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Legal23-1023.00Specialization

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.

$148,910
Median Pay
6-12 years
Training
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Career Overview Video

AI Impact Assessment

AI Resilience Score

Score 3/6: balanced factors means AI will assist but humans remain essential

🟡AI-Augmented

How we calculated this:

AI Exposure
Medium+1

42% of tasks can be accelerated by AI

Job Growth
Stable+1

+3% projected (2024-2034)

Human Advantage
Moderate+1

EPOCH score: 17/25

Total Score3/6
Methodology: v2.0 - GPTs are GPTs / BLS / EPOCH Additive ScoringUpdated: 2026-01-09
View full methodology →

Key Responsibilities

  • 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.
  • Rule on admissibility of evidence and methods of conducting testimony.
  • Preside over hearings and listen to allegations made by plaintiffs to determine whether the evidence supports the charges.
  • Award compensation for damages to litigants in civil cases in relation to findings by juries or by the court.
  • Advise attorneys, juries, litigants, and court personnel regarding conduct, issues, and proceedings.
  • Research legal issues and write opinions on the issues.

Education & Training

Typical Entry Education

Doctoral degree

Time to Job Ready

6-12 years

Based on Job Zone 5. For formal education duration only, see education_duration.

Technology Skills

Court management systemsMicrosoft OfficeLegal research (Westlaw, LexisNexis)Case managementDocument management

Key Abilities

Oral ComprehensionDeductive ReasoningWritten ComprehensionOral ExpressionInductive ReasoningWritten ExpressionSpeech ClarityProblem SensitivityNear VisionSpeech Recognition

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Compensation Details

$45,950
10th Percentile
$148,910
Median
$210,890
90th Percentile

Based on 24,470 employed workers

Also Known As

Administrative Court JusticeAppellate Court JudgeAppellate Immigration JudgeBallot Processing JudgeBankruptcy JudgeChancery MasterChief JudgeCircuit Court JudgeCircuit JudgeCounty Court Judge

Data from O*NET 30.1 and BLS Occupational Employment Statistics

O*NET Code: 23-1023.00