Law & Government

Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$153,990

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$47k – $222k

Job outlook

+3% (about average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $105,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates

Qualification costs Stack income Best cities/states School ROI Job-posting fit Tailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Doctorate / professional (MD, JD, PhD)

Plan my path to this →

Typical progression

Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Intern
Internship
$36,000
~4 mos to advance
Junior Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Entry / Junior
$46,950
~2 yrs to advance
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Established
$153,990
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Senior
$187,850

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

•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.
•Write decisions on cases.
•Read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Law & Government

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.