$54,270	$78,580
North Dakota	600	$38,790	$53,850	$74,790
New Jersey	5,710	$40,000	$53,700	$74,770
New York	11,850	$39,740	$53,500	$97,120
Vermont	890	$44,350	$53,000	$70,460
Wisconsin	1,240	$44,100	$51,920	$75,390
Hawaii	510	$43,630	$51,890	$72,360
Utah	1,280	$39,230	$51,130	$77,240
Colorado	7,920	$34,950	$50,410	$68,900
North Carolina	5,240	$37,290	$49,110	$71,400
Arizona	3,560	$39,870	$48,700	$61,770
Michigan	5,620	$36,750	$48,690	$63,000
Maine	1,150	$40,910	$48,580	$64,450
Idaho	1,500	$37,900	$48,450	$63,500
Nebraska	1,210	$43,150	$48,420	$75,010
Iowa	2,390	$37,790	$48,280	$63,610
Ohio	9,550	$34,450	$48,030	$73,230
Florida	11,180	$36,950	$47,100	$61,880
New Mexico	1,040	$38,230	$46,960	$57,970
Illinois	8,370	$35,450	$46,920	$75,230
New Hampshire	550	$36,830	$46,590	$71,700
Texas	15,730	$36,220	$46,580	$60,120
Louisiana	2,900	$32,060	$46,570	$65,300
Wyoming	770	$38,260	$46,540	$65,740
Indiana	3,460	$31,900	$46,350	$60,570
Montana	1,340	$37,030	$45,680	$60,090
Virginia	4,610	$40,410	$45,650	$61,450
Pennsylvania	3,320	$35,440	$44,830	$67,490
Kansas	1,290	$36,260	$44,740	$59,860
Tennessee	3,050	$32,880	$44,720	$60,690
Delaware	980	$35,620	$44,600	$53,610
South Dakota	920	$34,490	$43,850	$58,260
Kentucky	2,370	$34,830	$43,680	$54,640
South Carolina	2,020	$30,050	$43,460	$64,760
Georgia	5,750	$34,010	$42,960	$60,740
Missouri	4,760	$33,970	$41,020	$60,530
Oklahoma	2,730	$29,260	$39,120	$60,390
Alabama	2,050	$29,140	$38,360	$57,130
West Virginia	1,590	$28,580	$37,810	$50,370
Mississippi	2,950	$29,510	$37,210	$59,850
Arkansas	2,090	$28,410	$36,960	$50,600

51 states with published estimates.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Not yet collected

These dimensions are part of every job page. We publish them only once they are sourced from official documents such as job postings, pay plans, union contracts and state standards.

05 Probation
Probation length and what ends it
Not yet collected
09 Benefits and pension
Pension plan/tier and formula, retirement age/years, DROP, retiree health, Social Security coverage, 457(b), PSLF eligibility
Not yet collected
10 Union contracts
Bargaining unit, union, current CBA (source link, effective dates)
Not yet collected
11 Transfers and lateral entry
Lateral policy, certification reciprocity, lateral bonus, inter-agency moves
Not yet collected
14 Exam practice
Named exams → OpenExamPrep practice
Not yet collected
15 Employer directory
L4 directory: every employer that hires this job, each with its own facet values
Not yet collected

City / County Clerk

Overview

Titles employers use

Requirements

Education workers say the job requires

How to get hired

Academy and training

Promotion ladder

Pay

Schedule

Day-to-day work

Related jobs

By state

Not yet collected