Judge earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level judge earnings begin at:

$59.51 per hour

$123,780 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level judge earnings begin at:

$54.40 per hour

$113,150 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level judge earnings begin at:

$40.69 per hour

$84,630 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level judge earnings begin at:

$23.52 per hour

$48,930 per year

10th percentile

Starting level judge earnings begin at:

$21.38 per hour

$44,470 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Judge salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Ohio $95,260
Arizona $93,280
Utah $92,780
Puerto Rico $91,120
South Dakota $89,190
South Carolina $86,210
Montana $84,630
Louisiana $83,040
Wisconsin $76,620
West Virginia $63,240
Oklahoma $54,080
Alabama $52,850
Michigan $51,210
Mississippi $49,960
Rhode Island $239,760
Massachusetts $221,710
Connecticut $217,760
New York $216,390
Hawaii $211,810
Tennessee $208,350
Nebraska $208,180
New Mexico $205,400
New Jersey $204,160
Colorado $198,790
Vermont $194,170
California $193,330
Minnesota $190,110
Florida $186,040
Alaska $183,310
Indiana $183,000
Idaho $172,920
Maryland $172,190
North Dakota $171,100
Oregon $166,400
Nevada $166,360
Maine $161,470
Missouri $151,720
Kentucky $150,650
Kansas $148,910
Iowa $147,510
Arkansas $144,890
Texas $139,990
Washington $134,270
Georgia $133,660
Delaware $131,340
Pennsylvania $110,580
Virginia $104,000

How do judge salaries compare to similar careers?

Judges earn about the same as related careers in Montana. On average, they make less than lawyers but more than sheriffs.

Career Median Salary
Lawyer salary $104K
Special agent salary $92K
Customs inspector salary $92K
Detective salary $92K
Hearing officer salary $84K
Judge salary $85K
Forensic science technician salary $82K
Coroner salary $67K
Police officer salary $70K
Sheriff salary $70K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)