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Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates: pay, training and the programs that lead there
Legal · SOC 23-1023
$153,990US median pay, 2025
+2.8%Projected growth, 2025–35
800Openings per year
Degree + experienceUsual way in
How you get in
Not an entry-level job: it usually takes a degree plus years of related work.
Doctoral or professional degree
5 years or more of experience in a related job
Short-term on-the-job training
Work in: judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
Programs that lead to this job
These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this
occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding
credentials in each.
Typically eight years or more of study, then a few weeks of training on the job, then 5 years or more of related work first. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates make?
The US median is $153,990 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree for this work?
Yes, and employers also expect years of related experience first.
Where can you train for this work?
209 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →
Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work,
your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education
requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.
Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment
Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018).
School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.