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What is a circuit court judge and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a circuit court judge. For example, did you know that they make an average of $27.87 an hour? That's $57,974 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -1% and produce -600 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreCircuit Court JudgeUS Average
Salary
4.5

Avg. Salary $57,974

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
10.0

Growth Rate -1%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 6.30%

Black or African American 5.46%

Hispanic or Latino 7.68%

Unknown 4.37%

White 75.89%

Gender

female 54.37%

male 45.63%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress Level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.0

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Circuit Court Judge career paths

Key steps to become a circuit court judge

  1. Explore circuit court judge education requirements

    Most common circuit court judge degrees

    Bachelor's

    50.0 %

    Doctorate

    34.9 %

    Associate

    11.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific circuit court judge skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Legal Research29.39%
    Circuit Court24.25%
    Legal Issues20.30%
    Appeals15.83%
    Jury Trials4.69%
  3. Research circuit court judge duties and responsibilities

    • Manage, and update all scheduling of events, meetings, and appointments for mediation and arbitration for family law cases.
    • Perform extensive research and prepare legal memoranda on domestic relations and probate issues.
    • Perform clerical work by cross-referencing voters' names with their identification.
  4. Prepare your circuit court judge resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your circuit court judge resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a circuit court judge resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Circuit Court Judge Resume templates

    Build a professional Circuit Court Judge resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Circuit Court Judge resume.
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    Circuit Court Judge Resume
    Circuit Court Judge Resume
    Circuit Court Judge Resume
    Circuit Court Judge Resume
    Circuit Court Judge Resume
  5. Apply for circuit court judge jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a circuit court judge job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Circuit Court Judge Job

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Average circuit court judge salary

The average Circuit Court Judge salary in the United States is $57,974 per year or $28 per hour. Circuit court judge salaries range between $38,000 and $87,000 per year.

Average Circuit Court Judge Salary
$57,974 Yearly
$27.87 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.