Legal clerk demographics and statistics in the US
Legal clerk demographics research summary. Zippia estimates legal clerk demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our legal clerk estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about legal clerks after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 164,816 legal clerks currently employed in the United States.
- 60.1% of all legal clerks are women, while 39.9% are men.
- The average legal clerk age is 45 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of legal clerks is White (59.4%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (21.8%), Black or African American (8.3%) and Asian (5.4%).
- Legal clerks are most in-demand in Norfolk, VA.
- The professional industry is the highest-paying for legal clerks.
- 9% of all legal clerks are LGBT.
On this page
Legal clerk demographics by:
Legal clerk gender statistics
60.1% of legal clerks are women and 39.9% of legal clerks are men.
- Female, 60.1%
- Male, 39.9%
Legal clerk gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 60.1% |
| Male | 39.9% |
Legal clerk gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$36,097
Female income
$35,084
Legal clerk gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in legal clerk positions over time. Currently, 60.1% of legal clerks are female.
Legal clerk gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 37.42% | 62.58% |
| 2011 | 36.09% | 63.91% |
| 2012 | 36.66% | 63.34% |
| 2013 | 37.22% | 62.78% |
| 2014 | 34.91% | 65.09% |
| 2015 | 39.54% | 60.46% |
| 2016 | 36.87% | 63.13% |
| 2017 | 40.32% | 59.68% |
| 2018 | 39.61% | 60.39% |
| 2019 | 35.88% | 64.12% |
| 2020 | 37.74% | 62.26% |
| 2021 | 39.86% | 60.14% |
Legal clerk related jobs gender ratio
We compared legal clerks with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, advisory title officer and court monitor have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Freelance Court Stenographer | 6% | 94% |
| Paralegal Secretary | 6% | 94% |
| Legal Transcriptionist | 6% | 94% |
| Legal Clerk | 40% | 60% |
| Court Monitor | 66% | 34% |
| Advisory Title Officer | 77% | 23% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Legal clerk demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among legal clerks is White, which makes up 59.4% of all legal clerks. Comparatively, 21.8% of legal clerks are Hispanic or Latino and 8.3% of legal clerks are Black or African American.
- White, 59.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 21.8%
- Black or African American, 8.3%
- Asian, 5.4%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
Legal clerk race
| Legal clerk race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 59.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 21.8% |
| Black or African American | 8.3% |
| Asian | 5.4% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.4% |
Legal clerk race and ethnicity over time
See how legal clerk racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Legal clerk race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 66.06% | 9.47% | 4.42% | 17.77% |
| 2011 | 67.00% | 9.08% | 4.37% | 17.32% |
| 2012 | 64.22% | 9.05% | 4.85% | 19.38% |
| 2013 | 65.94% | 9.14% | 4.08% | 18.13% |
| 2014 | 65.77% | 7.95% | 4.33% | 19.50% |
| 2015 | 65.07% | 8.24% | 4.48% | 19.22% |
| 2016 | 63.40% | 9.37% | 4.59% | 19.93% |
| 2017 | 63.44% | 8.98% | 4.01% | 20.95% |
| 2018 | 63.46% | 8.93% | 4.43% | 20.22% |
| 2019 | 64.82% | 8.01% | 5.00% | 19.94% |
| 2020 | 60.58% | 8.64% | 4.55% | 21.46% |
| 2021 | 59.35% | 8.31% | 5.41% | 21.80% |
Legal clerk wage gap by race
According to our data, asian legal clerks have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown legal clerks have the lowest average salary at $34,690.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $34,690 |
| White | $35,484 |
| Black or African American | $37,380 |
| Asian | $37,417 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $35,598 |
Average legal clerk age
See how the average age of legal clerks varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Legal clerk age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 33 | 50 |
| Unknown | 38.5 | 45 |
| Asian | 39 | 38 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 32 | 41 |
| White | 39 | 50 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 47.5 |
Legal clerk age breakdown
The average age of legal clerks is 40+ years years old, representing 65% of the legal clerk population.
Legal clerk age breakdown
| Legal Clerk Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 65% |
| 30-40 years | 23% |
| 20-30 years | 12% |
Legal clerk educational attainment
The most common degree for legal clerks is bachelor's degree, with 55% of legal clerks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 13%.
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Associate, 15%
- Doctorate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 9%
Legal clerks by degree level
| Legal clerk degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 55% |
| Associate | 15% |
| Doctorate | 13% |
| High School Diploma | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 9% |
Legal clerk jobs you might like
Legal clerk wage gap by degree level
According to the data, legal clerks with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $40,168 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, legal clerks earn a median annual income of $38,522 compared to $38,226 for legal clerks with an Master's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $38,226 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,409 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $38,522 |
| Doctorate Degree | $40,168 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,291 |
Legal clerk employment statistics
Most legal clerks work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where legal clerks work
Below, you can see the size of companies where legal clerks work.
Legal clerk jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 16% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 32% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 21% |
| > 10,000 employees | 13% |
Legal clerk jobs by company type
Employees with the legal clerk job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most legal clerks prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Legal clerk jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 13% |
| Private | 61% |
| Government | 25% |
Legal clerk jobs by industry
The most common industries for legal clerks are professional, government and finance.
Legal clerk industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 32% |
| Government | 22% |
| Finance | 7% |
| Fortune 500 | 5% |
| Media | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Technology | 4% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Legal clerk turnover and employment statistics
Legal clerk unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for legal clerks between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Legal clerk unemployment rate by year
| Year | Legal clerk unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.83% |
| 2011 | 6.37% |
| 2012 | 6.43% |
| 2013 | 5.62% |
| 2014 | 4.30% |
| 2015 | 3.48% |
| 2016 | 3.07% |
| 2017 | 2.56% |
| 2018 | 2.62% |
| 2019 | 2.49% |
| 2020 | 3.92% |
| 2021 | 4.04% |
Average legal clerk tenure
The average legal clerk stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 5,226 legal clerks resumes in Zippia's database.
Legal clerk tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 40% |
| 1-2 years | 30% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 10% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Legal clerk LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of legal clerks that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Shorthand Reporter | 4.96% | 35,859 |
| Lease Examiner | 7.68% | 3,133 |
| Legal Clerk | 9.16% | - |
| Juror | 12.79% | 120 |
Similar legal clerk jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Shorthand Reporter | 4.96% | 35,859 |
| Lease Examiner | 7.68% | 3,133 |
| Juror | 12.79% | 120 |
Foreign languages spoken by legal clerks
The most common foreign language among legal clerks is Spanish at 55.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 9.4% and Mandarin is the third-most popular at 4.1%.
- Spanish, 55.7%
- French, 9.4%
- Mandarin, 4.1%
- Chinese, 3.8%
- Italian, 3.8%
- Other, 23.2%
Legal clerk languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 55.7% |
| French | 9.4% |
| Mandarin | 4.1% |
| Chinese | 3.8% |
| Italian | 3.8% |
| Other | 23.2% |
