Highest-paying Cities for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

The top 100 highest paying cities for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in those cities are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with a annual salary of $227,550, Atlantic City-Hammonton, New Jersey is the highest paying city for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates. It is followed by San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California (average annual salary $223,830). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in a specific city, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest-paying cities/areas for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

Rank	City/Area	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Atlantic City-Hammonton, New Jersey	$227,550	$74,940	40
2	San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California	$223,830	$191,350	150
3	West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Illinois	$216,280	$205,460	40
4	Chicago-Joliet-Naperville (IL-IN-WI Area), Illinois	$215,780	$159,490	600
5	Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, California	$214,320	$214,320	110
6	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, California	$214,320	$139,380	380
7	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, California	$214,320	$214,320	80
8	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California	$214,320	$214,320	90
9	Trenton-Ewing, New Jersey	$209,010	$59,450	50
10	Providence-Fall River-Warwick, Rhode Island	$206,860	$105,210	110
11	Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Illinois	$204,700	$202,040	30
12	New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, New York	$196,230	$50,600	1,670
13	Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut	$195,480	$99,240	40
14	Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Connecticut	$195,480	$70,460	70
15	South Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Illinois	$190,220	$171,000	30
16	New Haven, Connecticut	$187,040	$61,480	40
17	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, Tennessee	$186,060	$49,830	210
18	Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, California	$185,110	$182,970	190
19	Buffalo-Niagara Falls, New York	$184,350	$96,800	240
20	Salinas, California	$184,080	$96,470	40
21	Kingston, New York	$183,160	$31,740	50
22	Glens Falls, New York	$181,720	$32,820	60
23	Rochester, New York	$180,710	$75,190	230
24	Yuba City, California	$180,450	$160,490	n/a
25	Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Missouri	$180,130	$93,190	30
26	Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, Arkansas	$180,130	$90,060	60
27	Binghamton, New York	$179,500	$50,380	70
28	Syracuse, New York	$178,880	$76,260	150
29	Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, Colorado	$178,440	$152,670	300
30	Omaha-Council Bluffs, Nebraska	$178,200	$173,380	60
31	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania	$177,900	$49,310	230
32	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, District of Columbia	$177,900	$148,100	130
33	Baltimore-Towson, Maryland	$177,900	$148,100	190
34	Olympia, Washington	$175,800	$99,820	60
35	Albany-Schenectady-Troy, New York	$175,530	$67,820	210
36	Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada	$175,510	$132,500	130
37	Central East New York nonmetropolitan area, New York	$174,630	$76,560	200
38	East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area, North Dakota	$174,350	$110,680	30
39	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, California	$172,940	$155,980	430
40	Edison-New Brunswick, New Jersey	$172,690	$44,730	240
41	Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Iowa	$171,060	$41,220	40
42	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, California	$170,980	$160,000	550
43	San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, California	$170,970	$137,200	150
44	Vallejo-Fairfield, California	$170,960	$108,050	50
45	Jefferson City, Missouri	$170,840	$63,440	40
46	East and South Colorado nonmetropolitan area, Colorado	$170,770	$55,060	50
47	West Colorado nonmetropolitan area, Colorado	$170,770	$46,950	70
48	Northcentral Colorado nonmetropolitan area, Colorado	$170,770	$47,370	40
49	Capital-Northern New York nonmetropolitan area, New York	$170,730	$42,790	190
50	Nassau-Suffolk, New York	$168,830	$112,620	210
51	Camden, New Jersey	$167,720	$55,490	130
52	Newark-Union, Pennsylvania	$167,720	$55,160	300
53	Wilmington, New Jersey	$167,710	$79,470	90
54	Salt Lake City, Utah	$167,030	$71,000	30
55	Utica-Rome, New York	$166,860	$56,400	90
56	Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington, Wisconsin	$166,130	$118,560	410
57	Salisbury, Maryland	$164,550	$84,040	50
58	Watertown-Fort Drum, New York	$162,940	$75,700	50
59	Colorado Springs, Colorado	$162,780	$145,520	50
60	Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Minnesota	$162,750	$150,050	30
61	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida	$162,330	$125,860	380
62	Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida	$162,330	$125,860	150
63	Northwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area, Washington	$160,140	$84,310	40
64	St Louis, Missouri	$159,580	$127,270	170
65	Springfield, Missouri	$159,580	$146,810	40
66	Fort Wayne, Indiana	$159,490	$86,320	50
67	Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area, Indiana	$159,490	$127,610	60
68	Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area, Indiana	$159,490	$66,990	70
69	Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area, Indiana	$159,490	$59,490	60
70	South Bend-Mishawaka, Michigan	$159,490	$65,430	40
71	Indianapolis-Carmel, Indiana	$159,490	$49,480	240
72	Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area, Minnesota	$158,950	$22,060	40
73	Fort Smith, Oklahoma	$157,600	$42,960	30
74	West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Arkansas	$157,600	$86,110	40
75	Central Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Arkansas	$157,600	$86,110	30
76	East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Arkansas	$157,600	$86,110	40
77	South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area, Arkansas	$157,600	$86,110	30
78	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, West Virginia	$156,970	$129,300	100
79	Reno-Sparks, Nevada	$156,060	$111,840	40
80	Evansville, Kentucky	$155,690	$95,810	40
81	Ithaca, New York	$154,990	$117,350	30
82	Eastern Oregon nonmetropolitan area, Oregon	$154,690	$48,240	30
83	Salem, Oregon	$154,690	$135,720	110
84	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Washington	$154,690	$99,820	130
85	Elmira, New York	$154,680	$117,520	30
86	Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Texas	$153,980	$83,780	680
87	Central New York nonmetropolitan area, New York	$152,840	$135,480	190
88	East Central New York nonmetropolitan area, New York	$151,880	$135,090	60
89	Tallahassee, Florida	$151,730	$124,280	70
90	West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area, North Dakota	$149,920	$80,600	40
91	Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Florida	$148,490	$125,600	140
92	Jackson, Mississippi	$147,990	$31,050	40
93	Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area, Missouri	$146,810	$78,940	40
94	North Missouri nonmetropolitan area, Missouri	$146,810	$146,810	40
95	Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area, Missouri	$146,810	$126,770	40
96	New York-White Plains-Wayne, New York	$146,740	$78,750	740
97	Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, Maryland	$146,350	$129,230	50
98	Canton-Massillon, Ohio	$144,710	$55,650	90
99	Columbus, Ohio	$143,940	$40,840	400
100	Central Oregon nonmetropolitan area, Oregon	$143,730	$50,860	30

See also: 💰 Highest paying industries for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates.