Court Administrator: Salary and Career Facts

<p>The duties of a court administrator vary, but generally involve making sure the court runs efficiently. Their primary responsibility is to run the daily business of the court. They track trial dates, enter judgement and manage various records of the court. These professionals work closely with court judges, attorneys and clients as they go between parties to deliver different court documents. Court administrators may process lawsuit filings, summonses and writs. Their job utilizes technology and computer software to maintain and organize a multitude of court documents. They work at the different court levels, such as county and state courts. The following chart gives you an overview about entering this field. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td><b>Degree Required</b></td><td> Bachelor's degree</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Education Field of Study</b></td><td> Business administration, criminal justice or related field</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Key Responsibilities</b></td><td> Manage court budget and expenses; supervise and administer administrative functions of the courthouse; manage building resources; hire and supervise administrative personnel</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Certification</b></td><td> Certified Court Manager (CCM) and the Certified Court Executive (CCE) are preferred by employers</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Projected Job Growth (2020-2030)</b></td><td> 6% for court, municipal and license clerks*</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Median Salary (2021)</b></td><td> $58,421**</td></tr> </table><p><i>Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, **PayScale.com</i> </p> <h3 id="section---WhatIsACourtAdministrator">What Is a Court Administrator?</h3> <p>A court administrator, or manager, performs a variety of activities to ensure that the court system, government agency or bureau where they're employed functions smoothly on a regular basis. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), they may administer tests, collect fees, conduct research, draft bylaws, issue licenses, maintain records, prepare case dockets and respond to correspondence (<i>www.bls.gov</i>). </p> <h3 id="section---WhatEducationAndTrainingShouldIExplore">What Education and Training Should I Explore?</h3> <p>In order to become a court administrator, you will need to have a bachelor's degree in business administration, criminal justice or related field. You will also need to have five years of experience in court operations. </p> <p>The Administrative Office of the United States Courts offers onsite career training and professional development courses on a monthly basis (<i>www.uscourts.gov</i>). In addition to new employee orientations, course topics include business and legal writing, research and computer software training, project management and mentoring as well as leadership development and team-building. Additional training is offered through outside agencies, the Judiciary On-line University and the Federal Judicial Television Network. </p> <p>The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) also provides two court management certification programs, the Certified Court Manager (CCM) and the Certified Court Executive (CCE) (<i>www.ncsc.org</i>). Once these two certification programs have been completed, the NCSC indicates that you would have the necessary core skills to work within this field. The CCM program includes topics such as case management, court standards, financial issues, human resources and technology. The CCE program covers areas involving court communication, leadership, training and development and strategic planning. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatSalaryMightIEarn">What Salary Might I Earn?</h3> <p>In general, your salary will be determined by factors such as where you work, years of experience, education and skill level. <i>PayScale.com</i> reported in November 2021 that the median wage for a court administrator was $58,421. </p> <h3 id="section---WhatAreSomeRelatedAlternativeCareers">What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?</h3> <p>Human resources specialists and labor relations specialists are a couple of similar positions that require a bachelor's degree. Human resources specialists are responsible for recruiting, interviewing and hiring employees. They may also help train newly hired workers, as well as set them up with their benefits and pay. Labor relations specialists work with labor contracts. They may be required to oversee and interpret these contracts. They examine contracts for things like wages, pension, healthcare and more.</p>