Judge earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level judge earnings begin at:

$68.40 per hour

$142,270 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level judge earnings begin at:

$55.62 per hour

$115,680 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level judge earnings begin at:

$26.00 per hour

$54,080 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level judge earnings begin at:

$16.92 per hour

$35,190 per year

10th percentile

Starting level judge earnings begin at:

$12.86 per hour

$26,760 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Judge salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Texas $95,990
Puerto Rico $91,120
South Dakota $89,190
New Mexico $85,590
Ohio $77,070
West Virginia $62,510
Louisiana $61,950
South Carolina $61,000
Pennsylvania $57,630
Oklahoma $54,080
Alabama $49,610
Iowa $48,140
Montana $47,010
Mississippi $39,870
California $193,330
Alaska $191,850
Hawaii $188,870
Rhode Island $184,930
Connecticut $184,230
Nevada $167,610
New Jersey $167,400
New York $163,360
Colorado $158,580
Maryland $156,670
Minnesota $155,590
Florida $154,060
Missouri $151,720
North Dakota $145,970
Indiana $145,830
Arkansas $144,890
Oregon $137,740
Kentucky $135,610
Wisconsin $132,650
Maine $127,470
Washington $121,640
Delaware $115,440
Idaho $113,270
Utah $105,800
Kansas $105,400
Tennessee $104,150
Georgia $103,840
Arizona $103,610

How do judge salaries compare to similar careers?

Judges earn about the same as related careers in Oklahoma. On average, they make less than compliance managers but more than judicial law clerks.

Career Median Salary
Compliance manager salary $98K
Hearing officer salary $96K
Judge salary $54K
Detective salary $57K
Special agent salary $57K
Customs inspector salary $57K
Judicial law clerk salary $70K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)