Guide 24 · Article
Jury Duty Pay in Texas (2026): $20 First Day, $58 After — Not $6
En español: En los tribunales estatales de Texas, el jurado cobra $20 el primer día y $58 cada día siguiente — esa es la ley desde el 1 de septiembre de 2023 (HB 3474). La cifra de “$6 al día” que circula en internet es la tarifa vieja, anterior a 2023. En tribunales federales son $50/día (hasta $60 tras 10 días). Tu empleador no puede despedirte por servir, pero la ley de Texas no le obliga a pagarte el sueldo durante el servicio.
Quick Answer: In Texas state courts, jurors are paid $20 for the first day and $58 for each day after — that has been the law since September 1, 2023 (HB 3474, Texas Government Code §61.001). The “$6 a day” figure repeated all over the internet is the old pre-2023 rate, and it is wrong. In federal court in Texas, jurors get $50/day, rising to up to $60/day after 10 days. Some counties pay more than the state minimum, so your summons and your county's jury page have your exact amount.
Somewhere on your kitchen counter there is an envelope with a jury summons in it, and the first thing everyone asks is: “How much does it pay?” Google it and half the internet will tell you six dollars a day. That answer was true — until 2023. Here is what Texas actually pays now, straight from the statute.
Texas state court vs. federal court
| Court | First day | Each day after | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas state court (county & district courts) | $20 | $58 | State minimum set by Texas Government Code §61.001. Your county commissioners court sets the exact amount within the law and some counties pay more than the minimum. |
| Federal court (U.S. District Courts in Texas) | $50 | $50 — up to $60 after 10 days | Per uscourts.gov: petit jurors can get up to $60/day after 10 days if the presiding judge orders it; grand jurors reach up to $60/day after 45 days. Mileage and parking reimbursements may also apply. |
Two details worth knowing. First, the state rate is paid to anyone who reports for jury service in response to a summons — the statute pays you for showing up, whether or not you are picked for a trial. Second, the $20/$58 figures are minimums (“not less than,” in the statute's words), paid out of your county's jury fund. The state reimburses counties part of the cost, and counties may set juror pay above the floor — which is why your neighbor in the next county over might get a different amount.
Why everyone still says $6
Because for decades, $6 was real. Until August 31, 2023, Texas Government Code §61.001 paid jurors $6 for the first day and $40 for each day after — amounts so old they became the joke everyone repeats about jury duty. Then the Texas Legislature passed HB 3474, and effective September 1, 2023, the first-day rate more than tripled to $20 and the daily rate rose to $58. You can watch the change happen in the bill text itself: the old “$6” and “$40” are struck through and replaced with “$20” and “$58.”
The problem is everything written before that date. Old articles, forum posts, Reddit threads and AI answers trained on them still quote $6 as if nothing changed. Lawmakers changed the number in 2023; the internet never got the memo. If a page about Texas jury pay does not mention 2023 or HB 3474, its numbers are history, not law.
Your job is protected — your paycheck is not
The money question has a second half: what happens to your regular job while you serve? Texas law draws a clear line here.
- Your employer cannot fire you for jury duty. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §122.001 says an employer may not discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce a permanent employee because the employee serves as a juror — in any court in the United States — and an employee who is fired anyway is entitled to get the same job back by notifying the employer promptly after release from service.
- Your employer does NOT have to pay your wages. Texas law does not require private employers to keep paying you while you serve. Many employers pay some or all of your salary voluntarily as a company policy — check your employee handbook or ask HR before your service date. If they don't, the court's $20/$58 is all that comes in for those days.
- Tell your employer early. Give notice as soon as you get the summons, keep a copy of it, and ask the court clerk for a work excuse or proof of service when you report — most employers want the paperwork, and courts hand it out routinely.
FAQ
Q: How much is jury duty pay in Texas in 2026?
A: $20 for the first day and $58 for each day after, in Texas state courts. That has been the state minimum since September 1, 2023, under Texas Government Code §61.001 (HB 3474). Counties set the exact amount and some pay more, so check your summons.
Q: Is jury duty pay in Texas really $6 a day?
A: Not anymore. $6 for the first day (and $40 after) was the rate until August 31, 2023. HB 3474 raised it to $20/$58 effective September 1, 2023, but old articles and forums still repeat the $6 figure.
Q: Does my employer have to pay me during jury duty in Texas?
A: No. Texas law does not require private employers to pay your wages while you serve, though many do voluntarily — check your employee handbook. What the law does require (Civil Practice & Remedies Code §122.001) is that your employer cannot fire, threaten, or coerce you for serving, and must take you back when you return promptly.
Q: How much do federal court jurors get paid in Texas?
A: $50 per day, according to uscourts.gov. Petit jurors can receive up to $60 per day after 10 days of service if the presiding judge orders it; grand jurors reach up to $60 per day after 45 days. Mileage and parking reimbursements may also apply.
Sources: Texas Government Code §61.001 · HB 3474 (88th Legislature) · Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §122.001 · uscourts.gov — Juror Pay
By Sadiq Khan
Go deeper: for steadier income than a summons, see Side Hustles — or its Texas cousin, Substitute Teacher Pay in Texas.