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Role hub · Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

Judge: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
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Median percentile pay

Half of judges earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$153,990
Hourly
$74.03
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Judges arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. The median pay is $153,990 a year ($74.03 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a doctoral degree (66% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$153,990
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
24,030
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 5 of 5
extensive preparation
Most common education
Doctoral Degree
66% of workers

Data Government data groups this job as Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates (O*NET-SOC 23-1023.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Explore the role

Every page for Judges

SalaryJudge salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeJudge how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

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The work

What judges do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Sentence defendants in criminal cases, on conviction by jury, according to applicable government statutes.
  2. Monitor proceedings to ensure that all applicable rules and procedures are followed.
  3. Instruct juries on applicable laws, direct juries to deduce the facts from the evidence presented, and hear their verdicts.
  4. Write decisions on cases.
  5. Read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues.
  6. Rule on admissibility of evidence and methods of conducting testimony.
  7. Preside over hearings and listen to allegations made by plaintiffs to determine whether the evidence supports the charges.
  8. Award compensation for damages to litigants in civil cases in relation to findings by juries or by the court.
Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Active ListeningcoreCritical ThinkingcoreJudgment and Decision MakingcoreReading ComprehensionComplex Problem SolvingWritingSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessActive Learning

Knowledge areas: Law and Government, English Language, Administration and Management, Psychology, Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security.

Tools and technology

Software judges use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Courtroom scheduling softwareLegal management software
  • LexisNexisInformation retrieval or search software
  • LinkedInWeb page creation and editing software
  • Thomson Reuters WestlawInformation retrieval or search software
  • Microsoft ExcelSpreadsheet softwareIn demand
  • Microsoft Office softwareOffice suite softwareIn demand
  • Microsoft OutlookElectronic mail softwareIn demand
  • Adobe AcrobatDocument management softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft PowerPointPresentation softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft WordWord processing softwareHot technology
  • Email softwareElectronic mail software
  • Hyland OnBase Enterprise Content ManagementDocument management software

Also called: Circuit Court Judge, Circuit Judge, County Judge, Court of Appeals Judge, District Court Judge.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).