The Average Salary of a Probate Court Judge

Average Salaries

• The National Center for State Courts reported in a 2010 salary survey that on average, trial court judges earned $136,030 per year. Earnings for these judges ranged widely depending on the wealth and resources of different jurisdictions, with salaries ranging from $104,170 to $178,835.
  
  Many states pay probate judges the same salary enjoyed by the lowest-level trial court judges. Such states include Indiana, where both earned $126,000, Massachusetts at $130,000, and Michigan at $140,000, according to the center's survey report.
  
  

States with Different Salaries for Probate Judges

• Some states pay probate judges salaries different, typically lower, than those of other trial court judges. For example, Connecticut pays probate judges only $55,000 per year, far less than the $147,000 salary earned by trial court judges in that state. Vermont pays probate judges anywhere from $29,000 to $91,000, considerably less than the $123,000 earned by trial judges. Local officials set salaries for probate judges in some states, such as Alabama, Maine, New Mexico and South Carolina.
  
  

Salary Trends

• Raises for probate judges and trial court judges are slowing down substantially as states encounter budget issues. According to the center's survey, trial court judges earned an average raise of just 0.35 percent in 2010. In comparison, judges received average raises of 1.91 percent in 2008 and 2009, and 3.30 percent in the years 2003 to 2007.
  
  The San Francisco Chronicle reported in 2007 that United States Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts was already concerned that low salaries for judges would result in fewer qualified applicants for these positions.
  
  

Budget Issues Affecting Judges

• From 2008 to 2010, many states have suffered from budget issues affecting the judicial systems. According to an earlier 2010 study from the National Center for State Courts, twenty-six states enacted hiring freezes during this time. Thirteen states also enacted salary freezes, nine states made pay cut, eight states had court closures, 19 states implemented furloughs, and 11 states had layoffs. Some states, such as California, Iowa, and Kansas, were forced to use five of those six cost-cutting measures.