The average annual salaries for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in the state of Washington are shown in Table 1. The comparison of the salary statistics of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates among Washington cities is shown in Table 2. The salary statistics are based on 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 | $99,820 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $99,820 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $135,200 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $181,050 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $220,830 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in Washington in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $220,830. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $135,200. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $99,820.
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 | $135,200 | 5.58% | 38.56% |
| 2021 | $127,660 | 5.04% | - |
| 2020 | $121,220 | 1.59% | - |
| 2019 | $119,290 | -1.97% | - |
| 2018 | $121,640 | -1.99% | - |
| 2017 | $124,060 | -4.48% | - |
| 2016 | $129,620 | 16.12% | - |
| 2015 | $108,720 | 10.07% | - |
| 2014 | $97,770 | 23.03% | - |
| 2013 | $75,250 | -10.39% | - |
| 2012 | $83,070 | - | - |
Table 3 shows the median annual salary of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in some Washington cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in state of Washington ranges from $91,520 to $175,800. The highest paying area for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in Washington is Olympia with a median annual salary of $175,800. The second highest paying city/area in Washington State is Northwestern Washington nonmetropolitan area (mean annual salary $160,140). The lowest paying area is Central Washington nonmetropolitan area with a median annual salary of $91,520.