occupation · 23-1023 · detailed
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates — wages and employment
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates earned a median annual wage of $156,210 in the United States in May 2024, with 25,580 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates earned a median annual wage of $156,210 in the United States in May 2024, with 25,580 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $46,520 or less, the best-paid tenth $216,540 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $148,910 to $156,210, +4.9 %. The best-paying state is Massachusetts at $221,710; the lowest Mississippi at $49,900. Among metropolitan areas, Longview-Kelso, WA pays the highest median, $224,040. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 25,580 | $156,210 | $143,110 | $46,520 | $86,060 | $189,890 | $216,540 | $75.10 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 24,470 | $148,910 | $139,000 | $45,950 | $84,300 | $182,200 | $210,890 | $71.59 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $221,710 | 600 |
| Connecticut | $211,420 | 200 |
| Hawaii | $203,290 | 120 |
| New Jersey | $200,150 | 990 |
| Nebraska | $196,390 | 160 |
| Arkansas | $192,910 | 220 |
| Colorado | $191,640 | 620 |
| New York | $189,890 | 2,460 |
| Minnesota | $182,790 | 470 |
| Maryland | $181,320 | 390 |
| Tennessee | $178,730 | 520 |
| Indiana | $177,180 | 720 |
| Oregon | $174,100 | 320 |
| Alaska | $168,880 | 140 |
| New Mexico | $164,340 | 240 |
| Maine | $156,770 | 80 |
| Missouri | $156,210 | 550 |
| Kansas | $148,910 | 420 |
| Vermont | $141,080 | 90 |
| Texas | $139,990 | 2,610 |
| Kentucky | $138,620 | 420 |
| Washington | $131,740 | 1,050 |
| Georgia | $131,670 | 1,210 |
| Delaware | $126,700 | 120 |
| Utah | $123,640 | 100 |
| Nevada | $118,690 | 100 |
| Virginia | $104,000 | — |
| Ohio | $97,260 | 2,510 |
| Puerto Rico | $95,570 | 460 |
| South Carolina | $84,270 | 670 |
| Wisconsin | $83,620 | 130 |
| Louisiana | $70,610 | 180 |
| Montana | $63,260 | 90 |
| West Virginia | $63,240 | 350 |
| Michigan | $51,250 | 530 |
| Alabama | $50,950 | 610 |
| Mississippi | $49,900 | — |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $224,040 | 40 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $221,710 | 430 |
| Worcester, MA | $221,710 | 80 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $218,190 | 220 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $211,420 | 50 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $201,510 | 30 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $200,150 | 60 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $200,150 | 220 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $200,150 | 40 |
| Knoxville, TN | $197,740 | 30 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $196,390 | 80 |
| Lincoln, NE | $196,390 | 40 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $196,190 | 1,390 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $193,000 | 310 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $184,690 | 60 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $182,790 | 330 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $181,320 | 200 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $181,170 | 40 |
| Syracuse, NY | $178,590 | 120 |
| Evansville, IN | $177,180 | 30 |
Machine access — free, no API key
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