# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/judges-magistrate-judges-and-magistrates
- SOC code: 23-1023.00
- Career family: Legal
- Median annual pay: $153,990 (10th percentile $46,950, 90th percentile $221,710)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +2.8%
- Openings a year: 800
- Typical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ECS)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 22 |
| Investigative (I) | 47 |
| Artistic (A) | 20 |
| Social (S) | 49 |
| Enterprising (E) | 71 |
| Conventional (C) | 52 |

## What you'd do

- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 98/100)
- Getting Information (importance 95/100)
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 91/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 88/100)
- Processing Information (importance 86/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 80/100)
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People (importance 79/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 78/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 75/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 72/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Speaking, Writing, Active Learning, Social Perceptiveness, Monitoring

## Knowledge

Law and Government, English Language, Administration and Management, Psychology, Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, Computers and Electronics, Therapy and Counseling, Personnel and Human Resources, Communications and Media

## Also called

Administrative Court Justice, Appeals Specialist, Appellate Court Judge, Appellate Immigration Judge, Ballot Processing Judge, Bankruptcy Judge, Chancery Master, Chief Judge, Circuit Court Judge, Circuit Judge

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Law](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/2201) (CIP 2201, 182 colleges)

## Related careers

- [Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/administrative-law-judges-adjudicators-and-hearing-officers): $117,860 median pay
- [Judicial Law Clerks](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/judicial-law-clerks): $64,920 median pay
- [Lawyers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/lawyers): $159,670 median pay
- [Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/arbitrators-mediators-and-conciliators): $75,530 median pay
- [Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/probation-officers-and-correctional-treatment-specialists): $66,270 median pay
- [Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/equal-opportunity-representatives-and-officers): $80,730 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.