As of 2026, the ages of Supreme Court justices range from 54 to 77. Clarence Thomas is the oldest at 77 and turns 78 later in the year; Amy Coney Barrett is the youngest at 54. The full bench spans nearly a quarter-century in age, and because justices serve for life, that spread shapes how long the current ideological balance is likely to hold.
Current Ages of the Nine Justices
Listed from oldest to youngest:
- Clarence Thomas — born June 23, 1948. Age 77, turning 78. Appointed 1991. He has served over 34 years, making him the longest-tenured member of the current Court by a wide margin.
- Samuel Alito — born April 1, 1950. Age 75, turning 76. Appointed 2006.
- Sonia Sotomayor — born June 25, 1954. Age 71, turning 72. Appointed 2009.
- John Roberts — born January 27, 1955. Age 71. Appointed Chief Justice in 2005.
- Elena Kagan — born April 28, 1960. Age 65, turning 66. Appointed 2010.
- Brett Kavanaugh — born February 12, 1965. Age 60, turning 61. Appointed 2018.
- Neil Gorsuch — born August 29, 1967. Age 58, turning 59. Appointed 2017.
- Ketanji Brown Jackson — born September 14, 1970. Age 55, turning 56. Appointed 2022, the newest member of the Court.
- Amy Coney Barrett — born January 28, 1972. Age 54. Appointed 2020.
The six justices appointed by Republican presidents are on average younger than the three appointed by Democrats. Barrett was 48 at confirmation, Gorsuch 49, Kavanaugh 53, and Jackson 51. Each could plausibly serve into the 2050s or beyond.1Supreme Court of the United States. Current Members
Why Age Matters on the Supreme Court
The Constitution sets no term limit and no retirement age for Supreme Court justices. Article III, Section 1 says federal judges “shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour,” which has consistently been read as life tenure. A justice can stay on the bench as long as they want, absent voluntary retirement or impeachment.2Congress.gov. Constitution of the United States – Article III
That design makes age a key piece of information. A justice confirmed at 49 who serves until 85 shapes the law for 36 years. Presidents factor this in when choosing nominees, and recent presidents have favored candidates in their late forties and early fifties.
How a Justice Leaves the Bench
There are three ways out: retirement, senior status, or impeachment. Only impeachment is involuntary.
Retirement and the Rule of 80
A retiring justice receives a lifetime pension equal to their salary at the time they step down. In 2026, that annuity is $306,600 for an associate justice and $320,700 for the Chief Justice.3Federal Judicial Center. Judicial Salaries – Supreme Court Justices
To qualify, a justice must satisfy the informally named “Rule of 80”: age plus years of federal judicial service must total at least 80, with a minimum age of 65. The scale starts at 65 with 15 years of service and tops out at 70 with 10 years. A 64-year-old with 20 years on the bench does not qualify, because the floor is 65 regardless of service length.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 371 – Retirement on Salary; Retirement in Senior Status
Senior Status
A justice who meets the Rule of 80 can take senior status instead of fully retiring. They step back from the active nine-member bench, opening a vacancy, but continue drawing their full salary and can hear cases on lower federal courts. Stephen Breyer, David Souter, and Sandra Day O’Connor all followed this path.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 28 USC 371 – Retirement on Salary; Retirement in Senior Status
Impeachment
The House can impeach a justice by majority vote, and the Senate can convict with a two-thirds vote. It has happened once. Samuel Chase was impeached in 1804 and acquitted by the Senate. No justice has ever been removed from the Court through impeachment.2Congress.gov. Constitution of the United States – Article III
Historical Context
Joseph Story, nominated by James Madison in 1811, took his seat at 32 and remains the youngest person ever to serve on the Court.5Federal Judicial Center. Story, Joseph At the other end, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. served until he was 90, retiring in 1932 after three decades on the bench, the oldest sitting justice in Court history.6Supreme Court of the United States. Frequently Asked Questions on Justices
Across all 107 justices who have left the bench, the average tenure was roughly 17 years. Modern tenures run longer. William O. Douglas holds the all-time record at just over 36 years, and Thomas is closing in on that number.
What the Current Ages Mean
Three of the six conservative-appointed justices on the current bench are under 61. With no mandatory retirement age and life tenure built into Article III, the Court’s current 6-3 split could persist well into the 2040s absent unexpected departures. Sotomayor, at 71, is the oldest justice among the three Democratic appointees, and she has given no indication of stepping down.
Public support for changing the system has grown. Polling across nine national surveys from 2020 to 2023 found that roughly 73 percent of Americans back either term limits or a mandatory retirement age. At the state level, 31 states already impose mandatory retirement ages on their judges, most commonly at 70 or 75. The federal judiciary has never had one.