The Survey of Judicial Salaries, published for nearly 30 years by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) with the support of State Court Administrative offices across the United States, serves as the primary record of compensation for state judicial officers and state court administrators.

This issue of the Survey of Judicial Salaries reports salary data as of January 1, 2013. This cut-off date is important because states implement salary changes at various points during the year. However, a standard and unchanging cutoff date must be established to publish salary data in a timely and predictable fashion. Various tables and graphics show average annual changes in salaries, salary rankings across the states, and the impact of cost-of-living indices on judicial salaries.

New Methodology to Calculate the ACCRA Cost-of-Living Indices

This issue of the Survey uses a new methodology to calculate the statewide ACCRA adjustment factors used in the ranking tables in this report. Previous issues of the Survey used state-by-state ACCRA adjustment factors calculated by averaging the cost-of-living factors for each of the individual reporting jurisdictions in each state. C2ER has created a new, more robust, multi-variable model which supplements the raw cost-of-living data for each jurisdiction with seven additional variables to greatly improve the predicted, statewide average ACCRA factors. Specifically, the new model reflects the theory that the overall cost-of-living in a community is a function of the community’s population, population density, income, growth rate, utility rates, efficiency of the government sector, and location of the region. While many of the ACCRA adjustment factors derived from the new methodology are similar in value to the factors generated by the previous methodology, several statewide ACCRA adjustment factors changed under the new method.

State Court AdministratorsGeneral-Jurisdiction Trial Courts

Intermediate Appellate CourtsCourts of Last Resort

2007 2008 2009 2010 20122011 2007 2008 20102009 2011 2012

2007

4136

13 99

19

40 36

89 1019

3831

11 9

2112

30 29

7 6 514

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20082007 2009 2010 2011 2012

State Court AdministratorsGeneral-Jurisdiction Trial Courts

Intermediate Appellate CourtsCourts of Last Resort

2007 2008 2009 2010 20122011 2007 2008 20102009 2011 2012

2007

4136

13 99

19

40 36

89 1019

3831

11 9

2112

30 29

7 6 514

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20082007 2009 2010 2011 2012

Survey of

Judicial SalariesVol. 38 No. 1 As of January 1, 2013

States show signs of beginning to increase salaries following the recession years.

Judicial Salaries at a GlanceThe average annual percent changes for the four judicial positions, and the state court administrators analyzed by the Survey is 1.52% through January 1, 2013. As indicated in the table below, this increase is less than half of the pre-recession (2003-2007) average increase of 3.24%, but judicial salaries appear to be rebounding from the low seen during the 2010-2011 period of the recession.

Chief, Highest CourtAssociate Justice, Court of Last ResortJudge, Intermediate Appellate CourtsJudge, General-Jurisdiction Trial CourtsState Court Administrators

$160,435$155,143$148,834$139,166$138,500

Mean Median Range 2008-092003-07

Average

Pre-Recession Recession Recovery

2010-11 2012

Average Annual % Change

$156,727$150,000$140,732$134,943$133,450

1.58%1.88%1.60%1.91%1.38%1.67%

3.19%3.21%3.20%3.30%3.30%3.24%

0.67%0.64%0.36%0.58%0.89%0.63%

1.70%1.66%1.33%1.47%1.43%1.52%

$122,686 to $228,856$119,476 to $218,237$114,994 to $204,599$111,631 to $182,429$89,960 to $211,272

Number of States with Judicial Salary Increases

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahoma OregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

$180,005$196,224$155,000$145,204$218,237$139,660$162,520$190,639$184,500$157,976$167,210$151,118$121,900$211,228$156,667$163,200$135,905$135,504$150,772$119,476$165,600$145,984$164,610$145,981$122,460$147,591$121,434$145,615$170,000$146,917$185,482$123,691$177,000$138,896$138,159$141,600$137,655$125,688$199,606$165,726$141,286$121,718$173,352$150,000$146,800$132,928$183,839$164,221$136,000$144,495$165,000

9 42333 13720 5 721132448 222194243255115301731472750321228 646103839354045 314364911262944 818413416

$178,878 $185,388 $150,000 $140,732 $204,599 $134,128 $152,637 $150,077 $166,186 $139,924 $120,900 $198,805 $152,293 $147,900 $131,518 $130,044 $143,647 $152,543 $135,087 $151,441 $137,552 $114,994 $134,685 $138,334 $175,534 $117,506 $168,600 $133,109 $132,000 $130,410 $122,820 $188,337 $137,753 $167,592 $137,500 $140,100 $168,322 $156,328 $136,316

$134,943$181,440$145,000$136,257$178,789$128,598$146,780$180,233$174,000$142,178$148,891$136,127$114,300$182,429$130,080$137,700$120,037$124,620$137,744$111,969$143,160$129,694$139,919$129,124$112,128$127,020$113,928$134,694$160,000$137,804$165,000$111,631$160,000$125,875$126,597$121,350$124,373$114,468$173,271$149,207$134,221$113,688$161,808$125,000$133,450$126,369$158,134$148,832$126,000$128,600$150,000

26 21724 43416 3 519142546 130234441225018312032493547271021 751 93936434245 6132848 84029371115383312

95.87131.13103.78

92.02134.22107.98137.24108.78147.00107.03100.62150.48

99.16106.29

95.8799.30

101.6591.9393.94

115.99117.48131.04

99.78104.08

94.7999.94

102.02100.40106.83122.74125.36102.39152.78

99.4599.3399.5392.63

114.56108.75122.10

97.9699.7296.4999.86

100.01116.63107.63115.9694.58

101.16107.74

$140,756$138,362$139,720$148,073$133,203$119,089$106,951$165,684$118,367$132,840$147,969

$90,463$115,270$171,637$135,677$138,669$118,091$135,558$146,628

$96,537$121,864

$98,972$140,233$124,066$118,291$127,101$111,675$134,152$149,775$112,274$131,624$109,028$104,726$126,571$127,456$121,922$134,273

$99,920$159,331$122,202$137,014$114,010$167,694$125,177$133,441$108,353$146,926$128,352$133,219$127,124$139,221

101512

6233646

33724

75140

117143918

9503549113238294320

5422544473027341948

4331641

2312145

826222813

The table below lists the salaries and rankings for associate justices of the courts of last resort, associate judges of intermediate appellate courts, and judges of general jurisdiction trial courts (actual salaries and cost of living adjusted salaries) as of January 1, 2013. Where possible, the salary figures are actual salaries. In jurisdictions where some judges receive supplements, the figures are the most representative available—either the base salary, the midpoint of a range between the lowest and highest supplemented salaries, or the median. Salaries are ranked from highest to lowest, with the highest salary for each position having a rank of “1.” The lowest salary has a rank of “51” except for intermediate appellate courts, which exist in only 39 states. The mean, median, and salary range for each of the positions are also shown.

5 4 17 20 1 30 12 16 10 22 37 2 14 18 33 35 19 13 28 15 25 39 29 23 6 38 7 31 32 34 36 3 24 9 26 21 8 11 27

Salaries and Rankings for Appellate and General-Jurisdiction Judges - Listed Alphabetically by State Name

Highest CourtSalary Salary Salary

Adjustment FactorRank Rank Rank

Adjusted Salary

Adjusted Rank

Intermediate Appellate Court

Adjusted for Cost of LivingGeneral-Jurisdiction Trial Court

The Council for Community and Economic Research—C2ER (formerly the ACCRA organization)—is the most widely accepted U.S. source for cost-of-living indices, with nearly 400 reporting jurisdictions across America. The cost-of-living indices used in this report were developed by C2ER using a multi-variable model which incorporates the costs of goods and services within a reporting jurisdiction, community population, population density, income, growth rate, utility rates, efficiency of the government sector, and location of the region. More detailed information can be found at www.accra.org or www.c2er.org. www.accra.org or www.c2er.org.

Using the ACCRA Cost-of-Living Index

MeanMedianRange

$155,143$150,000

$119,476 $218,237

$148,834 $140,732

$114,994 to $204,599

$139,166 $134,943

$111,631 to $182,429

The tables below list the salaries for associate justices of the courts of last resort, associate judges of intermediate appellate courts, and judges of general jurisdiction trial courts (actual salaries and cost-of-living adjusted salaries) as of January 1, 2013. Where possible, the salary figures are actual salaries. In jurisdictions where some judges receive supplements, the figures are the most representative available—either the base salary, the midpoint of a range between the lowest and highest supplemented salaries, or the median. The listings are in rank order from highest to lowest salary. The mean, median, and salary range for each of the positions are also shown.

Highest CourtIntermediate

Appellate Court Salary Adjusted for Cost of Living

General-Jurisdiction Trial Court

Salaries and Rankings for Appellate and General-Jurisdiction Judges - Listed in Order of State Rank

Information in this Survey is collected from designated representatives in each state. The National Center for State Courts has protocols in place to help ensure the accuracy of the data that are collected, analyzed, and ultimately reported.

MeanMedianRange

$155,143 $150,000 $119,476 to $218,237

$148,834 $140,732

$114,994 to $204,599

$139,166 $134,943

$111,631 to $182,429

CaliforniaIllinoisPennsylvaniaAlaskaDelawareNew JerseyDistrict of ColumbiaVirginiaAlabamaNew YorkTennesseeNevadaGeorgiaRhode IslandMarylandWyomingMichiganWashingtonIowaConnecticutFloridaIndianaArizonaHawaiiLouisianaTexasMissouriNew HampshireUtahMassachusettsMinnesotaNebraskaArkansasWisconsinOhioSouth CarolinaColoradoNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOklahomaWest VirginiaKansasKentuckyVermontOregonNew MexicoMississippiIdahoSouth DakotaMontanaMaine

$218,237$211,228$199,606$196,224$190,639$185,482$184,500$183,839$180,005$177,000$173,352$170,000$167,210$165,726$165,600$165,000$164,610$164,221$163,200$162,520$157,976$156,667$155,000$151,118$150,772$150,000$147,591$146,917$146,800$145,984$145,981$145,615$145,204$144,495$141,600$141,286$139,660$138,896$138,159$137,655$136,000$135,905$135,504$132,928$125,688$123,691$122,460$121,900$121,718$121,434$119,476

CaliforniaIllinoisPennsylvaniaAlaskaAlabamaNew JerseyNew YorkVirginiaTennesseeGeorgiaWashingtonConnecticutMarylandIndianaMichiganFloridaArizonaIowaLouisianaArkansasUtahHawaiiNebraskaSouth CarolinaMinnesotaTexasWisconsinMassachusettsMissouriColoradoNorth CarolinaOhioKansasOklahomaKentuckyOregonIdahoNew MexicoMississippi

$204,599$198,805$188,337$185,388$178,878$175,534$168,600$168,322$167,592$166,186$156,328$152,637$152,543$152,293$151,441$150,077$150,000$147,900$143,647$140,732$140,100$139,924$138,334$137,753$137,552$137,500$136,316$135,087$134,685$134,128$133,109$132,000$131,518$130,410$130,044$122,820$120,900$117,506$114,994

IllinoisAlaskaDelawareCaliforniaDistrict of ColumbiaPennsylvaniaNew JerseyTennesseeNevadaNew YorkVirginiaWyomingRhode IslandGeorgiaWashingtonConnecticutArizonaMarylandFloridaMichiganNew HampshireLouisianaIowaArkansasHawaiiAlabamaNebraskaSouth CarolinaUtahIndianaMassachusettsMinnesotaWisconsinColoradoMissouriNorth DakotaVermontWest VirginiaNorth CarolinaTexasKentuckyOklahomaOhioKansasOregonIdahoMontanaSouth DakotaMississippiMaineNew Mexico

$182,429$181,440$180,233$178,789$174,000$173,271$165,000$161,808$160,000$160,000$158,134$150,000$149,207$148,891$148,832$146,780$145,000$143,160$142,178$139,919$137,804$137,744$137,700$136,257$136,127$134,943$134,694$134,221$133,450$130,080$129,694$129,124$128,600$128,598$127,020$126,597$126,369$126,000$125,875$125,000$124,620$124,373$121,350$120,037$114,468$114,300$113,928$113,688$112,128$111,969$111,631

IllinoisTennesseeDelawarePennsylvaniaNevadaArkansasGeorgiaVirginiaLouisianaAlabamaMichiganArizonaWyomingIowaAlaskaSouth CarolinaIndianaKentuckyOklahomaNebraskaUtahWest VirginiaCaliforniaFloridaNew JerseyWashingtonNorth DakotaWisconsinMissouriNorth CarolinaTexasMinnesotaRhode IslandOhioMarylandColoradoDistrict of ColumbiaMississippiKansasIdahoSouth DakotaNew HampshireMontanaNew MexicoVermontConnecticutNew YorkOregonMassachusettsMaineHawaii

$171,637$167,694$165,684$159,331$149,775$148,073$147,969$146,926$146,628$140,756$140,233$139,720$139,221$138,669$138,362$137,014$135,677$135,558$134,273$134,152$133,441$133,219$133,203$132,840$131,624$128,352$127,456$127,124$127,101$126,571$125,177$124,066$122,202$121,922$121,864$119,089$118,367$118,291$118,091$115,270$114,010$112,274$111,675$109,028$108,353$106,951$104,726 $99,920 $98,972 $96,537 $90,463

National Center for State Courts NCSC Officers and Management Staff

The National Center for State Courts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the modernization of court operations and the improvement of justice at the state and local levels throughout the country. It functions as an extension of the state court systems, working for them at their direction and providing for them an effective voice in matters of national importance.

The National Center acts as a focal point for state judicial reform and provides the means for reinvesting in all the states’ lessons gained from judicial advances in any state. Funding for this Survey is made possible by assessments from all the states and territories and by individual contributions.

Points of view are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the National Center for State Courts. If you have questions or comments regarding this Survey, contact the National Center for State Courts, Knowledge and Information Services, 300 Newport Avenue, Williamsburg, VA 23185, (800) 616-6164, fax (757) 564-2075.

This Survey was prepared by the Knowledge and Information Services (KIS) Office of the National Center for State Courts, with assistance from

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