US Trends

how much do magistrates get paid

Most people asking “how much do magistrates get paid” are really asking about two very different roles:

  • Federal magistrate judges (full‑time, paid judicial officers, e.g., in the US)
  • Lay magistrates / justices of the peace (often part‑time and unpaid volunteers, e.g., in England and Wales)

Because pay varies hugely by country and system, the figures below use recent public data and give you a realistic current range rather than a single universal number.

Federal magistrate judge pay (example: United States)

For context, US federal magistrate judges are full‑time judicial officers who handle a large share of pre‑trial and other matters in federal courts. Their pay is set by statute as a percentage of a district judge’s salary.

  • In 2026, a US federal district judge salary is listed at 249,900 USD per year.
  • By law, a magistrate judge earns 92% of that, which comes out to roughly 230,000 USD per year.
  • This is base salary, before any benefits such as pension and health coverage, which can be substantial for federal judicial officers.

Separately, aggregated job‑market data sites that track “federal magistrate judge” roles, including some state‑level or non‑Article III equivalents, show an average around 95,000 USD per year , with a wide range from about 48,000 USD up to nearly 192,000 USD depending on jurisdiction, seniority, and local pay scales.

So in practice:

  • In the federal judiciary proper, think about 230k USD for a full‑time magistrate judge in 2026.
  • In other courts or similar roles described as “magistrate judge,” real‑world salaries cluster somewhere between 50k and 150k USD , with some outliers higher or lower.

Lay magistrates (often unpaid) – example: England & Wales

In countries like the UK, the word “magistrate” usually means a lay, part‑time volunteer who sits in a magistrates’ court a few days a month. They generally do not receive a salary. Typical setup in England and Wales:

  • Lay magistrates are volunteers who give their time to hear lower‑level criminal cases, some family matters, and other summary offences.
  • They don’t get paid a wage , but they can claim expenses and allowances (e.g., travel, subsistence, and compensation for loss of earnings from their regular job) within set limits.
  • Because of this, you cannot sensibly quote a “salary” for a UK lay magistrate the way you can for a professional judge.

If what you had in mind was “local magistrates at the magistrates’ court in the UK,” the honest answer is: they are not salaried; they’re volunteers with expenses/allowances.

Why the numbers differ so much

There are three big reasons why “how much do magistrates get paid” has no one- size figure:

  • Different roles behind the same title
    • In one system, “magistrate judge” is a career judicial officer with a six‑figure salary.
* In another, a “magistrate” is a **trained volunteer** with no salary, just expenses.
  • Different legal systems and funding levels
    • Federal judicial salaries in the US are set nationally and indexed over time.
* State, regional, or county “magistrate judges” can have their own pay scales, sometimes much lower, reflected in job market averages around 95k USD.
  • Recent pay‑rise debates
    • Judicial pay (including for magistrates and other judges) is currently a trending policy topic in several jurisdictions, with panels and commissions warning about judges losing purchasing power and recommending raises through 2026 and beyond.

Quick practical takeaway

If you are searching “how much do magistrates get paid” because you are:

  • In the US, looking at a federal magistrate judge career
    → Expect a high six‑figure professional judicial salary , roughly 92% of a district judge’s pay (about 230k USD in 2026) , with strong benefits.
  • In the UK, thinking of becoming a magistrate
    → Expect no salary , but reimbursed expenses and loss‑of‑earnings allowances for the days you sit; it is a public‑service volunteer role, not a paid job.
  • Looking at other countries or a specific local “magistrate judge” listing
    → The safest move is to check that jurisdiction’s judicial pay scale or job advert, because the same title can mean anything from unpaid volunteer to well‑paid career judge.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.