Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary: $156,210 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 25,580 judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates work nationally, and $156,210 is the BLS national median annual wage. Projections imply about 13.9% annual decline; much hiring sits in federal, state, and local government, excluding state and local government schools and hospitals and the u.s. postal service (oews designation).
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates: what the data shows
Common questions about judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates?
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 23-1023.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 25,580 workers.
What does a judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Processing Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates make?
BLS national median annual wage: $156,210 (May 2024 in our extract).
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Complex Problem Solving, and knowledge areas including Law and Government, English Language, Administration and Management, Psychology. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 13.9% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -52.8%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -77.7%.
Current U.S. headcount: 25,580.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do judges, magistrate judges, and magistratess work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 25,580 | 16.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 25,580 | 16.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 25,580 | 16.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 25,580 | 16.7% |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 14,370 | 9.4% |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 14,370 | 9.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyers | 747,750 | $151,160 |
| Paralegals | 367,220 | $61,010 |
| Biological Scientists, All Other | 59,710 | $93,330 |
| Soil and Plant Scientists | 16,600 | $71,410 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 84,930 | $80,060 |
| Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators | 7,860 | $67,710 |
| Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers | 16,230 | $115,230 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates workforce.
Employment Over Time
25,580 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
Employment for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates shrank from 4,200 in 2009 to 380 in 2025 (91.0%).
Historical employment for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates, 2009–2025 (OEWS).
Yearly Wage Ranking
$156,210 Median pay (BLS national)
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates earn $156,210 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Salary distribution for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Employment Growth Projections
-13.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
179 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -52.8%
84 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -77.7%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Wage Trends by Industry
16.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 32.7% growth (Current: $304,634)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 2,610 employees, $122,990 avg wage
- OH: 2,510 employees, $106,600 avg wage
- NY: 2,460 employees, $175,220 avg wage
- FL: 1,540 employees, N/A avg wage
- GA: 1,210 employees, $121,900 avg wage
- WA: 1,050 employees, $154,360 avg wage
- NJ: 990 employees, $166,650 avg wage
- IN: 720 employees, $151,510 avg wage
- SC: 670 employees, $99,920 avg wage
- AZ: 620 employees, N/A avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,390 employees, $171,510 avg wage
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: 690 employees, $147,890 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 560 employees, $145,990 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 540 employees, $152,350 avg wage
- Cleveland, OH: 530 employees, $103,000 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 460 employees, $146,690 avg wage
- San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR: 460 employees, $94,510 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 430 employees, $207,710 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 400 employees, N/A avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 390 employees, N/A avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Diversity
Demographic information on Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates is about 25,580 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in 2023 were Business Administration, Law, Political Science.
Common majors for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates workers.
Education level distribution for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Skills
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Writing.
Required skills for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates include Law and Government, English Language, Administration and Management, Psychology, Customer and Personal Service.
Knowledge areas required for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates include Oral Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Inductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
Daily Activities
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates spend their time on activities such as Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Processing Information.
Most important work activities for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates.
About
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates earn $156,210 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
23-1023 - Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Insights and Analysis
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 25,580 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -13.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.