Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
US occupation · SOC 23-1023
Job titles people report: Circuit Court Judge, Circuit Judge, County Judge, Court of Appeals Judge, District Court Judge, Judge, Justice of the Peace, Magisterial District Judge, Magistrate, Superior Court Judge
Pay and outlook
- Median annual wage, May 2025
- $153,990
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Middle half earn
- $85,710 – $194,950
- 25th to 75th percentile
- People employed, May 2025
- 24,030
- Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)
- Projected change, 2025–35
- +2.8%
- Growing slower than all jobs (0% to under 3.5%)
- Openings a year (projected)
- 800
- New jobs plus replacing people who leave
- Typical education to enter
- Doctoral or professional degree
- BLS
- All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
- Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
- Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.
What the work involves
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.
Main tasks
- 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.
- 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.
Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.
Getting in
- Typical education to enter (BLS)
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Work experience in a related job: 5 years or more
- Training once hired: short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone 5
- Extensive preparation
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Interests it suits
The strongest of the six O*NET interest types for this occupation, highest first. The short glosses are ours.
- Enterprising: leading, persuading and making business decisions
- Conventional: organising information, records and procedures
- Social: helping, teaching and caring for people
Fields of study that lead here
From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 1 programme to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.
Fields
Our college matcher doesn't offer this field as a major, so we can't suggest colleges for it here.
Legal Professions and Studies
- Law
Related careers
Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
$117,860 median · 0% projected
- Judicial Law Clerks
$64,920 median · +2.8% projected
- Lawyers
$159,670 median · +4.7% projected
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
$75,530 median · +4.7% projected
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
$66,270 median · +3% projected
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants
$62,890 median · -0.3% projected
Sources
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CollegeMatcher has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET 31.0 Database · CC BY 4.0
Changes: we show the core tasks in the O*NET database with the highest importance ratings (up to eight, in that order), the top three O*NET interest types by score, and shortened Job Zone names. Titles, descriptions and task text are unchanged.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Projections, typical entry education and training: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Fields of study: NCES and BLS CIP 2020–SOC 2018 Crosswalk. All public domain. OEWS · Employment Projections · CIP–SOC crosswalk