Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Career, Salary and Skills
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $153,990 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 24,030. Wage data is published for 139 locations.
Occupation description
Arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines. May determine liability of defendant in civil cases. May perform wedding ceremonies.
O*NET code
23-1023.00
Job zone
5
Typical education
Doctoral Degree
Experience
Over 8 years, up to and including 10 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$153,990
Hourly median
$74.03
Employment
24,030
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 5.00 | 5.88 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.88 | 5.75 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.25 | 4.75 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.25 | 4.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.12 | 5.00 |
| Writing | 4.12 | 4.88 |
| Speaking | 4.12 | 4.88 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Active Learning | 4.00 | 4.62 |
| Monitoring | 3.88 | 4.12 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Rule on admissibility of evidence and methods of conducting testimony.
- Preside over hearings and listen to allegations made by plaintiffs to determine whether the evidence supports the charges.
- Award compensation for damages to litigants in civil cases in relation to findings by juries or by the court.
- Sentence defendants in criminal cases, on conviction by jury, according to applicable government statutes.
Technology
- Adobe Acrobat
- Courtroom scheduling software
- Email software
- Hyland OnBase Enterprise Content Management
- LexisNexis
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Online databases
- Thomson Reuters Westlaw
- Videoconferencing software
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary in TXMedian $139,990 · Employment 2,770
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary in NYMedian $216,390 · Employment 2,270
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary in OHMedian $95,260 · Employment 1,720
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary in FLMedian $186,040 · Employment 1,380
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary in New York, NYMedian $204,160 · Employment 1,280
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary in VAMedian $104,000 · Employment 1,270
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary in GAMedian $133,660 · Employment 1,190
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary in WAMedian $134,270 · Employment 1,040
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary in NJMedian $204,160 · Employment 920
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary in INMedian $183,000 · Employment 790
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary in Austin, TXMedian $153,990 · Employment 710
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary in SCMedian $86,210 · Employment 670
Related careers
- Labor Relations SpecialistsNational median $95,420
- Compliance OfficersNational median $80,730
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional OfficersNational median $77,970
- Private Detectives and InvestigatorsNational median $51,220
- Legal Secretaries and Administrative AssistantsNational median $55,570
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and DetectivesNational median $106,040
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol OfficersNational median $76,210
- Court Reporters and Simultaneous CaptionersNational median $72,420
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.