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What is a court of appeals 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 court of appeals judge. For example, did you know that they make an average of $27.34 an hour? That's $56,871 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -1% and produce -600 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreCourt Of Appeals JudgeUS Average
Salary
4.4

Avg. Salary $56,871

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 6.31%

Black or African American 5.47%

Hispanic or Latino 7.69%

Unknown 4.37%

White 75.85%

Gender

female 47.06%

male 52.94%

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

Key steps to become a court of appeals judge

  1. Explore court of appeals judge education requirements

    Most common court of appeals judge degrees

    Bachelor's

    56.3 %

    Doctorate

    22.2 %

    Master's

    11.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific court of appeals judge skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Appeals22.67%
    Legal Issues12.20%
    Legal Research11.51%
    Criminal Cases10.73%
    Court Orders8.25%
  3. Research court of appeals judge duties and responsibilities

    • Research and draft opinions, orders, and memoranda on criminal, civil, workers' compensation and administrative agency appeals.
    • 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 court of appeals judge resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your court of appeals 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 court of appeals 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 court of appeals judge resume templates

    Build a professional court of appeals 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 court of appeals judge resume.
    Court Of Appeals Judge Resume
    Court Of Appeals Judge Resume
    Court Of Appeals Judge Resume
    Court Of Appeals Judge Resume
    Court Of Appeals Judge Resume
    Court Of Appeals Judge Resume
    Court Of Appeals Judge Resume
    Court Of Appeals Judge Resume
    Court Of Appeals Judge Resume
  5. Apply for court of appeals judge jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a court of appeals 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 court of appeals judge job

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Average court of appeals judge salary

The average court of appeals judge salary in the United States is $56,871 per year or $27 per hour. Court of appeals judge salaries range between $36,000 and $89,000 per year.

Average court of appeals judge salary
$56,871 Yearly
$27.34 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.