How To Become A Docket Clerk: What It Is and Career Path

What is a docket clerk and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

In court, the daily list of lawsuits heard by a judge is considered a docket. It is a timeline or calendar of hearing and court cases that specify the concerned parties, the courtroom, the presiding judge, the trial date. Docket clerks are responsible for planning these schedules and reviewing them.

While most docket officers are hired by the county, state, or federal courts, some are also appointed by law firms or attorneys. The precise role of a docket clerk varies on the employers and the scale of the organization. Their primary responsibility is to set the date and time of the hearing and assign judges to each case. They also monitor courtrooms and address maintenance issues. Docket clerks can also deal with phone calls from complainants, lawyers, or other interested parties, depending on the organizational structure.

The annual average salary of a docket clerk varies from $53,714 to $78,484. Salary ranges can vary considerably depending on factors like locations, certifications, years of experience in the field, and additional skills. Professionals for this role usually have a high school diploma or equivalent. For larger courts, they require a bachelor's or an associate degree.

ScoreDocket ClerkUS Average

Salary

3.3

Avg. Salary $41,942

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

4.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.17%

Asian 4.05%

Black or African American 12.75%

Hispanic or Latino 19.88%

Unknown 4.28%

White 57.89%

Gender

female 64.69%

male 35.31%

Age - 51

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 51

Stress level

7.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.7

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a docket clerk

Explore docket clerk education requirements

Most common docket clerk degrees

Bachelor's

55.2 %

Associate

22.3 %

High School Diploma

8.9 %

Start to develop specific docket clerk skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Entry	10.83%
Litigation	10.78%
Due Dates	5.72%
IP	5.15%
PTO	4.30%

Complete relevant docket clerk training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New docket clerks learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a docket clerk based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real docket clerk resumes.

Research docket clerk duties and responsibilities

Verify all primary insurance including Medicare, Medicaid, and third party and manage care policies.
Programme court entries on electronic databases and expedite subpoenas to deputy sheriffs.
Maintain patient medications in a secure environment inventory and record all incoming medications to maintain patient confidentiality per HIPPA requirements.
Skip trace, collection porcedures then refer to investigator.NCIC prepare cases for court.

Prepare your docket clerk resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your docket clerk resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a docket clerk resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable docket clerk resume templates

Build a professional docket clerk resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your docket clerk resume.