The people who run courtrooms, from judges and clerks to court reporters, interpreters, and mediators who settle disputes outside court.
Top pay: highest pay, longest training
Trial Court Judge: Runs a courtroom, rules on evidence, decides cases, and sentences people found guilty. Typical pay $156k.
Federal District Judge: A lifetime-appointed judge who hears federal cases, from terrorism trials to big corporate lawsuits. Typical pay $243k.
Appellate Judge: Reviews decisions made by trial courts to decide whether the law was applied correctly. Typical pay $190k.
State Supreme Court Justice: Sits on a state's highest court and has the final say on what that state's laws mean. Typical pay $210k.
Administrative Law Judge: Decides disputes involving government agencies, like Social Security benefits or workplace safety fines. Typical pay $115k.
Immigration Judge: Decides whether immigrants can stay in the U.S. or must be deported. Typical pay $185k.
U.S. Magistrate Judge: A federal judge who handles warrants, first appearances, and many pretrial matters. Typical pay $224k.
Court Commissioner: A lawyer appointed by judges to decide specific cases like child support, traffic, small claims, or restraining orders. Typical pay $175k.
Bankruptcy Trustee: Appointed to take charge of a bankrupt person's or company's assets, sell what can be sold, and divide the money among creditors. Typical pay $150k.
Child Custody Evaluator: A psychologist who interviews parents and children in tough divorce cases and recommends to the judge what custody plan is best. Typical pay $140k.
Reporter of Judicial Decisions: Edits and publishes the official versions of a supreme court's opinions, catching errors before they become permanent law. Typical pay $140k.
Court-Appointed Receiver: Takes control of a business, building, or fraud scheme when a judge orders it, then runs it or sells it off to pay back victims. Typical pay $170k.
Special Master: An experienced lawyer or retired judge a court appoints to handle one complicated piece of a big case, like evidence fights or payout plans. Typical pay $300k.
Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship
Court Administrator: Runs the business side of a court system: budgets, staff, technology, and scheduling. Typical pay $95k.
Court Staff Attorney: A career lawyer who works inside a court, researching cases and drafting decisions for judges. Typical pay $105k.
Judicial Law Clerk: A recent law graduate who works one-on-one with a judge for 1-2 years, researching and drafting opinions. Typical pay $65k.
Court Reporter: Types every word spoken in court or depositions at 225+ words per minute on a special stenotype machine. Typical pay $67k.
Court Interpreter: Interprets between English and another language so people can understand and speak in court. Typical pay $59k.
Mediator: Helps people in a conflict talk it out and reach their own agreement without going to trial. Typical pay $70k.
Arbitrator: A neutral expert who hears both sides of a dispute and makes a binding decision, like a private judge. Typical pay $75k.
Bailiff: Keeps order and security in the courtroom and escorts jurors and defendants. Typical pay $57k.
Treatment Court Coordinator: Runs special courts that give people treatment and supervision instead of prison. Typical pay $58k.
Probate Court Investigator: Checks on vulnerable people, like seniors with dementia or adults with disabilities, whose lives and money a court has put under someone else's control. Typical pay $85k.
Starter: fastest way in
Court Clerk: Manages court files, swears in witnesses, and keeps the official record of what happens in court. Typical pay $47k.
Jury Administrator: Summons citizens for jury duty and manages the jury pool for the courthouse. Typical pay $48k.
Court Self-Help Navigator: Helps people who don't have a lawyer understand forms and court procedures. Typical pay $47k.
Court Security Officer: Screens visitors and protects judges and courthouses. Typical pay $52k.
Justice of the Peace: A local, often elected judge who handles small claims, traffic tickets, evictions, minor crimes, and sometimes weddings. Typical pay $50k.
CASA Volunteer Supervisor: Trains and supports the community volunteers who speak up in court for children in foster care. Typical pay $48k.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.