How Much Do You Get Paid for Jury Duty? State-by-State Guide

How much do you get paid for jury duty? At the federal level, jurors receive $50 per day (rising to $60 per day after 10 days on longer trials). But most jury duty happens in state courts, where pay varies wildly — from $5 a day in some states to $50+ in others, with many states paying nothing at all for the first day or two. Your employer may or may not continue your salary during service. This guide covers federal versus state pay, which states pay best (and worst), employer obligations, and the real financial impact of serving.

Federal Jury Duty Pay

• Days 1-10: $50 per day
• Day 11+: $60 per day (for petit jurors on extended trials)
• Grand jurors: $60 per day after 45 days of service
• Mileage: reimbursed at the federal mileage rate, plus tolls and parking

Federal trials are relatively rare for most citizens — the vast majority serve in state or local courts.

State Jury Duty Pay: The Full Spectrum

State pay is a patchwork. Representative examples:

Higher-paying states

• Colorado: $50/day (starting day 4; first 3 days unpaid unless employer does not compensate)
• Connecticut: $50/day (employer pays first 5 days in full)
• New York: $40/day (employer pays $40/day for first 3 days for most employees)
• California: $15/day starting day 2, plus mileage

Lower-paying states

• Texas: $6 for day 1, then $40/day from day 2
• Florida: $15/day (only for jurors not regularly employed)
• Illinois: varies by county, often $10-$25/day
• South Carolina: $10/day

Many states pay nothing for the first day or only reimburse expenses. Check your specific county court website — pay rules often vary even within a state. The U.S. Courts system publishes federal rates; state courts publish their own schedules.

Will Your Employer Keep Paying You?

This is the question that actually determines your financial hit:

• Federal law: employers cannot fire or punish you for jury service, but federal law does not require them to pay you during it
• State laws vary: a handful of states (including Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Tennessee) require employers to pay some or all of regular wages during service — usually for a limited number of days
• Most employers voluntarily pay: surveys show roughly 60 percent of large employers continue full salary during jury duty, often offset by requiring you to turn over the court’s stipend
• Small businesses: less likely to offer paid jury leave; check your employee handbook

If your employer does not pay and the court pays $15/day, a week of service costs you real money. If you are between jobs, also review how to qualify for unemployment — jury duty itself does not affect benefits, but the underlying job situation might.

The Real Cost of Serving

For a salaried employee whose company continues pay: jury duty costs nothing but time. For hourly workers without paid leave, the math stings:

• 5 days at $15/hour, unpaid by employer, $15/day court pay: $600 in lost wages minus $75 court pay = $525 out of pocket
• Self-employed: lost billable time with zero employer offset — potentially thousands on a long trial
• Childcare and commuting: real added costs the stipend rarely covers

Long trials (weeks to months) can be financially devastating for hourly and gig workers. Courts do consider financial hardship excuses — if service would cause severe hardship, you can request deferral or excusal with documentation.

Getting Excused, Deferred, or Postponed

• Deferral: most courts let you postpone service once to a better date, often by phone or online — the easiest option
• Excusal for hardship: requires showing that service causes undue financial or personal hardship; granted case by case
• Automatic exemptions: vary by state — often include active military, full-time students, primary caregivers, and those over 70-75
• What does NOT work: simply ignoring the summons. Failure to appear can trigger fines ($100 to $1,000+) or even contempt charges. Always respond.

How Jury Selection Actually Works

Being summoned does not mean serving. The process:

1. Summons: you are called to the courthouse (many courts now use on-call systems — phone in the night before)
2. Waiting: most summoned jurors never reach a courtroom; cases settle or plead out
3. Voir dire: attorneys question potential jurors; both sides can dismiss limited numbers without cause (peremptory challenges) plus unlimited dismissals for cause
4. Service: if selected, you serve for the trial’s duration — typically 1 to 5 days, occasionally weeks

Statistically, most people summoned spend one day waiting and go home. The multi-week trials that make headlines are rare.

Jury Duty and Your Job Rights

Beyond pay, know your protections:

• Employers cannot fire, demote, or penalize you for serving (federal Jury Systems Improvement Act + state laws)
• Many states require employers to give you your job back afterward
• Keep your summons and certificate of service as documentation
• If an employer retaliates, state labor agencies and employment attorneys take these cases seriously

Unlike financial processes such as bankruptcy, which you choose to enter, jury duty is a civic obligation — but the law at least ensures it cannot cost you your job.

Jury Duty for Self-Employed and Gig Workers

Freelancers, contractors, and gig workers face the harshest jury-duty economics: every service day is a day of zero earnings with no employer to offset it. Courts recognize this — financial hardship deferrals are most commonly granted to the self-employed who can document lost income. If you are summoned during a critical project, request a deferral to a slower period rather than risking the work. Keep records of your typical daily earnings to support a hardship claim if needed. Unlike employees, you cannot be “fired” for serving, but the income hit is entirely yours. Some professionals carry business-interruption awareness into scheduling: if you know your county calls jurors in a particular month, keep that period light on client commitments.

Tax Treatment Details

Jury pay counts as ordinary income — report it on your tax return (it may appear on a 1099-MISC if it exceeds $600, though most jury pay falls below that threshold). If your employer continued your salary and required you to remit the court stipend, you can deduct the remitted amount as an adjustment to income. Keep your certificate of service and any pay stubs. The IRS guidance on jury duty pay confirms the taxable status and deduction rules — worth a read before filing season if you served.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is jury duty pay taxable?

Yes — the IRS considers it taxable income. If your employer continues your salary and requires you to hand over the court stipend, you may deduct the turned-over amount.

How often can you be called?

Most states limit service to once every 1 to 3 years. Federal courts generally excuse you for 2 years after serving.

What should I bring?

Your summons, ID, something to read (phones are often restricted in courtrooms), and patience. Dress business casual — many courts enforce dress codes.

Can I volunteer for jury duty?

Generally no — jurors are drawn randomly from voter registration and DMV records. You cannot sign up.

The Bottom Line

Jury duty pays $50/day federally but often $10 to $40/day in state courts — sometimes nothing on day one. Whether it hurts financially depends almost entirely on your employer’s jury-leave policy, which federal law does not mandate. Know your state’s rate, check your handbook before you serve, request a deferral if the timing is terrible, and never ignore a summons. It is a genuine civic duty — just one worth understanding with eyes open.