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How Much Does a Judge, Magistrate Judge, and Magistrate Make?
A judge, magistrate judge, and magistrate in the US earns a median salary of $153,990 a year, or $74.03 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $143,830, and the middle half earn between $85,710 and $194,950.
Judge, magistrate judge, and magistrate pay range
What judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.
| Percentile | A year | An hour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest 10%) | $46,950 | $22.57 | |
| 25th | $85,710 | $41.21 | |
| Median (50th) | $153,990 | $74.03 | |
| 75th | $194,950 | $93.73 | |
| 90th (top 10%) | $221,710 | $106.59 |
The median is 202% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 24,030 people work as judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates in the US.
After tax and by period
- A week
- $2,961
- Every two weeks
- $5,923
- Twice a month
- $6,416
- A month
- $12,833
At the median salary, before tax.
Judge, magistrate judge, and magistrate salary by state
Sorted by average pay. Rhode Island pays judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates the most, at $213,840 a year on average.
| State | Average | Median | Jobs | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $213,840 | $239,760 | 120 | After tax |
| Hawaii | $213,030 | $211,810 | 120 | After tax |
| Massachusetts | $201,060 | $221,710 | 610 | After tax |
| New York | $198,770 | $216,390 | 2,270 | After tax |
| Nebraska | $197,450 | $208,180 | 160 | After tax |
| Connecticut | $194,050 | $217,760 | 230 | After tax |
| Colorado | $191,340 | $198,790 | 620 | After tax |
| Florida | $186,200 | $186,040 | 1,380 | After tax |
| Tennessee | $173,150 | $208,350 | 420 | After tax |
| Idaho | $171,860 | $172,920 | 250 | After tax |
| Alaska | $170,670 | $183,310 | 140 | After tax |
| New Jersey | $170,500 | $204,160 | 920 | After tax |
| Minnesota | $167,790 | $190,110 | 590 | After tax |
| New Mexico | $166,270 | $205,400 | 250 | After tax |
| North Dakota | $164,880 | $171,100 | 130 | After tax |
| Washington | $159,620 | $134,270 | 1,040 | After tax |
| Oregon | $159,490 | $166,400 | 40 | After tax |
| Vermont | $158,760 | $194,170 | 80 | After tax |
| Indiana | $157,070 | $183,000 | 790 | After tax |
| Delaware | $152,360 | $131,340 | 120 | After tax |
| Maryland | $151,880 | $172,190 | 170 | After tax |
| Nevada | $149,080 | $166,360 | 90 | After tax |
| Kentucky | $140,470 | $150,650 | 370 | After tax |
| Maine | $139,890 | $161,470 | 100 | After tax |
| Texas | $127,900 | $139,990 | 2,770 | After tax |
| Arizona | $126,550 | $93,280 | 590 | After tax |
| Virginia | $125,190 | $104,000 | 1,270 | After tax |
| Kansas | $123,200 | $148,910 | 420 | After tax |
| Georgia | $121,580 | $133,660 | 1,190 | After tax |
| Utah | $114,690 | $92,780 | 100 | After tax |
| Iowa | $113,160 | $147,510 | 410 | After tax |
| Pennsylvania | $109,520 | $110,580 | – | After tax |
| Ohio | $109,500 | $95,260 | 1,720 | After tax |
| South Carolina | $98,400 | $86,210 | 670 | After tax |
| Wisconsin | $94,290 | $76,620 | 130 | After tax |
| Louisiana | $93,040 | $83,040 | 180 | After tax |
| West Virginia | $90,520 | $63,240 | 350 | After tax |
| Michigan | $87,370 | $51,210 | 570 | After tax |
| Montana | $82,810 | $84,630 | 70 | After tax |
| Mississippi | $68,270 | $49,960 | 360 | After tax |
| Alabama | $66,740 | $52,850 | 560 | After tax |
A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.
Other legal jobs
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates” (SOC 23-1023). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries
About the Job Salaries
Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.
How to use it
- 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
- 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
- 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
- 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a judge, magistrate judge, and magistrate make an hour?
The median hourly wage for a judge, magistrate judge, and magistrate is $74.03, and the average is $69.15. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $22.57 an hour and the top 10% over $106.59.
How much does a judge, magistrate judge, and magistrate make a month?
At the median salary of $153,990, a judge, magistrate judge, and magistrate earns about $12,833 a month before tax, or $5,923 every two weeks.
Which state pays judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates the most?
Rhode Island has the highest average pay for a judge, magistrate judge, and magistrate, at $213,840 a year. Next are Hawaii and Massachusetts. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.
What is the starting salary for a judge, magistrate judge, and magistrate?
The lowest-paid 10% of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates earn less than $46,950 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $85,710. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.
How much do the highest-paid judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates make?
The top 10% earn more than $221,710 a year, and the top 25% more than $194,950.
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