How much do judges make?

Judge salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates (SOC 23-1023) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Judges in the US earned a median of $153,990 a year ($74.03 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $85,710 to $194,950.

Median annual pay: $153,990; Mean $143,830
Median hourly pay: $74.03; Mean $69.15
Typical range (10th–90th): $47.0K–$222K; $46,950 to $221,710
US jobs: 24,030; +2.8% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a judge: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Rhode Island

Judge pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$46,950
25th percentile$85,710
Median$153,990
75th percentile$194,950
90th percentile$221,710

Half of all judges earned more than $153,990 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $46,950; the top 10% made over $221,710. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $85,710 to $194,950.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$46,950	$22.57	$3,913
25th	$85,710	$41.21	$7,143
Median (50th)	$153,990	$74.03	$12,833
75th	$194,950	$93.73	$16,246
90th	$221,710	$106.59	$18,476
Mean (average)	$143,830	$69.15	$11,986

Judge salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for judges by state. Darker tiles pay more. A dash means BLS did not publish a figure.

Highest-paying states

1. Rhode Island $239,760
2. Massachusetts $221,710
3. Connecticut $217,760
4. New York $216,390
5. Hawaii $211,810

Lowest-paying states

41. Mississippi $49,960
40. Michigan $51,210
39. Alabama $52,850
38. West Virginia $63,240
37. Wisconsin $76,620

Best after cost of living: Rhode Island. Its median of $239,760 is worth about $234,415 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$52,850	39	$59,500	39	$25.41	560	0.27
Alaska	$183,310	14	$179,085	17	$88.13	140	0.44
Arizona	$93,280	32	$92,653	34	$44.85	590	0.18
Arkansas	—	—	—	—	—	240	0.19
California	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Colorado	$198,790	10	$192,903	10	$95.57	620	0.21
Connecticut	$217,760	3	$210,173	5	$104.69	230	0.14
Delaware	$131,340	28	$131,593	27	$63.14	120	0.25
District of Columbia	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Florida	$186,040	13	$179,898	16	$89.44	1,380	0.14
Georgia	$133,660	27	$138,806	26	$64.26	1,190	0.24
Hawaii	$211,810	5	$192,640	12	$101.83	120	0.19
Idaho	$172,920	16	$181,079	15	$83.13	250	0.29
Illinois	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Indiana	$183,000	15	$196,081	9	$87.98	790	0.24
Iowa	$147,510	24	$168,080	18	$70.92	410	0.26
Kansas	$148,910	23	$165,331	22	$71.59	420	0.29
Kentucky	$150,650	22	$167,094	19	$72.43	370	0.18
Louisiana	$83,040	36	$94,142	32	$39.93	180	0.09
Maine	$161,470	21	$166,378	21	$77.63	100	0.15
Maryland	$172,190	17	$164,055	23	$82.78	170	0.06
Massachusetts	$221,710	2	$209,641	6	$106.59	610	0.17
Michigan	$51,210	40	$53,223	41	$24.62	570	0.13
Minnesota	$190,110	12	$192,768	11	$91.40	590	0.20
Mississippi	$49,960	41	$57,456	40	$24.02	360	0.31
Missouri	—	—	—	—	—	600	0.20
Montana	$84,630	35	$89,418	36	$40.69	70	0.14
Nebraska	$208,180	7	$231,047	2	$100.09	160	0.16
Nevada	$166,360	20	$166,395	20	$79.98	90	0.06
New Hampshire	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
New Jersey	$204,160	9	$187,638	14	$98.15	920	0.21
New Mexico	$205,400	8	$222,748	4	$98.75	250	0.28
New York	$216,390	4	$200,508	7	$104.03	2,270	0.23
North Carolina	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
North Dakota	$171,100	18	$192,336	13	$82.26	130	0.29
Ohio	$95,260	31	$102,680	31	$45.80	1,720	0.31
Oklahoma	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Oregon	$166,400	19	$160,989	24	$80.00	40	0.02
Pennsylvania	$110,580	29	$113,332	29	$53.16	—	—
Rhode Island	$239,760	1	$234,415	1	$115.27	120	0.24
South Carolina	$86,210	34	$91,958	35	$41.45	670	0.29
South Dakota	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Tennessee	$208,350	6	$226,788	3	$100.17	420	0.13
Texas	$139,990	25	$144,235	25	$67.30	2,770	0.20
Utah	$92,780	33	$93,846	33	$44.60	100	0.06
Vermont	$194,170	11	$198,218	8	$93.35	80	0.27
Virginia	$104,000	30	$102,864	30	$50.00	1,270	0.31
Washington	$134,270	26	$125,471	28	$64.55	1,040	0.29
West Virginia	$63,240	38	$70,662	38	$30.40	350	0.49
Wisconsin	$76,620	37	$81,428	37	$36.84	130	0.05
Wyoming	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (10 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for judges

98 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	$229,760	$225,757	150
Longview-Kelso, WA	$228,330	$234,077	40
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$221,710	$204,783	420
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$218,190	$226,484	200
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$217,760	$211,940	100
Albuquerque, NM	$216,220	$226,299	80
Lincoln, NE	$208,180	$227,318	40
Omaha, NE-IA	$208,180	$226,502	90
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ	$204,160	$206,521	50
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$204,160	$181,374	1,280

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	1,280	$204,160	$181,374
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	710	$153,990	$157,027
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	550	$144,790	$144,706
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	550	$135,180	$121,638
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	480	$135,430	$137,313
Cleveland, OH	440	$80,020	$85,197
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	430	—	—
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	420	$221,710	$204,783
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	420	$186,580	$177,997
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	380	$104,000	$95,514

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves judge pay: employers and settings

Level of court explains most of the pay gap among judges. State government judges, who sit on general trial courts and appellate courts, have a median of $176,500. Local government judges, including county, municipal and justice-of-the-peace judges and many magistrates, have a median of $102,460. Many local posts are part time or limited to traffic, small claims and minor criminal cases, and in some states they do not require a law degree, which pulls the low end of the range down.

Judicial pay is set by law or by budget rather than negotiated, so it changes when legislatures or county boards act. That means experience on the bench matters less than which court you sit on and in which state.

State differences are large. Rhode Island has the highest median at $239,760, and it still ranks first after living costs at $234,415. Next come Massachusetts at $221,710, Connecticut at $217,760, New York at $216,390, and Hawaii at $211,810. At the bottom are Alabama at $52,850, Michigan at $51,210, and Mississippi at $49,960. BLS does not split state figures by court level.

Across the occupation, pay runs from $46,950, the 10th percentile, to $221,710, the 90th.

Where judges work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	54.6%	$176,500
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	45.4%	$102,460

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	13,130	$176,500
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	10,900	$102,460

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Judge pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$154K $127K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $126,930 in 2015 to $153,990 in 2025, up 21% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $171,584 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 10% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What judges do

A judge runs court proceedings and decides legal disputes. Judges rule on motions and on what evidence can be heard, instruct juries, decide the outcome of bench trials, set bail, sign search and arrest warrants, and impose sentences or award damages. Magistrates and magistrate judges handle earlier or narrower matters, such as first appearances, warrants, small claims and traffic cases. Appellate judges and supreme court justices review lower-court decisions instead of holding trials.

The figures on this page cover state and local courts. In our data, 54.6% of judges work for state government, in trial and appellate courts, and 45.4% for local government, in county, municipal and justice courts. Federal judges are appointed separately and are not part of these employment figures.

Much of the work happens in chambers: reading briefs and case files, researching law and writing opinions, with help from law clerks. Courtroom time demands steady attention for hours. Judges deal with lawyers, defendants, victims, jurors and court staff, sometimes in tense, emotional hearings. Some travel between courthouses, and some take night or weekend calls for emergency warrants and protective orders.

A typical day

Read motions, briefs and case files before hearings
Preside over hearings and trials, ruling on objections and what evidence is allowed
Explain the law to juries and accept their verdicts
Decide cases tried without a jury and write the reasons for the decision
Set bail and release conditions, and approve search and arrest warrants
Sentence defendants in criminal cases or award damages in civil cases
Manage a docket of cases, scheduling deadlines and pushing parties toward settlement

Also called: magistrate, federal judge, supreme court justice, circuit court judge, circuit judge, county judge, court of appeals judge, district court judge.

How to become a judge

Full guide

Most judges first earn a bachelor's degree (4 years) and a Juris Doctor (3 years), pass the bar exam, and then practice law for many years before being elected or appointed to the bench. The whole path usually takes 15 years or more after high school.

Typical time: 15 to 25 years; Fastest: About 12 years
Minimum education: Juris Doctor (J.D.) for most judgeships; some magistrate and limited-jurisdiction posts in some states require less
License: Law license and good standing with the state bar required for most judgeships; selection by election or appointment
Typical training cost: $56.6K–$129K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a judge: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 15 to 25 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $56.6K–$129K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $153,990; $103,010 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 37–84%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($103,010 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year to 1.3 years after training ends (15 to 25 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for judges

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +2.8%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 25,300; 26,000 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 800; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: —; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects jobs for judges, magistrate judges and magistrates to grow from 25,300 in 2025 to 26,000 in 2035, a 2.8% increase, a bit slower than the 3.5% for all occupations. That leaves about 800 openings a year, most of them created when judges retire or leave the bench.

Courts will keep needing judges for bench and jury trials, but government budgets limit how many new judgeships are created and how fast vacancies are filled. With only about 800 openings a year nationwide, and each seat filled by election or appointment, reaching the bench usually takes years of positioning.

Related careers and their pay

Lawyer$159,670
Paralegal$62,890
Detective$93,790
Court Reporter$72,420
Police Officer$76,210
Private Investigator$51,220

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Judge salary FAQ

How much do judges make an hour?

The median hourly wage for judges was $74.03 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $22.57 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $106.59. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays judges the most?

Rhode Island has the highest median pay for judges, $239,760 a year, followed by Massachusetts ($221,710) and Connecticut ($217,760). After adjusting for each state's price level, Rhode Island comes out ahead at about $234,415 in national-average dollars.

Do judges make $200,000 a year?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 10% and 25% of judges earn more than $200,000 a year. The median is $153,990, and the top 10% earn more than $221,710. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Do you have to be a lawyer to be a judge?

For most judgeships, yes in practice. BLS says a law degree and years as a practicing lawyer are typical, and that judges usually must keep a law license in good standing. Some states allow non-lawyers to serve as magistrates, justices of the peace or judges of limited-jurisdiction courts. The Constitution sets no formal qualifications for federal judges, but nominees are almost always experienced lawyers.

How are judges chosen?

It depends on the court. Federal Supreme Court, appeals and district judges are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Federal magistrate judges are appointed by the district judges of their court. States use elections, appointment by the governor, legislative selection or a mix, and many states use nominating commissions to screen candidates. BLS notes the process often requires political support.

How long do judges serve?

Federal Supreme Court, appeals and district judges serve for life. Full-time federal magistrate judges serve eight-year terms, and bankruptcy judges serve 14-year terms. Many state and local judges serve fixed, renewable terms and must win reelection or retention votes, and BLS notes those terms may carry mandatory retirement ages from 65 to 75.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 23-1023
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (23-1023.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Judges and Hearing Officers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates (23-1023.00), O*NET OnLine · checked October 28, 2026
FAQs: Federal Judges, United States Courts · checked October 28, 2026
Financial Information, University of Nebraska College of Law · checked October 28, 2026
LSAT & CAS Fees, Law School Admission Council · checked October 28, 2026
MPRE Registration, National Conference of Bar Examiners · checked October 28, 2026
Ten Jurisdictions Complete Inaugural Administration of NextGen UBE, National Conference of Bar Examiners · checked October 28, 2026
Executive Order Excepting Administrative Law Judges From the Competitive Service, The White House (archived) · checked October 28, 2026

Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.