A judge on a state's highest court who decides final appeals on state law and sets precedent for every court in the state. National Center for State Courts, Survey of Judicial Salaries (January 2025) puts typical pay at $214,935 a year (2025). BLS does not publish separate figures for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates; it counts them within judge (SOC 23-1023), whose median pay is $153,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.
- SOC 23-1023
- Legal
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
State Supreme Court Justice in four numbers
- Median pay
- $153,990a year, or $74.03/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $47KTop 10% $222K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.8%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 80025,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202525.3K
- Projected 203526K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 25.3K Projected 2035 26K - Typical education
- Doctorateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Certificate0.2%
- Some college0.2%
- Associate's0.2%
- Professional degree23.3%
- Doctorate66.5%
- Post-doctoral training9.8%
Highest education held by judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates Segment Value Certificate 0.2% Some college 0.2% Associate's 0.2% Professional degree 23.3% Doctorate 66.5% Post-doctoral training 9.8%
Also advertised as: Associate Justice, State Supreme Court, Justice of the Supreme Court, Court of Last Resort Justice, State High Court Judge.
Pay
How much do Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates make?
Industry-reported pay
$214,935
Median annual salary of associate justices of state courts of last resort across all states (typical), with the lowest and highest state salaries.
- Entry level
- $126,000
- Top earners
- $298,721
Source: National Center for State Courts, Survey of Judicial Salaries (January 2025), 2025 (published pay scale or filing). This is not a BLS figure: BLS counts judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates within judge, whose pay is shown below. National Center for State Courts survey table, January 2025 (Minnesota Legislative Coordinating Commission copy) · National Center for State Courts: Judicial Salary Tracker
Every state supreme court justice in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$153,990
Middle half earn $85,710 to $194,950
- 10th
- $46,950
- 25th
- $85,710
- 75th
- $194,950
- 90th
- $221,710
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $46,950 |
| 25th | $85,710 |
| Median | $153,990 |
| 75th | $194,950 |
| 90th | $221,710 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $153,990
- Median hourly wage
- $74.03/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $143,830
- People employed
- 24,030
Versus all US occupations
At $153,990, Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates earn 202% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $103,010 a year.
Versus legal occupations
Inside the Legal group, where the middle occupation pays $159,670, this is 4% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $221,710 or more while the bottom 10% earn $46,950, a gap of 4.7×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 93% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Rhode Island pays the most at $239,760, and still leads at $234,415 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Rhode Island | $239,760 | $234,415 | 120 |
| 2Massachusetts | $221,710 | $209,641 | 610 |
| 3Connecticut | $217,760 | $210,173 | 230 |
| 4New York | $216,390 | $200,508 | 2,270 |
| 5Hawaii | $211,810 | $192,640 | 120 |
| 6Tennessee | $208,350 | $226,788 | 420 |
| 7Nebraska | $208,180 | $231,047 | 160 |
| 8New Mexico | $205,400 | $222,748 | 250 |
| 9New Jersey | $204,160 | $187,638 | 920 |
| 10Colorado | $198,790 | $192,903 | 620 |
Job outlook
Is State Supreme Court Justice a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +2.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | +2.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates to change 2.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 800 openings are projected each year, 3.2% of the 25,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a State Supreme Court Justice
Justices are almost always lawyers with long careers, often as trial or appellate judges, state solicitors general, prosecutors or private appellate lawyers, and they hold a JD and bar admission. How they reach the bench depends on the state: some states hold partisan or nonpartisan elections, others use gubernatorial appointment, and many use a merit-selection commission that sends a short list to the governor, followed by retention elections.
The National Center for State Courts tracks each state's selection method and salary.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Doctoral or professional degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
5 years or more
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates.
- Doctoral Degree66.5%
- First Professional Degree23.3%
- Post-Doctoral Training9.8%
- Post-Secondary Certificate0.2%
- Some College Courses0.2%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Doctoral Degree | 66.5% |
| First Professional Degree | 23.3% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 9.8% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 0.2% |
| Some College Courses | 0.2% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a State Supreme Court Justice do?
Every state has a court of last resort, usually called the supreme court, whose justices have the final word on what state law and the state constitution mean. They review decisions from lower appellate courts, choose many of the cases they hear, listen to oral arguments, and write majority, concurring and dissenting opinions.
State supreme courts also run the state's judicial branch. Justices adopt rules of court procedure, oversee the admission and discipline of lawyers, and supervise the administration of the trial courts, which gives the job a large policy and management side.
Day-to-day tasks
- Review petitions and decide which appeals the court will hear
- Hear oral arguments as part of the full court
- Write majority, concurring and dissenting opinions
- Confer with fellow justices to decide cases
- Adopt rules of practice and procedure for state courts
- Oversee lawyer admission and attorney discipline
- Supervise administration of the state court system
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Justices work in the state's supreme court building, usually in the capital, reading briefs and drafting opinions in chambers and meeting as a full court for arguments and conferences. Schedules follow the court's term calendar. In election states, justices also campaign periodically.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening5.0
- Critical Thinking4.9
- Reading Comprehension4.3
- Writing4.1
- Speaking4.1
- Active Learning4.0
- Monitoring3.9
- Learning Strategies2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 5.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.3 |
| Writing | 4.1 |
| Speaking | 4.1 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.3
- Complex Problem Solving4.1
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Time Management3.4
- Negotiation3.3
- Coordination3.0
- Persuasion3.0
- Instructing3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.3 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Time Management | 3.4 |
| Negotiation | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Internet browser software
- Legal management software
- Video conferencing software
- Web page creation and editing software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a State Supreme Court Justice?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code EIS) built on O*NET's Judge profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | State Supreme Court Justice |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Enterprising5.5
- Investigative4.3
- Social4.2
- Conventional4.1
- Realistic2.3
- Artistic2.2
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
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More legal careers
Median annual pay, with judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates highlighted
- Lawyer$159,670
- BigLaw Equity Partner$159,670
- Non-Equity Partner$159,670
- BigLaw Senior Associate$159,670
- Public Company General Counsel$159,670
- Mergers and Acquisitions Attorney$159,670
- Judge$153,990
- State Supreme Court Justice$153,990
- Paralegal$62,890
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Lawyer | $159,670 |
| BigLaw Equity Partner | $159,670 |
| Non-Equity Partner | $159,670 |
| BigLaw Senior Associate | $159,670 |
| Public Company General Counsel | $159,670 |
| Mergers and Acquisitions Attorney | $159,670 |
| Judge | $153,990 |
| State Supreme Court Justice | $153,990 |
| Paralegal | $62,890 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists State Supreme Court Justice appears on
Questions
State Supreme Court Justice: frequently asked questions
How much do Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates make?
National Center for State Courts, Survey of Judicial Salaries (January 2025) reports $214,935 (median annual salary of associate justices of state courts of last resort across all states (typical), with the lowest and highest state salaries, 2025), with top earners around $298,721. BLS does not publish a separate wage for judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates. It counts them within judge, whose median pay is $153,990 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $85,710 and $194,950, and the top 10% earn $221,710 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a State Supreme Court Justice?
Yes, and beyond a bachelor's: BLS lists a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry requirement for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 66.5% hold doctoral degree.
Is State Supreme Court Justice a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 2.8% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a State Supreme Court Justice do?
Every state has a court of last resort, usually called the supreme court, whose justices have the final word on what state law and the state constitution mean. A typical task: review petitions and decide which appeals the court will hear. Employers most often ask for Document management software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates the most?
The highest state medians for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates are Rhode Island ($239,760), Massachusetts ($221,710), Connecticut ($217,760) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a State Supreme Court Justice?
O*NET scores Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates highest on the Enterprising, Investigative and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ESFJ, ENTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.