The salary statistics of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $46,470 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $86,210 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $151,030 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $183,820 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $227,850 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates is $227,850. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $151,030. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $46,470. We note that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 390% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates from 2012 to 2022.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 10-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $151,030 | 1.99% | 23.35% |
| 2021 | $148,030 | 4.69% | - |
| 2020 | $141,080 | 2.96% | - |
| 2019 | $136,910 | 2.18% | - |
| 2018 | $133,920 | 0.06% | - |
| 2017 | $133,840 | 5.95% | - |
| 2016 | $125,880 | -0.83% | - |
| 2015 | $126,930 | 9.29% | - |
| 2014 | $115,140 | -2.61% | - |
| 2013 | $118,150 | 2.02% | - |
| 2012 | $115,760 | - | - |
The average salaries of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in 1 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2.
| Industry Sector | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Federal, State, and Local Government |
From the above tables we note that not only judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $47,450 to $216,280. The highest paying state for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates is Illinois with a median annual salary of $216,280. The lowest paying state is Mississippi with a median annual salary of $47,450. For more salary information of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.