Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$47K
P25$86K
P50$154K
P75$195K
P90$222K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: HOT. Demand is hot -- professional & business services job openings are running at 5.5% (JOLTS, June 2026), a tight market. Candidates have leverage, so a competitive offer sits at or above the median; below-median offers often will not close.
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Merit budget: Wages in professional services are rising about 2.5% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.1-2.6% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $153,982 to $194,958 (market median to the 75th percentile). Lean toward the top of the range for senior or hard-to-fill roles.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Judges pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role fell 1.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 2.5% wage growth of Professional & Business Services (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · HOT
Professional & Business Services is running a 5.5% job-openings rate with quits at 2.2% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has cooled for 2 straight months (6.2% down to 5.5%).
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 4.7 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 5.5% (down 0.3pp), still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 2.5% per year. Nationally, wages rose 3.2% while CPI hit 3.5%, so real wages turned negative.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates is $153,982 per year ($74.03/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $85,717 and $194,958 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $221,707 per year. There are approximately 24,030 judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines. May determine liability of defendant in civil cases. May perform wedding ceremonies.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.5%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
900
per year, on avg
Workforce today
27K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
8% from new growth92% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Experience
5 years or more
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
13K
$176,500
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
11K
$102,460
Wage range across top 5 industries: $102,460 to $176,500 (72% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$22.57
$46,946
P25
$41.21
$85,717
P50MEDIAN
$74.03
$153,982
P75
$93.73
$194,958
P90
$106.59
$221,707
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.5%
Quits Rate
2.2%
Professional & Business Services openings eased to 1.30M in June (-71K), rate 5.5% -- still the highest of any major sector. Quits held at 2.2%. White-collar demand is cooling at the edges but remains the tightest market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates salary?
The national median salary for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates is $153,982 per year ($74.03/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $85,717 and $194,958 annually.
How much do top-earning judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates make?
The 90th percentile salary for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates is $221,707 per year ($106.59/hr). The 75th percentile is $194,958 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates?
Entry-level Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates (10th percentile) earn approximately $46,946 per year ($22.57/hr). The 25th percentile is $85,717 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
