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Salaries of federal judges in the United States

Federal judge salaries in the United States are determined by the United States Congress and are governed in part by the United States Constitution, depending in part on the court on which the judge sits. In particular, United States federal judges confirmed under Article III of the Constitution have compensation that "shall not be diminished during their continuance in office."[1] Other federal judges have salaries that may be adjusted without direct constitutional constraints, however statutory schemes usually govern these salaries. Debates over judicial salaries and their increase and treatment have occurred since the ratification of the Constitution.

Compensation varies based upon the particular judgeship, though it generally increases commensurate with the office.

Article III judges

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Article III federal judges are those appointed under Article III, Section 1 of the U.S Constitution. Due to the Compensation Clause, these judges are federal judges that may not have their salaries diminished during their time in office, and are appointed to indefinite terms and may not be removed unless they resign or are impeached.

Supreme Court

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The United States Supreme Court is the highest federal appellate court. Its members are commonly called justices.

The following table lists annual salary increases for the justices from 1789 to present.

Year Chief Justice Associate Justices 2023 inflation adjusted figures[2]
Chief Justice Associate Justice
1789 $4,000 $3,500 Data not available Data not available
1819 $5,000 $4,500 $99,522 $89,570
1855 $6,500 $6,000 $212,550 $196,200
1871 $8,500 $8,000 $216,183 $203,467
1873 $10,500 $10,000 $267,050 $254,333
1903 $13,000 $12,500 $440,844 $423,889
1911 $15,000 $14,500 $490,500 $474,150
1926 $20,500 $20,000 $352,816 $344,211
1946 $25,500 $25,000 $398,427 $390,614
1955 $35,500 $35,000 $403,774 $398,087
1964 $40,000 $39,500 $392,961 $388,049
1969 $62,500 $60,000 $519,283 $498,512
1975 $65,600 $63,000 $371,449 $356,727
1976 $68,800 $66,000 $368,382 $353,389
1977 $75,000 $72,000 $377,100 $362,016
1978 $79,100 $76,000 $369,510 $355,029
1979 $84,700 $81,300 $355,577 $341,303
1980 $92,400 $88,700 $341,686 $328,004
1981 $96,800 $93,000 $324,415 $311,679
1982 $100,700 $96,700 $317,934 $305,305
1984 $104,700 $100,600 $307,057 $295,033
1985 $108,400 $104,100 $307,089 $294,907
1987 $111,700 $107,200 $299,568 $287,499
1987 $115,000 $110,000 $308,418 $295,009
1990 $124,000 $118,600 $289,186 $276,592
1991 $160,600 $153,600 $359,261 $343,602
1992 $166,200 $159,000 $360,855 $345,223
1993 $171,500 $164,100 $361,726 $346,118
1998 $175,400 $167,900 $327,881 $313,861
2000 $181,400 $173,600 $320,947 $307,146
2001 $186,300 $178,300 $320,572 $306,806
2002 $192,600 $184,400 $326,262 $312,371
2003 $198,600 $190,100 $328,940 $314,862
2004 $203,000 $194,300 $327,461 $313,427
2005 $208,100 $199,200 $324,649 $310,764
2006 $212,100 $203,000 $320,566 $306,812
2008 $217,400 $208,100 $307,653 $294,492
2009 $223,500 $213,900 $317,414 $303,780
2010 $223,500 $213,900 $312,279 $298,866
2011 $223,500 $213,900 $302,717 $289,714
2012 $223,500 $213,900 $296,618 $283,877
2013 $223,500 $213,900 $292,338 $279,781
2014 $255,500 $244,400 $328,839 $317,641
2015 $258,100 $246,800 $331,765 $317,240
2016 $260,700 $249,300 $330,972 $316,499
2017 $263,300 $251,800 $327,284 $312,990
2018 $267,000 $255,300 $323,967 $309,770
2019 $270,700 $258,900 $322,599 $308,537
2020 $277,700 $265,600 $326,941 $312,696
2021 $280,500 $268,300 $315,395 $301,677
2022 $286,700 $274,200 N/A N/A

Appeals Court

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The following is a list of salaries for judges on the United States Court of Appeals.

Year Salary 2023 inflation adjusted figures[2]
1891 $6,000 Data not available
1903 $7,000 $237,378
1919 $8,500 $149,378
1926 $12,500 $215,132
1946 $17,500 $273,430
1955 $25,500 $290,035
1964 $33,000 $324,193
1969 $42,500 $353,113
1975 $44,600 $252,540
1976 $46,800 $250,585
1977 $57,500 $289,110
1978 $60,700 $283,556
1979 $65,000 $272,875
1980 $70,900 $262,181
1981 $74,300 $249,008
1982 $77,300 $244,055
1984 $80,400 $235,792
1985 $83,200 $235,699
1987 $85,700 $229,839
1987 $95,000 $254,780
1990 $102,500 $239,045
1991 $132,700 $296,849
1992 $137,300 $298,107
1993 $141,700 $298,872
1998 $145,000 $271,053
2000 $149,900 $265,214
2001 $153,900 $264,820
2002 $159,100 $269,513
2003 $164,000 $271,632
2004 $167,600 $270,357
2005 $171,800 $268,019
2006 $175,100 $264,644
2008 $179,500 $254,019
2009 $184,500 $262,026
2010 $184,500 $257,788
2011 $184,500 $249,894
2012 $184,500 $244,859
2013 $184,500 $241,326
2014 $211,200 $271,823
2015 $213,300 $274,179
2016 $215,400 $273,461
2017 $217,600 $270,479
2018 $220,600 $267,667
2019 $223,700 $266,588
2020 $229,500 $270,194
2021 $231,800 $260,636
2022 $236,900 N/A

District Court

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The following is a table of district judge salaries in the United States. District judge salaries varied based on the state prior to 1891. They were unified in 1891.

Salaries of US district judges 1789–1867
Year Minimum Maximum 2023 inflation adjusted figures[2]
1789 $800 $1,800 Data not available Data not available
1812 $800 $3,000 $14,362 $53,859
1816 $800 $3,100 $14,362 $55,654
1817 $800 $3,000 $15,260 $57,225
1830 $1,200 $3,500 $34,335 $100,144
1844 $1,200 $3,800 $39,240 $124,260
1847 $1,200 $3,500 $39,240 $114,450
1852 $1,200 $5,000 $43,949 $183,120
1854 $1,200 $3,500 $40,693 $118,689
1860 $1,200 $6,300 $40,693 $203,467
1862 $1,200 $3,500 $36,624 $106,820
1866 $1,200 $4,500 $24,971 $93,641
1867 $3,500 $5,000 $76,300 $109,000
Salaries of US district judges 1891–present
Year Salary 2023 inflation adjusted figures[2]
1891 $5,000 $169,556
1903 $6,000 $203,467
1919 $7,500 $131,804
1926 $10,000 $172,105
1946 $15,000 $234,369
1955 $22,500 $255,913
1964 $30,000 $294,721
1969 $40,000 $332,341
1975 $42,000 $237,818
1976 $44,000 $235,593
1977 $54,500 $274,026
1978 $57,500 $268,607
1979 $61,500 $258,182
1980 $67,100 $248,129
1981 $70,300 $235,603
1982 $73,100 $230,794
1984 $76,000 $222,888
1985 $78,700 $222,951
1987 $81,100 $217,502
1987 $89,500 $240,030
1990 $96,600 $225,285
1991 $125,100 $279,847
1992 $129,500 $281,172
1993 $133,600 $281,788
1998 $136,700 $255,538
2000 $141,300 $249,999
2001 $145,100 $249,678
2002 $150,000 $254,098
2003 $154,700 $256,229
2004 $158,100 $255,032
2005 $162,100 $252,886
2006 $165,200 $249,682
2008 $169,300 $239,584
2009 $174,000 $247,114
2010 $174,000 $243,117
2011 $174,000 $235,672
2012 $174,000 $230,924
2013 $174,000 $227,592
2014 $199,100 $256,250
2015 $201,100 $258,497
2016 $203,100 $257,846
2017 $205,100 $254,941
2018 $208,000 $252,378
2019 $210,900 $251,334
2020 $216,400 $254,772
2021 $218,600 $245,794
2022 $223,400 N/A

Court of International Trade

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See also: United States Court of International Trade

According to the Federal Judiciary Center, Court of International Trade judges receive the same salary as district court judges.[3]

Non Article III judges

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Magistrate judges

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Since 1988, the salary of magistrate judges is set by the Judicial Conference of the United States, but may not exceed 92 percent of the salary of district court judges.[4]

Bankruptcy judges

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Since 1988, bankruptcy judges receive compensation equal to 92 percent of the salary of district judges. [5]

Administrative Law Judges

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United States Administrative Law Judges (U.S. ALJs) are individuals appointed under 5 U.S.C. 3105 for administrative proceedings conducted in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 556 and 557. ALJs are paid under 5 U.S.C. 5372.[6]

The ALJ pay system has three levels of basic pay: AL-1, AL-2, and AL-3. The base pay for each step varies according to the location of the position. The rate of basic pay for AL-3, rate A, may not be less than 65 percent of the rate of basic pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule. The rate of basic pay for AL-1 may not exceed the rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule.[6]

ALJs also receive locality payments under 5 U.S.C. 5304. Locality rates for ALJs may not exceed the rate for level III of the Executive Schedule.[6]

An ALJ who is appointed and placed in level AL-3 must be paid at the minimum rate A, unless the ALJ is eligible for a higher rate because of prior service or superior qualifications. Level AL-3 has 5 rates and it takes a total of 7 years to advanced from ALJ-3A to ALJ-3F.[6]

As of 2022, the pay for ALJ-3, including locality adjustments, ranges from $136,651.00 per year to $187,300.00 depending on the particular locality and advancement from rate A to F.[7] As of 2022, pay for ALJ-2 and ALJ-1 is capped at $187,300.00 based on salary compression caused by salary caps based on the Executive Schedule.

Tax Court judges

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Judges of the Tax Court receive the same compensation as district court judges.[8]

Court of Federal Claims judges

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Since 1988, judges of the Court of Federal Claims receive the same compensation as district court judges.[9]

Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

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Judges of the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces receive the same compensation as judges of the circuit courts of appeals.[10]

Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

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Judges of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims receive the same compensation as district court judges.[11]

United States Court of Private Land Claims

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United States Court for Berlin

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Territorial judges

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Territorial Courts are created under Article IV and exist in U.S. Territories. Only three currently exist. Compensation is fixed at the rate of regular district court judges.

Hybrid courts and others

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District of Columbia courts

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See also: Superior Court of the District of Columbia and District of Columbia Court of Appeals

United States Commerce Court

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The United States Commerce Court sat from 1910 to 1913. It had a staggered and limited-term membership, but consisted of Article III Appellate Court judges that would be at-large judges when not on the Court.

United States Court of Claims

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The United States Court of Claims was a court that served from 1855 to 1982. It existed as both an Article I and Article III court (after 1953).

Court of Customs and Patent Appeals

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The Court of Customs and Patent Appeals was a court sitting from 1909 to 1982. Its treatment as an Article I or Article III court is ambiguous; it was originally ruled an Article I court, however it was later ruled an Article III court after Congress amended the law creating it.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ U.S. Constitution, Art III, Sec 1.
  2. ^ a b c d 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  3. ^ "History of the Federal Judiciary". Federal Judiciary Center. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  4. ^ "History of the Federal Judiciary". Federal Judiciary Center. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  5. ^ "28 U.S.C. § 153". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  6. ^ a b c d "Fact Sheet: Administrative Law Judge Pay System". www.opm.gov. U.S. Government OPM. Retrieved 20 September 2022.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ^ "2022 Locality Rates of Pay Administrative Law Judges" (PDF). U.S. Government OPM. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  8. ^ "26 U.S.C. § 7443". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  9. ^ "28 U.S.C. § 172". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  10. ^ "10 U.S.C. § 942". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  11. ^ "38 U.S.C. § 7253". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 11 January 2014.

Notes

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