Post job

Presiding judge vs magisterial district judge

The differences between presiding judges and magisterial district 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 presiding judge and a magisterial district judge. Additionally, a magisterial district judge has an average salary of $58,685, which is higher than the $58,627 average annual salary of a presiding judge.

The top three skills for a presiding judge include legal research, jury trials and election process. The most important skills for a magisterial district judge are district court, appeals, and legal issues.

Presiding judge vs magisterial district judge overview

Presiding JudgeMagisterial District Judge
Yearly salary$58,627$58,685
Hourly rate$28.19$28.21
Growth rate-1%-1%
Number of jobs517,658
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4646
Years of experience1010

Presiding judge vs magisterial district judge salary

Presiding judges and magisterial district judges have different pay scales, as shown below.

Presiding JudgeMagisterial District Judge
Average salary$58,627$58,685
Salary rangeBetween $38,000 And $89,000Between $38,000 And $89,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between presiding judge and magisterial district judge education

There are a few differences between a presiding judge and a magisterial district judge in terms of educational background:

Presiding JudgeMagisterial District Judge
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 58%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorLawLaw
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Presiding judge vs magisterial district judge demographics

Here are the differences between presiding judges' and magisterial district judges' demographics:

Presiding JudgeMagisterial District Judge
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 53.6% Female, 46.4%Male, 56.5% Female, 43.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 5.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between presiding judge and magisterial district judge duties and responsibilities

Presiding 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.

Magisterial district judge example responsibilities.

  • Manage, and update all scheduling of events, meetings, and appointments for mediation and arbitration for family law cases.
  • Serve active warrants and subpoenas and all civil and criminal court orders, investigations and other law enforcement duties.
  • Perform citations, arrest warrants and subpoenas and investigations.
  • Perform extensive research and prepare legal memoranda on domestic relations and probate issues.
  • Perform clerical work by cross-referencing voters' names with their identification.

Presiding judge vs magisterial district judge skills

Common presiding judge skills
  • Legal Research, 39%
  • Jury Trials, 19%
  • Election Process, 16%
  • Legal Issues, 14%
  • General Supervision, 13%
Common magisterial district judge skills
  • District Court, 21%
  • Appeals, 13%
  • Legal Issues, 11%
  • Court Proceedings, 10%
  • Legal Research, 9%
  • Social Security, 9%