Jury Duty Pay in Nebraska

About Jury Duty in Nebraska

Nebraska stands out as a Great Plains state with both good pay ($35/day) and mandatory employer-paid leave. Employers must continue regular wages during jury service for employees who have worked at least one month — a protection more common in coastal states and unusual in the heartland.

How Jury Pay Works

Nebraska uses a flat $35/day rate under Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-1640. Employers must pay regular wages for all days of jury service for employees with at least one month of tenure. The one-month threshold is among the lowest in the country — far more inclusive than Tennessee’s six-month requirement. Mileage reimbursement typically follows the federal GSA rate. Nebraska is a “one day or one trial” state.

The Unicameral Legacy

Nebraska is the only state with a unicameral (single-chamber) legislature. This unique political structure has, over the years, produced some unusually thoughtful jury policies. The combination of a solid state rate with a broad employer mandate — in a state not generally associated with expansive labor protections — reflects a pragmatic, non-ideological approach to governance that the unicameral system facilitates.

The employer mandate’s one-month tenure threshold is notably worker-friendly. It means that even relatively new employees are protected, unlike Tennessee’s six-month requirement or Louisiana’s single-day employer obligation.

The Rural Factor

Nebraska’s 93 counties are mostly rural. The state has roughly 1.9 million people spread across 77,000 square miles — a population density of about 25 people per square mile. In this context, jury service often involves substantial travel. The combination of $35/day state pay plus employer-paid wages plus mileage reimbursement means Nebraska jurors are among the best-compensated in rural America.

How Nebraska Compares

Nebraska’s $35/day is one of the highest rates in the Midwest, and the employer mandate puts it in rare company with Colorado, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Neighboring Iowa pays $30/day without an employer mandate, and Kansas pays just $10/day. Federal jurors in Nebraska’s single district receive $50/day — a smaller gap than in most states thanks to Nebraska’s solid state rate. The combination makes Nebraska arguably the most juror-friendly state between Chicago and Denver, a distinction that reflects the state’s quiet pragmatism rather than any high-profile reform movement. For working Nebraskans called to jury service, the dual-compensation model means the financial disruption that plagues jurors in neighboring states is largely absent.

Statute: Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-1674 — Official source