Law & Government
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines. May determine liability of defendant in civil cases. May perform wedding ceremonies.
Median salary
$156,210
Typical range
$47k – $217k
Job outlook
+3% (about average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Education
Typical entry: Master's degree
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Intern
Internship
$36,000
~4 mos to advance
Junior Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Entry / Junior
$46,520
~2 yrs to advance
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Established
$156,210
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Senior
$186,375
Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.
Key skills
A typical day
- •Sentence defendants in criminal cases, on conviction by jury, according to applicable government statutes.
- •Monitor proceedings to ensure that all applicable rules and procedures are followed.
- •Instruct juries on applicable laws, direct juries to deduce the facts from the evidence presented, and hear their verdicts.
- •Write decisions on cases.
- •Read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Law & Government
Explore all- Yale University5% admit · $105,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- Stanford University4% admit · $122,000 grad pay
- Columbia University4% admit · $103,000 grad pay
- University of Chicago5% admit · $91,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.