Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates pay in the U.S.
$143,830avg. a year
$69.15 an hour · 24,030 employed
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in the U.S. earn an average of $143,830 a year and a median of $153,990. Pay is highest in Rhode Island ($213,840) and lowest in Alabama ($66,740).
$153,990Median pay
$69.15Average hourly
+9%Avg. pay since 2020
24,030Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1120 jobs
Rhode Island
$213,840
$102.81 an hour
2120 jobs
Hawaii
$213,030
$102.42 an hour
3610 jobs
Massachusetts
$201,060
$96.66 an hour
42,270 jobs
New York
$198,770
$95.56 an hour
5160 jobs
Nebraska
$197,450
$94.93 an hour
6230 jobs
Connecticut
$194,050
$93.29 an hour
7620 jobs
Colorado
$191,340
$91.99 an hour
81,380 jobs
Florida
$186,200
$89.52 an hour
9420 jobs
Tennessee
$173,150
$83.24 an hour
10250 jobs
Idaho
$171,860
$82.62 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $113k$113k–$152k$152k–$171k$171k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $211,390 | $101.63 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $201,930 | $97.08 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $196,660 | $94.55 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $195,200 | $93.85 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $189,200 | $90.96 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $188,200 | $90.48 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $187,480 | $90.14 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $187,110 | $89.96 |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $66,740 | $52,850 | 560 |
| Alaska | $170,670 | $183,310 | 140 |
| Arizona | $126,550 | $93,280 | 590 |
| Colorado | $191,340 | $198,790 | 620 |
| Connecticut | $194,050 | $217,760 | 230 |
| Delaware | $152,360 | $131,340 | 120 |
| Florida | $186,200 | $186,040 | 1,380 |
| Georgia | $121,580 | $133,660 | 1,190 |
| Hawaii | $213,030 | $211,810 | 120 |
| Idaho | $171,860 | $172,920 | 250 |
| Indiana | $157,070 | $183,000 | 790 |
| Iowa | $113,160 | $147,510 | 410 |
| Kansas | $123,200 | $148,910 | 420 |
| Kentucky | $140,470 | $150,650 | 370 |
| Louisiana | $93,040 | $83,040 | 180 |
| Maine | $139,890 | $161,470 | 100 |
| Maryland | $151,880 | $172,190 | 170 |
| Massachusetts | $201,060 | $221,710 | 610 |
| Michigan | $87,370 | $51,210 | 570 |
| Minnesota | $167,790 | $190,110 | 590 |
| Mississippi | $68,270 | $49,960 | 360 |
| Montana | $82,810 | $84,630 | 70 |
| Nebraska | $197,450 | $208,180 | 160 |
| Nevada | $149,080 | $166,360 | 90 |
| New Jersey | $170,500 | $204,160 | 920 |
| New Mexico | $166,270 | $205,400 | 250 |
| New York | $198,770 | $216,390 | 2,270 |
| North Dakota | $164,880 | $171,100 | 130 |
| Ohio | $109,500 | $95,260 | 1,720 |
| Oregon | $159,490 | $166,400 | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $109,520 | $110,580 | – |
| Rhode Island | $213,840 | $239,760 | 120 |
| South Carolina | $98,400 | $86,210 | 670 |
| Tennessee | $173,150 | $208,350 | 420 |
| Texas | $127,900 | $139,990 | 2,770 |
| Utah | $114,690 | $92,780 | 100 |
| Vermont | $158,760 | $194,170 | 80 |
| Virginia | $125,190 | $104,000 | 1,270 |
| Washington | $159,620 | $134,270 | 1,040 |
| West Virginia | $90,520 | $63,240 | 350 |
| Wisconsin | $94,290 | $76,620 | 130 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$188,200
1,280 jobsAustin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$149,540
710 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$137,140
550 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$156,660
550 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$123,040
480 jobsCleveland, OH
$104,460
440 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$201,930
420 jobsMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
$175,410
420 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates make?
The average is $143,830 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $153,990 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $69.15, and the median is $74.03 an hour.
Which state pays judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates the most?
Rhode Island, with an average of $213,840 a year. The best-paying metro area is Providence-Warwick, RI-MA at $211,390.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $46,950 a year, and the top 10% earn over $221,710.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 23-1023. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.