Court, Municipal, and License Clerks

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.

What you'd actually do

• 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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

The work is mostly indoors; you're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 1% of court, municipal, and license clerks are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused, take-charge and people-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a court, municipal, and license clerk make?

The median pay is $23.41 per hour — roughly $48,500 a year, with the real range running from about $17.45/hr (10th percentile) to $35.49/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a court, municipal, and license clerk?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a court, municipal, and license clerk actually do all day?

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.