Judge
Judges preside over court proceedings, hear the evidence and decide how the law applies to it.
- Median salary*
- $234,000
3.8%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 740
5.7%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +20.4%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Low
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 50/wk
+10h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Judges hear evidence, rule on how a case is run and decide how the law applies to the facts before them. They sit in state, territory and federal courts and in tribunals, where a matter can run from a single day's hearing to a trial of several weeks. The role is distinct from a magistrate's, which handles the bulk of criminal and civil matters at the lower court level, and from a barrister's, which presents a case rather than deciding it.
How much do judges earn?
The median full-time salary for a judge is $234,000 per annum, before tax, up $48,500 since 2018.
Judicial pay is set by independent remuneration tribunals rather than negotiated, so it moves when those determinations change and not otherwise. The level of court matters most, because a magistrate, a judge of a District or County Court and a judge of a Supreme or federal court sit on different scales. There is no bonus or performance pay, and allowances for travelling on circuit are the main variation between one posting and another.
What does a judge do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Presiding over hearings and trials and ruling on procedure as issues arise
- Reading case files, submissions and the authorities the parties have cited
- Deciding the facts of a matter and giving oral reasons in court
- Writing judgments that set out the findings and the reasoning behind them
- Sentencing offenders in criminal matters and explaining the basis of the sentence
What skills do judges need?
Employers look for legal research, regulatory and administrative law, regulatory compliance, backed by Court case management systems fluency and strong written communication.
Specialist skills
- Legal research
- Regulatory and administrative law
- Regulatory compliance
Software and tools
- Court case management systems
- Legal research databases (e.g., LexisNexis, Westlaw)
- E-filing platforms
- Video conferencing software
- Document management systems
General skills
- Written communication
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
- Stakeholder management
Is the job growing?
About 740 people work as judges in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 20.4% over the decade to 2035. That's very strong growth. Few roles in Australia are expanding this fast, and it points to solid demand for years to come.
How do you become a judge?
Here's the path most judges take, step by step.
- 1Complete a law degree
A Bachelor of Laws takes about four years of full-time study, and a Juris Doctor about three years for graduates of another discipline. Both are accepted for admission in every state and territory.
- 2Finish practical legal training and be admitted
A Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice or a supervised traineeship with a law firm follows the degree, then admission to the roll of a Supreme Court. At that point you hold a practising certificate from the relevant Law Society or Bar Association.
- 3Build years of practice
Judicial appointments go to experienced lawyers, and most judges have practised for well over a decade, commonly as a barrister, a senior counsel, a magistrate or a senior government lawyer.
- 4Be appointed to judicial office
Judges are appointed by the executive government, usually on the advice of the Attorney-General, and there is no exam or standard application to sit. Magistrates are typically appointed first, and a later move to a higher court is a separate appointment.
Ready to apply as a judge?
Whether you're working toward becoming a judge or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a judge move to?
We don't list lateral moves for judges: leaving means a full new qualification rather than a career move, and the realistic routes in are covered under how to become one.
Who works as a judge?
The typical judge is 60 years old; 63% are men, 92% work full-time, and full-timers average 50 hours a week.
- 60
- Median age
- 37%
- Female share
- 92%
- Full-time
- +10h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a judge?
The work is reading-heavy and largely solitary: a judge spends part of the week in court and the rest of it with files, submissions and authorities, writing reasons. Full-time judges average about 50 hours a week, and the load is set by the court list rather than by the individual. The role suits someone who enjoys the intellectual problem more than the advocacy, and who is comfortable deciding alone and having that decision examined in public.
What people like
- Deciding questions that matter to people. Judges resolve disputes over liberty, property, employment and family arrangements, and the reasons they give are often what the parties remember about the case.
- The intellectual work of the job. A matter arrives as a set of contested facts, competing versions of the law and limited authority on the point, and working out the answer is the core of the role.
- Independence and security of tenure. A judge is appointed rather than employed and can only be removed through a defined parliamentary process, so the work is not subject to a client's instructions or a manager's review.
- Work beyond the courtroom. Many judges take on court administration, education for new judges or law reform references, which use the same analytical skills in a different setting.
What people find hard
- The reading never really stops. Submissions, authorities, transcripts and draft reasons fill most days, and the volume does not ease when the court rises for the day.
- Lists that are fuller than the time available. Courts carry more matters than the sitting time allows, so judges are expected to keep cases moving while still giving each one proper attention.
- Restraint outside the courtroom. Judges are expected to avoid public comment on political and legal controversies, and those limits carry into writing, speaking and social media away from work.
- Sentencing in criminal matters. Deciding the consequences for a person and their family, knowing the sentence will be examined by the public, the media and an appeal court, is the heaviest part of the work for many judges.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ judges?
Public Administration and Safety employs the largest share of judges.
Top employing industries
- 1Public Administration and Safety
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 64.2% | |
|---|---|---|
| Postgraduate | 27.8% | |
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 1.3% | |
| Year 12 or below | 1.3% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 1.2% |
Will AI replace judges?
AI exposure for judges is low. Case management systems, e-filing, transcription and legal research databases have changed how the paperwork of a matter is handled, and newer language tools shorten document review and citation checking. They do not change the hearing itself, where the judge decides contested facts, watches a witness give evidence and gives reasons in open court that a party can appeal.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Reading case files, submissions and authoritiesJudges work through written material before and after a hearing, and summarising tools can flag the passages that matter, though the arguments still have to be read in full.35%low
- Presiding in court and hearing evidenceRunning a hearing means ruling on objections, managing the parties and watching a witness answer questions, where tone and credibility decide as much as the words do.30%low
- Researching the law on a disputed pointDatabases such as LexisNexis and Westlaw already retrieve cases and legislation quickly, and AI search shortens that further, but choosing which authority governs the facts remains the judge's decision.20%moderate
- Writing reasons and sentencingDrafting tools can tidy structure and check citations, but the findings, the sentence and the explanation of why it was imposed come from the judge who heard the evidence.15%low
Common questions about becoming a judge
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much does a judge earn in Australia?
Judges earn $234,000 per year before tax. Salaries are set by independent remuneration tribunals and rise with the level of the court, so the figure spans lower court and appellate appointments rather than describing one rate.
How do you become a judge?
You complete a law degree, qualify as a lawyer, practise for many years and are then appointed by the government. There is no exam and no open application for most judicial offices, and appointments are announced publicly by the Attorney-General of the relevant jurisdiction.
Are judges in demand in Australia?
Judges are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 20.4% over the decade to 2035 over the decade. The occupation is small, at about 740 people, and positions depend on government decisions about court funding, new courts and retirements rather than on employer demand.
Will AI replace judges?
AI exposure for judges is low. Research databases and case management systems already speed up finding authorities and handling documents, and newer tools help summarise long files and check citations. What stays with the judge is the hearing itself: deciding contested facts, assessing a witness and giving reasons in open court that a party can appeal.
What are the career moves for a judge?
Judges are appointed from the legal profession rather than recruited from outside it. A magistrate moving to a higher court brings courtroom management and a working knowledge of the lower courts, with pay that is about the same and the appointment itself the main change, while a barrister arrives with advocacy and specialist knowledge on a pay step of $52,300 more.
What qualifications do judges have?
Most judges hold a law degree: 64% of people in the role have a bachelor degree and 28% have a postgraduate qualification. Those shares describe the current workforce rather than a formal rule, and admission as a legal practitioner in a state or territory is the qualification that matters for appointment.
Related roles
Not sure this is you? Take the career quiz and get a ranked shortlist of roles that fit how you like to work.