Circuit judge demographics and statistics in the US
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Circuit judge demographics by:
Circuit judge gender statistics
41.2% of circuit judges are women and 58.8% of circuit judges are men.
- Male, 58.8%
- Female, 41.2%
Circuit judge gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 58.8% |
| Female | 41.2% |
Circuit judge gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$51,838
Female income
$49,311
Circuit judge gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in circuit judge positions over time. Currently, 41.2% of circuit judges are female.
Circuit judge gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 65.50% | 34.50% |
| 2011 | 64.75% | 35.25% |
| 2012 | 64.58% | 35.42% |
| 2013 | 63.99% | 36.01% |
| 2014 | 63.90% | 36.10% |
| 2015 | 61.37% | 38.63% |
| 2016 | 61.28% | 38.72% |
| 2017 | 61.38% | 38.62% |
| 2018 | 61.77% | 38.23% |
| 2019 | 61.07% | 38.93% |
| 2020 | 59.24% | 40.76% |
| 2021 | 58.82% | 41.18% |
Circuit judge related jobs gender ratio
We compared circuit judges with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, patent examiner and patent attorney have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran Appeals Reviewer | 17% | 83% |
| Guardian Ad Litem | 18% | 82% |
| Surrogate | 18% | 82% |
| Circuit Judge | 59% | 41% |
| Patent Analyst | 72% | 28% |
| Patent Attorney | 79% | 21% |
| Patent Examiner | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Circuit judge demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among circuit judges is White, which makes up 75.1% of all circuit judges. Comparatively, 8.0% of circuit judges are Hispanic or Latino and 6.5% of circuit judges are Asian.
- White, 75.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.0%
- Asian, 6.5%
- Black or African American, 5.7%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Circuit judge race
| Circuit judge race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.0% |
| Asian | 6.5% |
| Black or African American | 5.7% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Circuit judge race and ethnicity over time
See how circuit judge racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Circuit judge race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.73% | 5.30% | 4.95% | 6.17% |
| 2011 | 81.51% | 5.62% | 5.10% | 6.00% |
| 2012 | 81.58% | 5.24% | 5.27% | 6.19% |
| 2013 | 81.33% | 5.33% | 5.31% | 5.92% |
| 2014 | 80.67% | 5.83% | 5.54% | 6.07% |
| 2015 | 80.58% | 5.49% | 5.63% | 6.48% |
| 2016 | 80.01% | 5.55% | 5.79% | 6.77% |
| 2017 | 80.04% | 5.52% | 5.76% | 6.54% |
| 2018 | 79.40% | 5.70% | 5.68% | 7.16% |
| 2019 | 78.93% | 5.68% | 6.06% | 7.22% |
| 2020 | 76.42% | 5.58% | 6.37% | 7.37% |
| 2021 | 75.08% | 5.72% | 6.54% | 7.96% |
Circuit judge wage gap by race
According to our data, asian circuit judges have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american circuit judges have the lowest average salary at $49,890.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $51,494 |
| White | $52,682 |
| Black or African American | $49,890 |
| Asian | $54,722 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $50,543 |
Average circuit judge age
See how the average age of circuit judges varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Circuit judge age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 46 | 44 |
| Unknown | 46 | 40 |
| Asian | 41 | 40.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 | 39 |
| White | 48 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 51 | 50 |
Circuit judge age breakdown
The average age of circuit judges is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the circuit judge population.
Circuit judge age breakdown
| Circuit Judge Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Circuit judge educational attainment
The most common degree for circuit judges is bachelor's degree, with 58% of circuit judges earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 33% and doctoral degree degree at 5%.
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Doctorate, 33%
- Master's, 5%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Circuit judges by degree level
| Circuit judge degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 58% |
| Doctorate | 33% |
| Master's | 5% |
| Diploma | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Circuit judge jobs you might like
Circuit judge employment statistics
Company size where circuit judges work
Below, you can see the size of companies where circuit judges work.
Circuit judge jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 12% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 24% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 12% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 12% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 29% |
| > 10,000 employees | 12% |
Circuit judge turnover and employment statistics
Circuit judge unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for circuit judges between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Circuit judge unemployment rate by year
| Year | Circuit judge unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2.19% |
| 2011 | 1.85% |
| 2012 | 1.64% |
| 2013 | 1.90% |
| 2014 | 1.57% |
| 2015 | 1.34% |
| 2016 | 1.09% |
| 2017 | 1.17% |
| 2018 | 1.10% |
| 2019 | 1.16% |
| 2020 | 1.33% |
| 2021 | 1.55% |
Average circuit judge tenure
The average circuit judge stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 84 circuit judges resumes in Zippia's database.
Circuit judge tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 38% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 2% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 0% |
| 11+ years | 16% |
Circuit judge LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of circuit judges that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Judicial Clerk | 5.54% | 66,362 |
| Contractor-Paralegal | 6.63% | 15,609 |
| Title Processor | 8.14% | 7,068 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Circuit Judge | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Similar circuit judge jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Judicial Clerk | 5.54% | 66,362 |
| Contractor-Paralegal | 6.63% | 15,609 |
| Title Processor | 8.14% | 7,068 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Assistant | 14.16% | 188 |
Foreign languages spoken by circuit judges
- Russian, 100.0%
Circuit judge languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Russian | 100.0% |