Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates salary by state
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates is a professional role in the Legal job family, focused on Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates work. Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistratess do
Typical education: Doctoral Degree
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.
Top skills:Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionJudgment and Decision MakingWritingSpeaking
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates salary by industry
Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS
24,030 workers
$149,000
State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
13,130 workers
$173,500
Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
10,900 workers
$119,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates pays 10% above the average across 1,680 roles in the Legal job family (family average $135,500).
How much does a Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates make?
The average base salary for a Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in the United States is $149,000 per year, or about $71.63 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $88,500 and $202,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Legal roles?
The Legal job family averages $135,500 across 1,680 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
