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Judge vs circuit court judge

The differences between judges and circuit court judges can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 8-10 years to become both a judge and a circuit court judge. Additionally, a judge has an average salary of $123,457, which is higher than the $57,974 average annual salary of a circuit court judge.

The top three skills for a judge include legal issues, civil law and international law. The most important skills for a circuit court judge are legal research, circuit court, and legal issues.

Judge vs circuit court judge overview

JudgeCircuit Court Judge
Yearly salary$123,457$57,974
Hourly rate$59.35$27.87
Growth rate-1%-1%
Number of jobs1,0261,339
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age4646
Years of experience1010

Judge vs circuit court judge salary

Judges and circuit court judges have different pay scales, as shown below.

JudgeCircuit Court Judge
Average salary$123,457$57,974
Salary rangeBetween $68,000 And $222,000Between $38,000 And $87,000
Highest paying CityJacksonville, FL-
Highest paying stateNew Mexico-
Best paying companyUnited States Courts-
Best paying industryMedia-

Differences between judge and circuit court judge education

There are a few differences between a judge and a circuit court judge in terms of educational background:

JudgeCircuit Court Judge
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of Richmond

Judge vs circuit court judge demographics

Here are the differences between judges' and circuit court judges' demographics:

JudgeCircuit Court Judge
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 50.3% Female, 49.7%Male, 45.6% Female, 54.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between judge and circuit court judge duties and responsibilities

Judge example 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.
  • Perform extensive research and prepare legal memoranda on domestic relations and probate issues.
  • Prepare orders and decisions from drafts provide by the assigned AJ.
    • Show more

Circuit court judge example responsibilities.

  • Manage, and update all scheduling of events, meetings, and appointments for mediation and arbitration for family law cases.
  • Perform extensive research and prepare legal memoranda on domestic relations and probate issues.
  • Perform clerical work by cross-referencing voters' names with their identification.

Judge vs circuit court judge skills

Common judge skills
  • Legal Issues, 18%
  • Civil Law, 15%
  • International Law, 14%
  • Legal Services, 12%
  • Defense Counsel, 12%
  • Trial Counsel, 5%
Common circuit court judge skills
  • Legal Research, 29%
  • Circuit Court, 24%
  • Legal Issues, 20%
  • Appeals, 16%
  • Jury Trials, 5%
  • Law Enforcement, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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