Federal judge demographics and statistics in the US
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Federal judge demographics by:
Federal judge gender statistics
39.3% of federal judges are women and 60.7% of federal judges are men.
- Male, 60.7%
- Female, 39.3%
Federal judge gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 60.7% |
| Female | 39.3% |
Federal judge gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$51,752
Female income
$49,105
Federal judge gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in federal judge positions over time. Currently, 39.3% of federal judges are female.
Federal judge gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 67.25% | 32.75% |
| 2011 | 66.52% | 33.48% |
| 2012 | 66.36% | 33.64% |
| 2013 | 65.78% | 34.22% |
| 2014 | 65.70% | 34.30% |
| 2015 | 63.22% | 36.78% |
| 2016 | 63.13% | 36.87% |
| 2017 | 63.23% | 36.77% |
| 2018 | 63.61% | 36.39% |
| 2019 | 62.93% | 37.07% |
| 2020 | 61.13% | 38.87% |
| 2021 | 60.71% | 39.29% |
Federal judge related jobs gender ratio
We compared federal 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% |
| Federal Judge | 61% | 39% |
| Patent Analyst | 72% | 28% |
| Patent Attorney | 79% | 21% |
| Patent Examiner | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Federal judge demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among federal judges is White, which makes up 75.9% of all federal judges. Comparatively, 7.7% of federal judges are Hispanic or Latino and 6.3% of federal judges are Asian.
- White, 75.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.7%
- Asian, 6.3%
- Black or African American, 5.5%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Federal judge race
| Federal judge race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.7% |
| Asian | 6.3% |
| Black or African American | 5.5% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Federal judge race and ethnicity over time
See how federal judge racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Federal judge race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.58% | 5.03% | 4.70% | 5.88% |
| 2011 | 82.35% | 5.34% | 4.85% | 5.71% |
| 2012 | 82.42% | 4.97% | 5.02% | 5.90% |
| 2013 | 82.18% | 5.06% | 5.06% | 5.63% |
| 2014 | 81.52% | 5.56% | 5.29% | 5.78% |
| 2015 | 81.42% | 5.22% | 5.38% | 6.20% |
| 2016 | 80.85% | 5.28% | 5.54% | 6.48% |
| 2017 | 80.88% | 5.25% | 5.51% | 6.26% |
| 2018 | 80.24% | 5.43% | 5.43% | 6.87% |
| 2019 | 79.78% | 5.41% | 5.81% | 6.93% |
| 2020 | 77.26% | 5.31% | 6.12% | 7.08% |
| 2021 | 75.92% | 5.45% | 6.29% | 7.67% |
Federal judge wage gap by race
According to our data, asian federal judges have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american federal judges have the lowest average salary at $49,710.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $51,391 |
| White | $52,638 |
| Black or African American | $49,710 |
| Asian | $54,781 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $50,394 |
Average federal judge age
See how the average age of federal judges varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Federal 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 |
Federal judge age breakdown
The average age of federal judges is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the federal judge population.
Federal judge age breakdown
| Federal Judge Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Federal judge educational attainment
The most common degree for federal judges is bachelor's degree, with 66% of federal judges earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 20% and doctoral degree degree at 15%.
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Doctorate, 20%
- Master's, 15%
Federal judges by degree level
| Federal judge degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 66% |
| Doctorate | 20% |
| Master's | 15% |
Federal judge jobs you might like
Federal judge employment statistics
Company size where federal judges work
Below, you can see the size of companies where federal judges work.
Federal judge jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 38% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 8% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 15% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Federal judge turnover and employment statistics
Federal judge unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for federal judges between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Federal judge unemployment rate by year
| Year | Federal 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 federal judge tenure
The average federal judge stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 60 federal judges resumes in Zippia's database.
Federal judge tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 61% |
| 1-2 years | 15% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 5% |
| 8-10 years | 2% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Federal judge LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of federal 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 Law Clerk | 5.54% | 67,469 |
| Executive Legal Assistant | 6.63% | 72,148 |
| Title Processor | 8.14% | 7,068 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Federal Judge | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Similar federal judge jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Judicial Law Clerk | 5.54% | 67,469 |
| Executive Legal Assistant | 6.63% | 72,148 |
| Title Processor | 8.14% | 7,068 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Foreign languages spoken by federal judges
- Spanish, 100.0%
Federal judge languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 100.0% |