Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

Government and Public AdministrationO*NET 23-1023.00United States

Arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $153,982
Projected change: +3.8%
Typical education: Doctoral degree or more
Employment: 26.65K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Sentence defendants in criminal cases, on conviction by jury, according to applicable government statutes.
Monitor proceedings to ensure that all applicable rules and procedures are followed.
Instruct juries on applicable laws, direct juries to deduce the facts from the evidence presented, and hear their verdicts.
Rule on admissibility of evidence and methods of conducting testimony.
Preside over hearings and listen to allegations made by plaintiffs to determine whether the evidence supports the charges.
Read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues.
Write decisions on cases.
Advise attorneys, juries, litigants, and court personnel regarding conduct, issues, and proceedings.
Award compensation for damages to litigants in civil cases in relation to findings by juries or by the court.
Research legal issues and write opinions on the issues.
Interpret and enforce rules of procedure or establish new rules in situations where there are no procedures already established by law.
Issue arrest warrants.
Settle disputes between opposing attorneys.
Impose restrictions upon parties in civil cases until trials can be held.
Supervise other judges, court officers, and the court's administrative staff.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $46,946
25th percentile: $85,717
50th percentile: $153,982
75th percentile: $194,958
90th percentile: $221,707

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $153,982 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+3.8%average or slower

202526,654 jobs

2035 projected27,676 jobs

1,022 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Doctoral degree or more: 76.2%
Master's or Professional degree: 23.3%
Certificate: 0.2%
Some college: 0.2%
Associate degree: 0.2%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Legal Hearings
Appeals
Lawsuits
Legal Research
Court Systems
Legal Pleadings
Adjudication
Law Enforcement
Case Management
Docketing (Court)
Data Entry
Court Proceedings
Office Equipment
Legal Discovery
Criminal Law
Civil Law
Probation
Case Law
Information Systems
Social Work

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Public Defenders254 postings
02Special Assistant Attorneys General159 postings
03State Attorneys144 postings
04Magistrates143 postings
05Apprentices90 postings
06District Attorneys84 postings
07Investigators70 postings
08Judiciary Clerks64 postings
09Magistrate Judges62 postings
10Criminal Law Attorneys59 postings
11Courtroom Deputies57 postings
12Municipal Court Judges53 postings
13Judges49 postings
14Special Assistant Attorneys48 postings
15Administrative Specialists44 postings
16Court Services Supervisors39 postings
17Veterans Service Officers39 postings
18Attorney Public Defenders37 postings
19Bankruptcy Managers34 postings
20Regional Counsels34 postings

Top employers

01New Jersey Courts253 postings
02United States Department of Justice235 postings
03State of Florida152 postings
04State of Washington110 postings
05Trinity89 postings
06United States Federal Judiciary82 postings
07State of California65 postings
08State Of Illinois47 postings
09New York City39 postings
10State of Minnesota37 postings
11State Of Texas29 postings
12State of South Carolina29 postings
13State of Delaware28 postings
14Newyork State Government25 postings
15U.S Attorney's Office Department Of Justice25 postings
16Commonwealth Of Virginia23 postings
17State of Massachusetts21 postings
18California State Personnel Board20 postings
19City Of Chicago19 postings
20Minnesota Judicial Branch19 postings

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