Law Clerk salary in Chicago, IL
Based on 35 certified H-1B filings in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Northbrook, Libertyville, Palatine, Schaumburg.
Also listed as: Judicial Law Clerk
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $51,392 |
| 25th | $54,860 |
| 50th (median) | $59,000 |
| 75th | $66,051 |
| 90th | $102,400 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 5 |
| FY2022 | – | – | – | 6 |
| FY2023 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2024 | $60,965 | $57,480 | $61,350 | 12 |
| FY2025 | $53,000 | $51,490 | $59,463 | 15 |
| FY2026 | $65,270 | $58,435 | $83,200 | 20 |
Cost of living
Chicago's median Law Clerk salary of $59,000 is worth about $57,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Chicago = 103.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Judicial Law Clerks in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $66,640 in May 2025 (160 employed). The H-1B median here is $59,000, 11% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Law Offices Of Metin Serbest | too few | 5 |
| Help Law Offices | too few | 3 |
| Mandarich Law Group | too few | 3 |
| Baniassadi Law Group, P.C. | too few | 2 |
| Yellow Law Group | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | too few | 3 |
| Senior · Level III | $58,500 | 11 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 5 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior · Level III | $58,074 | $58,500 | 11 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.