Review a new court filing
Check that nothing is missing, log it in the court's case system, and send errors back for fixing.
Career profile
Court, Municipal, or License Clerk
Court, municipal, and license clerks handle court filings, protect municipal records, or guide license applicants.
You turn paperwork and questions into accurate public records. It suits someone who likes both catching a mismatched number and explaining a person's next step.
A day in the life
Answer a caller's case question
Pull up the case file and tell the caller the hearing date, how to file, or the fee.
Ready the municipal clerk's agenda packet
Gather meeting materials and prepare notices that tell the public before the meeting what the council will discuss.
Check license paperwork against the rules
Ask about anything left out, and issue the license and collect fees once every requirement is met.
Quick facts
High school + workplace training
United States · 2025
$48,700/year
United States · May 2025
3.4% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + workplace trainingA high school diploma or equivalent is typical, followed by long-term on-the-job training. Individual employers may require experience.
Pay
$48,700/yearNational median, equivalent to $23.41 an hour, for court, municipal, and license clerks combined.
Outlook
3.4% projected growthAbout 17,100 openings per year are projected across the occupation, including replacement openings.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like matching names, dates, and numbers until the record is right.
- You can explain a process patiently to someone who has never used it.
- You enjoy keeping files organized enough that another person can find them.
Things to weigh
- Repeated checks and deadlines can make the day demanding, especially when someone at the counter is upset.
- Some city clerk jobs include evening council meetings, so the schedule can extend beyond office hours.
Where AI may help
In the federal Eleventh Circuit, software scans legal briefs before filing and flags possible rule violations.
What people still lead
After filing, a deputy clerk reviews the brief before deciding whether to send a deficiency notice; the software can flag a problem that is not actually there.
What we can’t predict yet
How much document checking software will take over remains unsettled. The balance may shift between routine checks and resolving exceptions.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national median is $48,700 a year, or $23.41 an hour. These figures combine court, municipal, and license clerks.
The national spread
The lowest-paid 10% earned $36,300 or less; the highest-paid 10% earned $73,820 or more. Those are wage percentiles, not starting and senior salaries.
Government workplace comparison
Average annual wages were $48,550 in local government and $50,190 in state government, excluding schools and hospitals. These older averages do not show which of the three clerk specialties pays more.
Openings include replacements
Employment is projected to grow 3.4%, with about 17,100 openings each year. Openings include replacing workers who leave the occupation, not just newly created positions.
Getting started
Learn in an entry clerk job
- What the route involves
- Join a court records or entry clerk position whose requirements you meet, then learn filing routines and the case system with supervisory guidance.
- What it can lead to
- You gain direct experience processing official records and helping the public.
- What to check
- Some entry positions require prior clerical experience; a diploma alone does not meet every employer's requirements.
Build office experience first
- What the route involves
- Gain general clerical or administrative experience before applying to court positions that require it.
- What it can lead to
- For example, Calaveras County's Court Clerk I requires a high school diploma or equivalent plus one year of that experience.
- What to check
- That court also conducts background and reference checks. Other employers set their own requirements.
A high school diploma or equivalent is the typical starting point. Read the experience requirements carefully: an entry title can still require previous office work.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Learn the filing system and practice accurate record entries, fee handling, and public responses.
Handle more complex work
Build skill with hearing calendars, courtroom minutes, or documents that need closer review.
Move into an experienced clerk role
A next step can be Court Clerk II, handling harder cases and helping train newer clerks. Titles and promotion requirements vary by employer.
Where you can work
Court records office
Your work follows case files and court procedures. Expect a mix of records processing, fee handling, and questions from people using the court.
- Indoors
- Office
City or town clerk's office
You work with council materials, official records, and requests from residents and city staff. Public meeting schedules can shape your week.
- Indoors
- Office
Licensing office
The work centers on applicants and eligibility documents. You explain requirements and check information before processing licenses and fees.
- Indoors
- Office
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Find a blank local license application and its instructions. Make a checklist of required information, then explain to a friend what would make an application incomplete. Notice whether you enjoy both checking details and explaining them.
Stay safe: Use a blank form; do not submit an application or enter anyone's personal information.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Court, Municipal, and License Clerks. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: Court, Municipal, and License Clerks. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2025–35. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2023 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: Court, Municipal, and License Clerks. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Superior Court of California, County of Calaveras. Court Clerk I/II classification. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- City of Jacksonville. Court Records Clerk. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- City of Irvine. Deputy City Clerk I. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Implementation of an Automated Compliance Review Program for Briefs. Accessed 2026-10-04.