California judges are paid on a four-tier scale set by state statute, with Superior Court trial judges earning roughly $231,000, Court of Appeal justices $280,052, Associate Justices of the Supreme Court $298,721, and the Chief Justice about $313,000 as of early 2026. The state pays the base salary at every level, and Superior Court judges also receive health, welfare, and deferred-compensation benefits from the county where their court sits. Salaries adjust automatically each July 1.
What Each Level Earns
Government Code Sections 68200 through 68202 fixed specific dollar figures in 1985, and the annual adjustment mechanism in Section 68203 has compounded them into today’s numbers. The current tiers:
- Chief Justice of California: approximately $313,000. The Chief Justice’s salary has always been set higher than the other Supreme Court members’, reflecting the administrative duties of leading the judicial branch.
- Associate Justices of the Supreme Court: $298,721. Six justices sit alongside the Chief Justice.
- Court of Appeal Justices: $280,052. California’s six appellate districts handle the bulk of appeals from trial courts.
- Superior Court Judges: approximately $231,000. Trial judges make up the vast majority of California’s roughly 1,700 judicial officers and hear everything from felonies to family law disputes.
For comparison, a federal district judge earns $249,900 and a federal circuit judge $264,900 in 2026, which puts California’s appellate justices above both federal benchmarks. The federal Chief Justice earns $320,700, only slightly more than California’s.
Extra Pay for Presiding Judges
Judges who take on leadership roles inside their courts earn a permanent supplement on top of the base salary. Government Code Section 68203.1 sets the amounts:
- Administrative Presiding Justices of the Courts of Appeal and Presiding Judges of large Superior Courts with 15 or more judges: 4 percent above the standard base for their court level.
- Presiding Judges of mid-sized Superior Courts with 4 to 14 judges: 2 percent.
- Presiding Judges of small Superior Courts with 2 or 3 judges: 2 percent, effective since January 2003.
The supplement ends when the judge leaves the presiding role, and pay reverts to the standard rate for that court.1California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 68203.1 – Salary Increases for Presiding Judges
How Salaries Change Each Year
Judicial pay in California doesn’t move through periodic legislative negotiations. Government Code Section 68203 ties it directly to the average percentage raise given to rank-and-file state employees each fiscal year. The Department of Human Resources calculates that average and reports it to the State Controller, and the new judicial salary takes effect on July 1.2California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 68203 – Compensation of Justices and Judges of Courts of Record
The mechanism is predictable but slow. Judges received a 2.6 percent increase in 2024, down from 3.2 percent the year before. Because state employee wages tend to trail private-sector compensation, modest annual bumps can leave judicial salaries well behind what experienced attorneys earn at major California law firms, and that gap has made recruiting seasoned lawyers to the bench a persistent challenge.
One wrinkle: if the Legislature caps state employee salary increases in a given year by imposing a dollar ceiling rather than a percentage, the same dollar cap applies to judges in comparable wage categories.2California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 68203 – Compensation of Justices and Judges of Courts of Record
County Benefits on Top of the State Base
The state pays every judge’s base salary, but Superior Court judges also receive benefits from the county where their court sits. The dual-compensation model dates to the era when trial courts were funded locally, and it survived the statewide restructuring that shifted primary funding to Sacramento. California’s Law Revision Commission has confirmed that locally provided supplemental benefits remain a significant component of compensation, especially in Los Angeles County and other high-cost areas.3California Law Revision Commission. Memorandum 2021-28 – Judicial Benefits
Government Code Section 53200.3 treats judges as county employees for group health and welfare benefits. In practice, Superior Court judges access the same health, dental, and life insurance packages available to county workers. Section 53214.5 lets judges participate in county deferred-compensation plans, adding a tax-advantaged savings vehicle on top of their state retirement system.3California Law Revision Commission. Memorandum 2021-28 – Judicial Benefits
Because each county sets its own package, total compensation for a Superior Court judge varies meaningfully by geography. A judge in a large urban county with a generous program can end up thousands of dollars ahead of a colleague in a rural county with a leaner one, even though both earn the same state base salary. Appellate justices and Supreme Court justices don’t participate in county benefit programs, so their pay is closer to the published base.
Retirement Pay
Compensation continues after the bench through one of two pension systems, and which one applies depends entirely on when a judge first took office.
Judges’ Retirement System (JRS I)
JRS I covers judges who began serving before November 9, 1994. It is governed by Government Code Section 75000 and administered by CalPERS.4California Legislative Information. California Government Code 75000 A member qualifies for full retirement at age 60 with at least 20 years of service, or at age 66 with at least 18 years of service.5CalPERS. Judges Retirement System (JRS) – CalPERS
The retirement allowance tracks the current salary of the office the judge last held, not the salary at the time of retirement. For judges who qualify for full retirement, the formula can reach 3.75 percent of that salary per year of service, capped at 20 years, translating to a maximum of 75 percent of the sitting judge’s pay.6Justia Law. California Government Code 75025-75035 – Article 2 Judges with fewer than 12 years of service take a 0.25 percent reduction for each year below that threshold. A judge who leaves the bench with at least five years of service but before normal retirement age can qualify for deferred benefits starting at age 63.5CalPERS. Judges Retirement System (JRS) – CalPERS
Judges’ Retirement System II (JRS II)
Judges appointed or elected on or after November 9, 1994, belong to JRS II, established by Government Code Section 75500.7California Legislative Information. California Government Code 75500 It is structured as a tax-qualified defined benefit plan under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. Members accrue monetary credits equal to 18 percent of their monthly salary, and those credits earn interest based on the JRS II fund’s net earnings in the prior fiscal year.8California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS). A Guide to Your Judges Retirement System II Both judge and employer contributions fund the plan, and the eventual benefit is calculated by multiplying final average salary by a factor tied to years of service.9CalPERS. Judges Retirement System II (JRS II)
JRS II is generally less generous than JRS I, reflecting the 1990s trend toward trimming public pension costs. For judges who serve long careers, it still provides a retirement income floor that most private-sector attorneys cannot match through their own savings.