Maryland Circuit Court Clerks Approved For Nearly $27K Salary Increase

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Elected circuit court clerks across Maryland are in line for salary increases of nearly $27,000 beginning Dec. 1, after the Maryland Board of Public Works signed off on a statewide pay adjustment tied to a new state law.

The board approved the updated salary schedule for all 24 of Maryland’s circuit court clerks during its July 1 meeting, acting on a recommendation from the State Court Administrator. The increases are funded in the fiscal 2027 state budget and take effect when newly elected clerks begin their next four-year terms on Dec. 1.

Under the approved schedule, clerks in Calvert County and St. Mary’s County will see their annual salaries rise from $143,600 to $170,482 — a $26,882 increase. The Charles County circuit court clerk will see a nearly identical bump, from $144,750 to $171,632, also a $26,882 increase.

What Changed In The Law

The increases stem from Senate Bill 471, passed during the 2026 legislative session, which amended Section 2-504 of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. The law replaced the previous maximum salary of $146,500 with a new maximum tied to the salary of a state employee at Grade 26, Step 20 of Maryland’s Standard and Bargaining Salary Scale in effect the day before a clerk begins a new term. The Board of Public Works continues to set each clerk’s salary based on the relative volume of business and receipts handled by the clerk’s office. The bill, which also updated the maximum salaries for the state’s registers of wills, takes effect Oct. 1, 2026, although the salary increases will not apply to incumbent clerks until the beginning of their next terms.

Salary tiers continue to reflect jurisdiction size, workload and revenue collected under classifications established by the Comptroller’s Office for large, medium-large, medium and small circuit courts. Under Article III, Section 35 of the Maryland Constitution, clerk salaries may be adjusted only once every four years, following each election cycle. The Board of Public Works last approved salary adjustments in May 2022.

Why The Raise, And Why Now

Circuit court clerks maintain court records, process civil and criminal case filings, collect court fees and fines, and support the day-to-day operations of Maryland’s circuit courts. According to the Administrative Office of the Courts, larger jurisdictions require more staff, judges and courtrooms, while clerks in smaller jurisdictions often perform multiple operational duties because of smaller office staffs.

Under the Maryland Constitution, clerk salaries can only be adjusted once every four years, following each election cycle. The Board of Public Works last raised clerk salaries in May 2022.

Southern Maryland Circuit Court Clerk Salaries

County	Current Salary	New Salary (Effective Dec. 1, 2026)	Increase
Calvert	$143,600	$170,482	$26,882
Charles	$144,750	$171,632	$26,882
St. Mary’s	$143,600	$170,482	$26,882

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