History

• Early Massachusetts colonies began choosing town clerks in the 17th century. The clerk of the Plymouth Colony also served as the first town clerk when Plymouth began keeping separate town records in 1636. The Massachusetts Bay Colony's legislature passed a law in 1639 requiring each town to keep records of births and deaths. Plymouth Colony's legislature passed a similar act in the 1640s. Both colonies set the same fee for the service. Plymouth's law states "the Clarke or some one in every towne" should keep the record.
  
  

Considerations

• The Massachusetts Town Clerks Association calculates average salaries based on the size of the community and whether the clerk works full-time or part-time. In some towns, where voters still elect the clerk, voters at the annual town meeting set the clerk's salary for the next year. In others, town management hires a town clerk and sets his salary just as it hires other administrators. In larger towns and cities, the clerk is a department head who supervises other employees. Salaries don't always reflect full compensation for town clerks, as some receive a share of fees for services.
  
  

Small Towns

• Annual salaries for part-time clerks in 32 towns with fewer than 2,000 residents ranged from $840 to $33,573 for the fiscal year that ended in June 2010, according to a survey by the clerks' association, and averaged $12,687. None of those small towns had a full-time clerk. In towns with 2,001 to 5,000 residents, nine full-time town clerks received an average salary of $52,069 and 17 part-time clerks averaged $27,159. In towns with 5,001 to 10,000 residents, 38 full-time town clerks averaged $53,381 while 21 part-timers averaged $37,058.
  
  

Large Towns

• In towns with 10,001 to 15,000 residents, the association survey found an average salary of $59,217 for 31 full-time town clerks and $45,294 for four part-time clerks. The average climbed to $64,306 for full-time clerks in towns with 15,001 to 25,000 residents and $75,057 for full-time clerks in towns with more than 25,000 residents. A few larger towns still have part-time clerks. They averaged $45,256 in towns with 15,001 to 25,000 residents. Only two towns with more than 25,000 residents had part-time clerks. Their salaries ranged from $19,500 to $66,107, for an average of $42,803.