Here is how jury duty pay works in plain terms: federal courts pay $50 per day for attendance, with the rate rising to as much as $60 per day for longer trials or extended grand jury service, while state and local courts set their own rates that range from a few dollars a day up to amounts comparable to federal pay. Most courts also reimburse travel and certain other expenses, your job is protected by federal law while you serve, and whatever the court pays you counts as taxable income.
Federal Daily Rate
Federal jurors earn a flat $50 attendance fee for every day they physically appear at the courthouse, including the travel days at the start and end of service.1United States Courts. Juror Pay The number of hours you spend in court on a given day doesn’t change the fee.
Longer service bumps the pay up. If you’re a trial (petit) juror on a case that stretches beyond ten days, the judge can authorize up to $60 per day starting on day eleven. Grand jurors get the same increase after forty-five days of actual service.1United States Courts. Juror Pay Grand jury terms can last up to eighteen months, with jurors typically sitting one day per week, so that increase adds up over time.
State and Local Court Rates
State jury pay varies enormously. Some states pay as little as $5 to $15 per day, and a handful don’t guarantee any daily payment at all for the first day or two of service. Other states set rates closer to the federal $50 level. Rules differ by state and sometimes by county, so the summons you receive or the court clerk’s office is the most reliable source for your specific rate.
The practical takeaway: don’t count on jury pay to replace your regular income, especially in state court. It’s a token acknowledgment of your time, not a substitute paycheck.
Expense Reimbursements on Top of the Daily Fee
Federal courts reimburse reasonable transportation costs and, in some locations, parking fees.1United States Courts. Juror Pay If service requires overnight stays, federal jurors receive a subsistence allowance based on the government’s per diem rates for that area. The standard federal per diem for fiscal year 2026 is $178 per day ($110 for lodging plus $68 for meals and incidentals), with higher rates in expensive cities.
State courts handle reimbursements differently. Some cover mileage at a set per-mile rate, others reimburse public transit fares, and a few offer nothing beyond the daily attendance fee. Childcare reimbursement exists in some jurisdictions but is far from universal. Check your summons or the court’s website for what’s covered and what documentation you need to submit.
Will Your Employer Keep Paying You
Federal law makes it illegal for any employer to fire, threaten, intimidate, or punish a permanent employee because of federal jury service.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 US Code 1875 – Protection of Jurors Employment A juror whose employer retaliates can sue in federal court for lost wages, reinstatement, and attorneys’ fees. Most states have similar protections for employees called to serve in state courts.
Being protected from firing is not the same as a right to be paid. Federal law does not require private employers to pay your regular wages during jury service.3U.S. Department of Labor. Jury Duty Whether your normal paycheck keeps arriving depends on your employer’s policy and your state’s law.
Salaried (Exempt) Employees
If you’re classified as an exempt salaried employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act, your employer cannot dock your weekly pay for days missed due to jury duty. Deducting from an exempt employee’s salary for jury-related absences would violate the salary-basis test.4eCFR. 29 CFR 541.602 – Salary Basis Your employer is allowed, however, to offset the jury fees you receive against your salary for that week. So if you earn $1,200 a week and collect $250 in jury fees, your employer can pay you $950 for that week rather than $1,200. Your total compensation stays the same; it just comes from two sources.
Hourly and Non-Exempt Employees
Hourly workers have no federal right to be paid for hours spent at the courthouse instead of at work.3U.S. Department of Labor. Jury Duty About a dozen states and the District of Columbia require private employers to pay employees for at least part of their jury service, but most states leave it to the employer’s discretion. Among the states that do mandate pay, requirements range from one day of full wages to the first five days of service, sometimes with the employer allowed to deduct whatever the court pays. Check your state’s labor laws and your company’s employee handbook before you serve.
Taxes on Jury Duty Pay
The IRS treats jury duty fees as taxable income. You report the amount on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 8h, under “Other Income.”5Internal Revenue Service. Schedule 1 (Form 1040) – Additional Income and Adjustments to Income The income is taxable regardless of the amount. If your total jury pay for the year reaches $600 or more, the court should send you a Form 1099-MISC, but you owe tax on the income even if no form arrives.6Internal Revenue Service. About Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Information
Reimbursements for actual expenses like mileage, parking, and meals are not taxable income, because they cover costs you incurred rather than compensation for your time.
One situation trips people up. If your employer pays your full salary during jury service but requires you to hand over the jury fees you received from the court, you still report the full jury pay as income on line 8h. You then claim a matching deduction on Schedule 1, line 24a, which zeroes it out so you aren’t taxed twice on the same money.7Internal Revenue Service. Adjustments to Income – Jury Duty Pay Miss that deduction and you’ll overpay your taxes by whatever amount you turned over.
If the Pay Isn’t Enough and You Can’t Serve
Low jury pay is one of the most common reasons people ask to postpone or get out of service. Courts distinguish between a deferral, which postpones service to a later date, and an excuse, which releases you from serving entirely. Excuses are harder to get, and both are granted at the court’s discretion and cannot be appealed.8United States Courts. Juror Qualifications, Exemptions and Excuses
The legal standard is “undue hardship or extreme inconvenience.” Financial hardship from lost wages can qualify, though courts vary widely in how sympathetic they are to that argument. Each of the 94 federal district courts sets its own policies, and state courts add another layer of variation.8United States Courts. Juror Qualifications, Exemptions and Excuses Some courts permanently excuse people over age 70, anyone who served on a federal jury within the past two years, and volunteer firefighters or emergency responders. Contact the court listed on your summons as early as possible; waiting until the day you’re supposed to appear makes a favorable outcome much less likely.
Simply skipping out carries its own costs. Under federal law, a juror who can’t show good cause for failing to appear faces a fine of up to $1,000, up to three days in jail, community service, or any combination of the three.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 US Code 1866 – Selection and Summoning of Jury Panels State courts impose their own penalties along similar lines. Whatever you think of the daily rate, that math rarely works in your favor.