US U.S. federal district judge
How much does U.S. federal district judge make?
Answer: A U.S. district judge's salary is set by law at $249,900 a year.
Yearly salary (2026)
$249,900
Set by law Not one specific person; every judge with this job gets the exact same salary.
U.S. federal district judge$249,900
Typical person in the US$50,980
About 4.9× the Typical person in the US.
Per month, day, hour and second
Based on pay of about $249,900 in 2026| Per month | $21K |
|---|---|
| Per day | $685 |
| Per hour | $28.53 |
| Per second | $0.01 |
Calculated This spreads the year evenly over every hour, including sleep and days off. It is not pay per hour worked.
Compared with others
One day of pay (about $685) is about 4.9 days of pay for the typical person in the US. Calculated
| Name | Year | Amount | U.S. federal district judge earns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 📊 US Circuit Court of Appeals judge | 2026 | $264,900 Yearly salary | 0.9× |
| ⚖️ Typical Judge in the US | 2025 | $153,990 | 1.6× |
Ratios compare the same kind of figure (estimated total earnings with estimates, salary with salary), both in dollars (¥150 = $1). When years differ, each row shows its own year.
Who earns more?
Sources and data
Sources: uscourts.gov. “Estimated” figures come from news or magazines, not from the person.
Their job: ⚖️ Judge — Judge (typical) $153,990