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The differences between justices and judges can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a justice, becoming a judge takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a judge has an average salary of $123,457, which is higher than the $53,502 average annual salary of a justice.
The top three skills for a justice include customer service, public safety and direct supervision. The most important skills for a judge are legal issues, civil law, and international law.
| Justice | Judge | |
| Yearly salary | $53,502 | $123,457 |
| Hourly rate | $25.72 | $59.35 |
| Growth rate | 12% | -1% |
| Number of jobs | 1,014 | 1,026 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 10 |
Justices are court officials in charge of making the final decision of cases on the Supreme Court and appeals courts. They can be appointed or elected by the higher court officials. While they do not hold trials, they review documentation that comes from lower courts before decision making. They hear oral argumentation on certain cases from attorneys. Full court justices decide on combining prominent or more complex cases. They also issue a well-written legal opinion.
Judges are officials who conduct court proceedings. They sign arrest and search warrants, restraining orders, subpoenas, etc. When working on a case, the judges decide if the accused should be set free or sent to jail based on the presented evidence. They should be unbiased when listening to witnesses and examining evidence. They must show compassion and understanding to both sides and keep in mind that justice means more than just knowing the law. Additionally, their goal should only be finding the truth.
Justices and judges have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Justice | Judge | |
| Average salary | $53,502 | $123,457 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $85,000 | Between $68,000 And $222,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairbanks, AK | Jacksonville, FL |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Mexico |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | United States Courts |
| Best paying industry | Government | Media |
There are a few differences between a justice and a judge in terms of educational background:
| Justice | Judge | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Law |
| Most common college | Pennsylvania State University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between justices' and judges' demographics:
| Justice | Judge | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9% | Male, 50.3% Female, 49.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 10% |