Arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines. May determine liability of defendant in civil cases. May perform wedding ceremonies.
National median · BLS
$153,990
▼ -1.42%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$143,830
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
24,030
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$46,950
25th
$85,710
Median (50th)
$153,990
75th
$194,950
90th — top pay
$221,710
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
BLS projects employment of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 800 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
25,300 → 26,000
+700 jobs
Projected change
+2.8%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
800
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
Plus 5 years or more experience
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 5)
Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates do
Sentence defendants in criminal cases, on conviction by jury, according to applicable government statutes.
Monitor proceedings to ensure that all applicable rules and procedures are followed.
Instruct juries on applicable laws, direct juries to deduce the facts from the evidence presented, and hear their verdicts.
Write decisions on cases.
Read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues.
Rule on admissibility of evidence and methods of conducting testimony.
Preside over hearings and listen to allegations made by plaintiffs to determine whether the evidence supports the charges.
Award compensation for damages to litigants in civil cases in relation to findings by juries or by the court.
Also called
District Court JudgeJudgeMagistrateSuperior Court JudgeCircuit Court JudgeCircuit JudgeCounty JudgeCourt of Appeals JudgeJustice of the PeaceMagisterial District Judge
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $153,990.
