Judge demographics and statistics in the US
Judge demographics research summary. Zippia estimates judge demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our judge estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about judges after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 16,323 judges currently employed in the United States.
- 49.7% of all judges are women, while 50.3% are men.
- The average judge age is 46 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of judges is White (75.7%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.7%), Asian (6.4%) and Black or African American (5.5%).
- Judges are most in-demand in Shelbyville, IN.
- The media industry is the highest-paying for judges.
- 10% of all judges are LGBT.
On this page
Judge demographics by:
Judge gender statistics
49.7% of judges are women and 50.3% of judges are men.
- Male, 50.3%
- Female, 49.7%
Judge gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 50.3% |
| Female | 49.7% |
Judge gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$103,940
Female income
$96,756
Judge gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in judge positions over time. Currently, 49.7% of judges are female.
Judge gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 57.40% | 42.60% |
| 2011 | 56.59% | 43.41% |
| 2012 | 56.41% | 43.59% |
| 2013 | 55.78% | 44.22% |
| 2014 | 55.68% | 44.32% |
| 2015 | 53.00% | 47.00% |
| 2016 | 52.90% | 47.10% |
| 2017 | 53.01% | 46.99% |
| 2018 | 53.42% | 46.58% |
| 2019 | 52.69% | 47.31% |
| 2020 | 50.78% | 49.22% |
| 2021 | 50.35% | 49.65% |
Judge related jobs gender ratio
We compared 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% |
| Judge | 50% | 50% |
| Patent Analyst | 72% | 28% |
| Patent Attorney | 79% | 21% |
| Patent Examiner | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Judge demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among judges is White, which makes up 75.7% of all judges. Comparatively, 7.7% of judges are Hispanic or Latino and 6.4% of judges are Asian.
- White, 75.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.7%
- Asian, 6.4%
- Black or African American, 5.5%
- Unknown, 4.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Judge race
| Judge race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 75.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.7% |
| Asian | 6.4% |
| Black or African American | 5.5% |
| Unknown | 4.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Judge race and ethnicity over time
See how judge racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Judge race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 82.36% | 5.10% | 4.76% | 5.96% |
| 2011 | 82.13% | 5.42% | 4.92% | 5.79% |
| 2012 | 82.20% | 5.04% | 5.09% | 5.98% |
| 2013 | 81.96% | 5.13% | 5.13% | 5.71% |
| 2014 | 81.29% | 5.63% | 5.36% | 5.85% |
| 2015 | 81.20% | 5.29% | 5.45% | 6.27% |
| 2016 | 80.63% | 5.35% | 5.60% | 6.56% |
| 2017 | 80.66% | 5.32% | 5.57% | 6.33% |
| 2018 | 80.02% | 5.50% | 5.50% | 6.94% |
| 2019 | 79.55% | 5.48% | 5.88% | 7.01% |
| 2020 | 77.04% | 5.38% | 6.19% | 7.16% |
| 2021 | 75.70% | 5.52% | 6.35% | 7.75% |
Judge wage gap by race
According to our data, asian judges have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american judges have the lowest average salary at $98,386.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $102,953 |
| White | $106,373 |
| Black or African American | $98,386 |
| Asian | $112,326 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $100,238 |
Average judge age
See how the average age of judges varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
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 |
Judge age breakdown
The average age of judges is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the judge population.
Judge age breakdown
| Judge Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 67% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Judge educational attainment
The most common degree for judges is bachelor's degree, with 59% of judges earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 17% and doctoral degree degree at 10%.
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Doctorate, 17%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 8%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Judges by degree level
| Judge degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 59% |
| Doctorate | 17% |
| Master's | 10% |
| Associate | 8% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Judge jobs you might like
Judge employment statistics
Most judges work for a private in the education industry.
Company size where judges work
Below, you can see the size of companies where judges work.
Judge jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 21% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 33% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 3% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 20% |
| > 10,000 employees | 13% |
Judge jobs by company type
Employees with the judge job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most judges prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Judge jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 31% |
| Public | 6% |
| Private | 39% |
| Government | 25% |
Judge jobs by industry
The most common industries for judges are education, government and non profits.
Judge industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 25% |
| Government | 20% |
| Non Profits | 8% |
| Health Care | 7% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Media | 6% |
| Manufacturing | 6% |
| Transportation | 3% |
| Utilities | 3% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Hospitality | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Judge turnover and employment statistics
Judge unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for judges between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Judge unemployment rate by year
| Year | 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 judge tenure
The average judge stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 6,245 judges resumes in Zippia's database.
Judge tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 36% |
| 1-2 years | 25% |
| 3-4 years | 11% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Judge LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Law Internship | 5.54% | 51,663 |
| Litigation Assistant | 6.63% | 6,114 |
| Title Junior Assistant | 8.14% | 12,219 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Judge | 10.48% | - |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Similar judge jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Law Internship | 5.54% | 51,663 |
| Litigation Assistant | 6.63% | 6,114 |
| Title Junior Assistant | 8.14% | 12,219 |
| Court Reporter | 9.12% | 2,329 |
| Legislative Aide | 14.16% | 40,281 |
Foreign languages spoken by judges
The most common foreign language among judges is Spanish at 42.4%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.4% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 5.0%.
- Spanish, 42.4%
- French, 14.4%
- Chinese, 5.0%
- German, 4.7%
- Russian, 4.7%
- Other, 28.8%
Judge languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 42.4% |
| French | 14.4% |
| Chinese | 5.0% |
| German | 4.7% |
| Russian | 4.7% |
| Other | 28.8% |
