The judges of the Court of Criminal Appeals are hereby authorized to appoint and employ a clerk, an assistant clerk, an executions clerk and five secretaries. Such clerk shall serve as confidential assistant and such assistant clerk, executions clerk and secretaries shall serve as confidential secretaries in the same manner and to the same extent as other confidential assistants and confidential secretaries employed in the state service, shall perform such duties as may be required by the judges of the court and shall be subject to the Merit System Act only as to the pay plan.

The salary of the clerk shall be fixed under the provisions of the merit system in the same pay range as that of attorneys in the highest classification of attorneys in the classified service, and the salary of the assistant clerk shall be fixed under the provisions of the merit system in the same pay range as that of attorneys in the next-to-highest classification of attorneys in the classified service, and these salaries shall be payable as the salaries of other state officers and employees are paid.