A federal district judge earns $249,900 in 2026, and the federal judge salary scale rises from there to $264,900 for circuit judges, $306,600 for associate justices of the Supreme Court, and $320,700 for the Chief Justice. Bankruptcy judges and full-time magistrate judges earn $229,908, set by statute at 92 percent of the district judge rate. These figures are fixed by federal law and apply uniformly across the country.
2026 Pay by Court Level
- Chief Justice of the United States: $320,700
- Associate Justices of the Supreme Court: $306,600
- Circuit Judges (Courts of Appeals): $264,900
- District Judges (trial courts): $249,900
- Bankruptcy and full-time Magistrate Judges: $229,908
Supreme Court pay is set under 28 U.S.C. § 5, circuit judge pay under § 44, and district judge pay under § 135.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 Code 5 – Salaries of Justices2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 Code 44 – Appointment, Tenure, Residence and Salary of Circuit Judges3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 Code 135 – Salaries of District Judges Bankruptcy judges receive 92 percent of the district judge salary under 28 U.S.C. § 153.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 Code 153 – Salaries of Bankruptcy Judges Full-time magistrate judges can earn up to that same 92 percent under 28 U.S.C. § 634(a), though the Judicial Conference sets exact pay and part-time magistrate judges earn considerably less.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 Code 634 – Compensation
Same Pay in Every City
Unlike most federal employees, judges do not receive locality pay. A district judge in San Francisco and a district judge in rural Arkansas earn the identical $249,900. Locality adjustments can add roughly 17 to 35 percent on top of base pay for other federal workers depending on the metro area, so the absence of that boost widens the gap between judicial compensation and private-sector legal income in high-cost cities. Chief justices have publicly flagged this as a recurring frustration.6United States Courts. Judicial Compensation
How Pay Changes Each Year
Judicial salaries adjust automatically under 28 U.S.C. § 461 by a percentage equal to the change in the Employment Cost Index, capped at whatever raise General Schedule federal employees receive that year.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 Code 461 – Adjustments in Certain Salaries The same formula drives Executive Schedule pay under 5 U.S.C. § 5318, so judicial raises tend to track senior executive branch officials.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 5 Code 5318 – Adjustments in Rates of Pay
The mechanism dates to the Ethics Reform Act of 1989. Judges gave up honoraria for speaking engagements, and in exchange their pay was supposed to keep pace with inflation through automatic cost-of-living adjustments. Congress blocked those adjustments repeatedly between the mid-1990s and 2014, and judicial pay fell behind inflation during that stretch. The Federal Circuit later held in Beer v. United States that once the 1989 Act made the adjustments non-discretionary, the Compensation Clause of Article III prevented Congress from withholding them.9Justia. Beer v. United States For judges appointed after a blocked raise, however, the lower figure becomes their baseline.
Retirement and Senior Status
Federal judges have two paths under 28 U.S.C. § 371: take “senior status” and keep working with a lighter caseload, or retire from the bench entirely.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 U.S. Code 371 – Retirement on Salary; Retirement in Senior Status Either path requires meeting the “Rule of 80”: a judge’s age plus years of federal judicial service must total at least 80, with a minimum age of 65 and minimum service that scales with age.
- Age 65: 15 years of service
- Age 66: 14 years of service
- Age 67: 13 years of service
- Age 68: 12 years of service
- Age 69: 11 years of service
- Age 70 and older: 10 years of service
A judge who is 72 with only 8 years on the bench does not qualify, because the minimum at age 70 or older is 10 years. Years of service do not have to be continuous.
Senior judges keep their full salary and continue to receive the same annual cost-of-living adjustments as active judges. They carry a reduced caseload, and their seat opens up for a new presidential appointment. Those who maintain what the Judicial Conference considers substantial service typically keep their chambers, law clerks, and staff.11Cornell Law School Community. What is Senior Status? Senior status also carries a FICA exemption under 26 U.S.C. § 3121(i)(5), so judges stop paying Social Security and Medicare tax on their judicial salary, which on a circuit judge’s pay runs over $15,000 per year.
A judge who retires fully receives a lifetime annuity equal to their salary at retirement, but that figure is frozen. Fully retired judges do not get the annual adjustments that senior judges keep. Between the salary bump from the FICA exemption, continued raises, and the ability to keep working, most eligible judges take senior status rather than full retirement.
Benefits Beyond Salary
Federal judges receive the same core benefits available to other federal employees. They are eligible for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, with the government paying a significant share of premiums, and coverage continues into retirement for judges enrolled at least five consecutive years before leaving the bench.
The Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance program provides Basic Life coverage equal to salary rounded up to the next $1,000 plus $2,000, with optional additional coverage available.12National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges. How Does Federal Employees Life Insurance Coverage Affect Bankruptcy Judges?
Judges can contribute to the Thrift Savings Plan, the federal government’s 401(k) equivalent. In 2026 the elective deferral limit is $24,500, with a $8,000 catch-up for those 50 and older and an enhanced $11,250 catch-up for ages 60 through 63.13Thrift Savings Plan. Contribution Limits Judges receive the standard 1 percent automatic agency contribution and matching on up to 5 percent of salary. Starting in 2026, judges who earned more than $150,000 in the prior year must designate any catch-up contributions as Roth.
Limits on Outside Income
The salary number comes closer to total compensation for a federal judge than it would for a lawyer in private practice, because outside earnings are tightly restricted. Under the Ethics in Government Act, outside earned income in a calendar year cannot exceed 15 percent of the Level II Executive Schedule salary.14eCFR. 5 CFR Part 2636 – Limitations on Outside Earned Income, Employment and Affiliations for Certain Noncareer Employees – Section: 2636.304 Level II pays $228,000 in 2026, setting the cap at $34,200. Teaching is the most common permitted source and requires prior approval. Investment income, book royalties, and similar passive earnings generally do not count against the cap.
The Code of Conduct for United States Judges flatly prohibits a sitting judge from practicing law.15United States Courts. Code of Conduct for United States Judges Judges can handle their own legal matters and give unpaid advice to family, but representing clients or maintaining any kind of practice is off limits. Every federal judge also files an annual financial disclosure report covering outside income, gifts, investments, and liabilities.16United States Courts. Judiciary Financial Disclosure Reports