Federal judge salaries 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

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

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

The following table lists salary increases for the justices between 1789 and 2009.

Year Chief Justice Associate Justices 2015 inflation adjusted figures[note 1]
Chief Justice Associate Justice
1789$4,000 $3,500 Data not available Data not available
1819$5,000 $4,500 $77,424 $69,682
1855$6,500 $6,000 $165,355 $152,636
1871$8,500 $8,000 $168,182 $158,289
1873$10,500 $10,000 $207,754 $197,861
1903$13,000 $12,500 $342,959 $329,769
1911$15,000 $14,500 $381,589 $368,870
1926$20,500 $20,000 $274,477 $267,782
1946$25,500 $25,000 $309,960 $303,882
1955$35,500 $35,000 $314,120 $309,696
1964$40,000 $39,500 $305,708 $301,887
1969$62,500 $60,000 $403,981 $387,822
1975$65,600 $63,000 $288,973 $277,519
1976$68,800 $66,000 $286,586 $274,923
1977$75,000 $72,000 $293,369 $281,634
1978$79,100 $76,000 $287,464 $276,198
1979$84,700 $81,300 $276,625 $265,520
1980$92,400 $88,700 $265,818 $255,174
1981$96,800 $93,000 $252,382 $242,474
1982$100,700 $96,700 $247,340 $237,515
1984$104,700 $100,600 $238,878 $229,524
1985$108,400 $104,100 $238,903 $229,426
1987$111,700 $107,200 $233,052 $223,663
1987$115,000 $110,000 $239,937 $229,505
1990$124,000 $118,600 $224,975 $215,178
1991$160,600 $153,600 $279,490 $267,308
1992$166,200 $159,000 $280,731 $268,569
1993$171,500 $164,100 $281,409 $269,266
1998$175,400 $167,900 $255,078 $244,171
2000$181,400 $173,600 $249,684 $238,947
2001$186,300 $178,300 $249,392 $238,683
2002$192,600 $184,400 $253,819 $243,012
2003$198,600 $190,100 $255,902 $244,950
2004$203,000 $194,300 $254,751 $243,833
2005$208,100 $199,200 $252,564 $241,762
2006$212,100 $203,000 $249,387 $238,688
2008$217,400 $208,100 $239,342 $229,103
2009$223,500 $213,900 $246,935 $236,328

Appeals Court

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

Year Salary 2015 inflation adjusted figures[note 1]
1891$6,000 Data not available
1903$7,000 $184,670
1919$8,500 $116,210
1926$12,500 $167,364
1946$17,500 $212,718
1955$25,500 $225,635
1964$33,000 $252,209
1969$42,500 $274,707
1975$44,600 $196,466
1976$46,800 $194,945
1977$57,500 $224,916
1978$60,700 $220,595
1979$65,000 $212,286
1980$70,900 $203,966
1981$74,300 $193,718
1982$77,300 $189,865
1984$80,400 $183,437
1985$83,200 $183,364
1987$85,700 $178,805
1987$95,000 $198,209
1990$102,500 $185,967
1991$132,700 $230,936
1992$137,300 $231,916
1993$141,700 $232,511
1998$145,000 $210,869
2000$149,900 $206,326
2001$153,900 $206,019
2002$159,100 $209,671
2003$164,000 $211,319
2004$167,600 $210,327
2005$171,800 $208,508
2006$175,100 $205,883
2008$179,500 $197,616
2009$184,500 $203,846

District Court

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.

Year Minimum Maximum 2015 inflation adjusted figures[note 1]
Salaries of US district judges 1789–1867
Minimum Maximum
1789$800 $1,800 Data not available Data not available
1812$800 $3,000 $11,173 $41,900
1816$800 $3,100 $11,173 $43,297
1817$800 $3,000 $11,872 $44,519
1830$1,200 $3,500 $26,711 $77,908
1844$1,200 $3,800 $30,527 $96,669
1847$1,200 $3,500 $30,527 $89,038
1852$1,200 $5,000 $34,190 $142,460
1854$1,200 $3,500 $31,658 $92,335
1860$1,200 $6,300 $31,658 $158,289
1862$1,200 $3,500 $28,492 $83,102
1866$1,200 $4,500 $19,426 $72,849
1867$3,500 $5,000 $59,358 $84,798
Year Salary 2015 inflation adjusted figures[note 1]
Salaries of US district judges 1891–2009
1891$5,000 $131,907
1903$6,000 $158,289
1919$7,500 $102,538
1926$10,000 $133,891
1946$15,000 $182,329
1955$22,500 $199,090
1964$30,000 $229,281
1969$40,000 $258,548
1975$42,000 $185,013
1976$44,000 $183,282
1977$54,500 $213,181
1978$57,500 $208,966
1979$61,500 $200,855
1980$67,100 $193,034
1981$70,300 $183,289
1982$73,100 $179,549
1984$76,000 $173,398
1985$78,700 $173,447
1987$81,100 $169,208
1987$89,500 $186,734
1990$96,600 $175,263
1991$125,100 $217,710
1992$129,500 $218,740
1993$133,600 $219,220
1998$136,700 $198,798
2000$141,300 $194,489
2001$145,100 $194,239
2002$150,000 $197,678
2003$154,700 $199,336
2004$158,100 $198,405
2005$162,100 $196,735
2006$165,200 $194,242
2008$169,300 $186,387
2009$1,000 $192,245

Court of International Trade

According to the Federal Judiciary Center, Court of International Trade judges receive the same salary as district court judges. [2]

Non Article III judges

Magistrate judges

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.[3]

Bankruptcy judges

Since 1988, bankruptcy judges receive compensation equal to 92 percent of the salary of district judges. [4]

Administrative Law Judges

United States Administrative Law Judges are hired in the pay category of AL 3A and proceed on an annual basis through the steps until they reach AL 3F. The base pay for each step varies according to the location of the position and the locality pay paid in that area. This chart explains the various salary grades. Due to wage compression and the lack of any federal pay increases, most USALJs earn $168,600 annually as of 2015. ALJ pay is capped at 85% of a Level IV Senior Executive Schedule. This pay cap has resulted in severe pay compression for USALJs. As a result, many USALJs have retired or plan to retire within the next few years, resulting in a loss of experienced judges throughout the federal government. Congress has shown no interest in addressing the pay compression issue.

Tax Court judges

Judges of the Tax Court receive the same compensation as district court judges.[5]

Court of Federal Claims judges

Since 1988, judges of the Court of Federal Claims receive the same compensation as district court judges.[6]

Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

Judges of the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces receive the same compensation as judges of the circuit courts of appeals.[7]

Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

Judges of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims receive the same compensation as district court judges.[8]

Territorial judges

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

District of Columbia courts

United States Commerce Court

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

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

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

References

  1. ↑ U.S. Constitution, Art III, Sec 1.
  2. ↑ "History of the Federal Judiciary". Federal Judiciary Center. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "History of the Federal Judiciary". Federal Judiciary Center. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "28 U.S.C. § 153". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "26 U.S.C. § 7443". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  6. ↑ "28 U.S.C. § 172". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "10 U.S.C. § 942". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "38 U.S.C. § 7253". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 11 January 2014.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Based on CPI figures. See {{Inflation}} for details.

External links

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