Court, Municipal, and License Clerks

Government and Public AdministrationO*NET 43-4031.00United States

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.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$48,671

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
+5.5%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
High school diploma or less

52.5% of the workforce

Employment
184.29K jobs

Growing to 194.48K by 2035

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Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

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ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

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The work

What court, municipal, and license clerks do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • 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.
  • Answer questions or provide advice to the public regarding licensing policies, procedures, or regulations.
  • Prepare meeting agendas or packets of related information.
  • Record case dispositions, court orders, or arrangements made for payment of court fees.
  • Examine legal documents submitted to courts for adherence to laws or court procedures.
  • Prepare ordinances, resolutions, or proclamations so that they can be executed, recorded, archived, or distributed.
  • Answer inquiries from the general public regarding judicial procedures, court appearances, trial dates, adjournments, outstanding warrants, summonses, subpoenas, witness fees, or payment of fines.
  • Prepare and issue orders of the court, such as probation orders, release documentation, sentencing information, or summonses.
  • Code information on license applications for entry into computers.
  • Perform budgeting duties, such as assisting in budget preparation, expenditure review, or budget administration.
  • Prepare documents recording the outcomes of court proceedings.
  • Perform record checks on past or current licensees, as required by investigations.
  • Perform general office duties, such as taking or transcribing dictation, typing or proofreading correspondence, distributing or filing official forms, or scheduling appointments.
  • Respond to requests for information from the public, other municipalities, state officials, or state and federal legislative offices.
  • Instruct parties about timing of court appearances.
  • Coordinate or maintain office tracking systems for correspondence or follow-up actions.
  • Train other workers or coordinate their work, as necessary.
  • Research information in the municipal archives upon request of public officials or private citizens.
  • Perform contract administration duties, assisting with bid openings or the awarding of contracts.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$35,946
25th percentile
$40,552
50th percentile
$48,671
75th percentile
$61,152
90th percentile
$75,866

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $48,671 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+5.5%average or slower
2025184,291 jobs
2035 projected194,483 jobs

10,192 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less
52.5%
Some college
17.7%
Associate degree
13.1%
Bachelor's degree
10.9%
Master's or Professional degree
3.4%
Certificate
2.4%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Legal Hearings
  • Data Entry
  • Office Equipment
  • Docketing (Court)
  • Court Procedures
  • Court Proceedings
  • Accounting
  • Administrative Support
  • Case Management
  • General Mathematics
  • Court Systems
  • Punctuation and Capitalization
  • Cash Register
  • Legal Pleadings
  • Case Management Systems
  • Office Procedures
  • Bookkeeping
  • Notary Services
  • Deposit Accounts
  • Lifting Ability

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Court Clerks948 postings
  2. 02Deputy Clerks534 postings
  3. 03Deputy Clerks of Court456 postings
  4. 04Driver's License Examiners343 postings
  5. 05Deli Clerks237 postings
  6. 06District Court Clerks223 postings
  7. 07Courtroom Clerks213 postings
  8. 08Municipal Court Clerks187 postings
  9. 09Clerks180 postings
  10. 10Records Clerks164 postings
  11. 11Medical Assistants/X-Ray Techs158 postings
  12. 12Judicial Assistants145 postings
  13. 13Deputy City Clerks135 postings
  14. 14City Clerks123 postings
  15. 15Office Assistants105 postings
  16. 16Assistant Crew Chiefs103 postings
  17. 17Deputy District Clerks99 postings
  18. 18Dishroom Clerks96 postings
  19. 19Case Management Assistants93 postings
  20. 20Deputy County Clerks89 postings

Top employers

  1. 01Kroger623 postings
  2. 02Hy-Vee166 postings
  3. 03Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania136 postings
  4. 04Supreme Court Of Virginia114 postings
  5. 05Maryland Judiciary107 postings
  6. 06State of Missouri100 postings
  7. 07Big Y Foods95 postings
  8. 08State of South Carolina90 postings
  9. 09State Of Alaska83 postings
  10. 10Johnson & Johnson78 postings
  11. 11Tarrant County65 postings
  12. 12State of Nebraska64 postings
  13. 13Bexar County61 postings
  14. 14King Soopers60 postings
  15. 15United States Federal Judiciary60 postings
  16. 16Smith's Food And Drug59 postings
  17. 17Encompass Health58 postings
  18. 18Judicial Department57 postings
  19. 19Pick And Save55 postings
  20. 20Judicial Branch52 postings

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