Legal · SOC 23-1023
Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates
BLS projects 25,300 jobs in 2025 to become 26,000 by 2035 — +2.8%, against +3.5% across all occupations.
+2.8%
projected change to 2035
About 700 more jobs
800
openings a year
3.2% of the occupation a year, counting people who retire or move on
$153,990
median annual pay
Usually entered with: doctoral or professional degree
2025 to 2035
Employment at the start and end of the projection, in jobs.
- 2025 employment25,300
- 2035 projected26,000
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–2035 projections.
Other legal occupations
The largest occupations in the same group, by projected change to 2035.
- Lawyers863,700+4.7%
- Paralegals and legal assistants404,900-0.3%
- Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers59,800+2.1%
- Legal support workers, all other50,200-0.3%
- Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers17,4000.0%
- Judicial law clerks14,000+2.8%
- Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators10,500+4.7%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program.