Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary
Legal Occupations · 24K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$153,990
Median hourly
$74
Average annual
$143,830
Typical range
$46,950–$221,710
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates is $153,990 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $74 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines.
Most earn between $46,950 and $221,710 a year. There are roughly 24K people employed as judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
- Hourly
- $74.03
- Daily
- $592
- Weekly
- $2,961
- Bi-weekly
- $5,923
- Monthly
- $12,833
- Annual
- $153,990
$153,990 a year is around the 50th percentile for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistratess. The median is $153,990.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Rhode Island$239,760
- 2Massachusetts$221,710
- 3Connecticut$217,760
- 4New York$216,390
- 5Hawaii$211,810
- 6Tennessee$208,350
- 7Nebraska$208,180
- 8New Mexico$205,400
- 9New Jersey$204,160
- 10Colorado$198,790
- 11Vermont$194,170
- 12Minnesota$190,110
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$229,760
- 2Longview-Kelso, WA$228,330
- 3Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$221,710
- 4Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN$218,190
- 5Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$217,760
- 6Albuquerque, NM$216,220
- 7Lincoln, NE$208,180
- 8Omaha, NE-IA$208,180
- 9Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ$204,160
- 10New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$204,160
- 11Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$204,160
- 12Trenton-Princeton, NJ$204,160
Related job titles
Employers advertise Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$117,860
- Judicial Law Clerks$64,920
- Lawyers$159,670
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$75,530
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants$62,890
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists$66,270
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators$93,790
- Compliance Officers$80,730
What a Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates does
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates make?
- The median annual wage for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates is $153,990 ($74 per hour). Pay ranges from about $46,950 at the 10th percentile to $221,710 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $143,830, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistratess the most?
- Rhode Island has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $239,760.
- Is Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 24K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a 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..