Prevailing Wage for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
Prevailing wages for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates are set by DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data and apply to sponsored positions including H-1B and PERM petitions. Whether the role is titled Circuit Court Judge, District Court Judge, or Circuit Judge, DOL assigns four experience-based wage levels, and the floor shifts significantly depending on the worksite city.
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Level 1 applies to entry-level judicial appointees with limited independent decision-making authority, typically recent appointees handling routine matters under procedural guidelines with significant oversight from senior judges or court administration.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates. It covers qualified professionals with working knowledge of court procedures, exercising independent judgment on standard cases without requiring constant supervisory review.
Level 3 applies to experienced judges handling complex or specialized dockets, such as appellate matters or multi-district litigation, with a track record of independent adjudication and recognized expertise within their jurisdiction.
Level 4 reflects fully competent senior judicial officers who set precedent, supervise other judicial staff, or lead specialized courts. This level is reserved for those whose decisions carry broad jurisdictional or administrative authority.
Prevailing Wage for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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Confirm the SOC code on your LCA
Judicial roles are sometimes filed under broader legal SOCs such as Lawyers (23-1011) rather than SOC 23-1023. If your LCA uses the wrong code, the prevailing wage floor may not reflect actual Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates benchmarks for your worksite.
Watch for low-paying metro filings
DOL prevailing wages for this occupation vary sharply by city. Metros like Daphne, AL and Gulfport, MS carry significantly lower floors than Boston or Bridgeport, so verify that your LCA lists the actual court worksite, not a headquarters address in a cheaper market.
Understand why judicial salaries plateau at higher levels
Level 3 and Level 4 wages for this occupation can approach or exceed statutory salary caps for federal judicial positions. If an employer cites a pay ceiling, check whether the offered salary still clears the DOL prevailing wage floor for the filed level.
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Migrate Mate shows which employers have a verified history of sponsoring Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates, letting you focus applications on courts and legal entities that have completed the sponsorship process for this occupation before.
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Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 23-1023.00 alongside Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Circuit Court Judge Prevailing Wage
Circuit Court Judge Prevailing Wage
Circuit Court Judge positions fall under SOC 23-1023.00 (Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Circuit Judge Prevailing Wage
Circuit Judge Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Circuit Judge for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 23-1023.00 (Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
County Judge Prevailing Wage
County Judge Prevailing Wage
County Judge is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 23-1023.00 (Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Court of Appeals Judge Prevailing Wage
Court of Appeals Judge Prevailing Wage
Court of Appeals Judge positions fall under SOC 23-1023.00 (Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
District Court Judge Prevailing Wage
District Court Judge Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a District Court Judge for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 23-1023.00 (Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Judge Prevailing Wage
Judge Prevailing Wage
Judge is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 23-1023.00 (Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Justice of the Peace Prevailing Wage
Justice of the Peace Prevailing Wage
Justice of the Peace positions fall under SOC 23-1023.00 (Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Magisterial District Judge Prevailing Wage
Magisterial District Judge Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Magisterial District Judge for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 23-1023.00 (Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Magistrate Prevailing Wage
Magistrate Prevailing Wage
Magistrate is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 23-1023.00 (Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Superior Court Judge Prevailing Wage
Superior Court Judge Prevailing Wage
Superior Court Judge positions fall under SOC 23-1023.00 (Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates?
DOL calculates prevailing wages for this occupation using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For H-1B and PERM cases, OFLC maps the offered position to SOC 23-1023 and assigns a wage level based on job duties and experience requirements. The resulting wage is the minimum the employer must pay for the sponsored position.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL defines four levels based on experience, supervision, and complexity of duties. Level 1 covers entry-level appointees under close oversight. Level 2 covers qualified professionals with independent caseload responsibility. Level 3 covers experienced judges on complex dockets. Level 4 covers senior judges with broad authority. Your level should match the actual duties in the job description, not simply your years of experience or title.
Why does the prevailing wage for this occupation differ so much from city to city?
OFLC uses regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys to set wages, so results reflect local employer compensation patterns. The worksite address on the LCA determines which metro's wage applies, not the employer's main office. Dense legal markets like Boston carry higher floors than smaller metros. This is why the same judicial title can have very different wage floors depending on where the court is located.
What happens if an employer's offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
For H-1B positions, USCIS and DOL both require the offered wage to meet or exceed the prevailing wage listed on the certified LCA. If the offer falls short, the LCA cannot be certified and the H-1B petition cannot proceed. For PERM-based green card cases, OFLC will reject an application where the offered wage does not meet the prevailing wage determination. The employer must increase the offer or refile at the correct level.
How can I find and verify the prevailing wage for a Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 23-1023 wages by metro area. Enter the worksite ZIP code or metro name, select the occupation, and review all four wage levels. To identify which employers have actually sponsored this role and in which locations, Migrate Mate filters sponsored job listings by occupation and location, showing historical sponsorship counts so you can compare active hiring markets.
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