Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $73K, rent takes 25.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,199/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,743/month.

Local pay runs 52% below the national median — $73K here vs. $154K nationally.

Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area pays $73K median vs. the U.S. average of $154K — that’s -52%.

The median is $73,250 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,710, and experienced judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates can clear $181,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,734/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,199/month, which eats 25.3% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates salary is worth about $73,250 in national-average purchasing power.

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.