Law Clerk salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a law clerk is $69,900 per annum, before tax, up $14,500 since 2018.
- Pay depends heavily on the employer: a top-tier or mid-tier firm generally pays more than a suburban practice, and government and in-house legal teams set their own bands under an enterprise agreement.
- Clerks working part-time while they study earn pro rata, and some firms pay casual loading instead of paid leave.
- Experience and the area of law move pay more than the job title does, so two law clerks with the same title can be on quite different rates.
The median salary rose by $14,500 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than law clerk
The largest typical pay rise is $37,700 a year, moving into Solicitor.
- Solicitor+$37,700/yr
- Trust Officer+$20,100/yr
- Legal Executive+$15,900/yr
How to negotiate a higher law clerk salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time law clerk salary is $69,900; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Legal research and Drafting and contracts tend to command a premium over general law clerk experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Solicitor pays a typical $37,700 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Law Clerk salary questions
How much do law clerks earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a law clerk is $69,900 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is law clerk pay rising or falling?
The median law clerk salary is up $14,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than law clerk?
Solicitor pays a typical $37,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to law clerk.
Related salaries
- Solicitor salary
- Legal Executive salary
- Legal Secretary salary
- Conveyancer salary
- Trust Officer salary
- Paralegal salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.