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What is a judge and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Charity Rohlfs J.D.,
Jennifer Brobst

Judges primarily officiate court proceedings. They are also responsible for signing restraining orders, subpoenas, and other legal documents. Federal judges in the United States have to be appointed or elected to their positions. People who aspire to become a Judge must run for their local elections, garner their state governor's approval, or be directly appointed by the United States President.

Most states require their Judges to have a college diploma, at least. We found that Judges commonly hold specialized degrees in Law, Criminal Justice, Legal Research, and Advanced Professional Studies. Because this is such a high-skill job, many candidates take more time to establish their expertise by pursuing a Master's degree or Doctorate in those fields.

On average, Judges in the United States earn a yearly salary of roughly $196,000. That's more or less $94 an hour. However, top earners can make as much as $265,000 a year.

What general advice would you give to a judge?

Charity Rohlfs J.D.Charity Rohlfs J.D. LinkedIn profile

Associate Professor of Paralegal Studies, Website

Find a mentor and be involved with your local legal associations. Porter Gale said, “your network is your net worth.” And, I couldn’t agree more! As a new paralegal, legal operations specialist, or attorney, growing your network helps in all aspects of your career. You will gain new skills, increase your business development ability, engage in meaningful volunteering opportunities, and truly find an area of law you want to specialize in.
ScoreJudgeUS Average
Salary
8.2

Avg. Salary $123,457

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 6.35%

Black or African American 5.52%

Hispanic or Latino 7.75%

Unknown 4.37%

White 75.70%

Gender

female 49.65%

male 50.35%

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

Judge career paths

Key steps to become a judge

  1. Explore judge education requirements

    Most common judge degrees

    Bachelor's

    58.9 %

    Doctorate

    17.2 %

    Master's

    10.1 %
  2. Start to develop specific judge skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Legal Issues18.24%
    Civil Law14.52%
    International Law13.86%
    Legal Services12.41%
    Defense Counsel12.08%
  3. Research judge duties and responsibilities

    • Prepare jury charges, manage trial docket and handle appeals of SSI disability cases.
    • Manage, and update all scheduling of events, meetings, and appointments for mediation and arbitration for family law cases.
    • Docket civil orders on CM/ECF.
    • Observe civil and criminal trial and appeals proceedings.
  4. Prepare your judge resume

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

    Build a professional 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 judge resume.
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  5. Apply for judge jobs

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

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Average judge salary

The average judge salary in the United States is $123,457 per year or $59 per hour. Judge salaries range between $68,000 and $222,000 per year.

Average judge salary
$123,457 Yearly
$59.35 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do judges rate their job?

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Judge reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2019
Pros

As a civil litigation defense attorney I love the fact that every day is different. I enjoy assisting clients who have a problem to solve that problem in the most cost effective way, and how to avoid such problems in the future. I like that I basically set my own work schedule (other than court dates).


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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.