Judicial Salary Chart

Salaries paid to the chief justice and justices of the Supreme Court are paid from the state treasury.

Salaries paid to the judges of the courts of appeal are paid from the state treasury.

Salaries paid to judges of the courts of common pleas consist of a state base share, which is fixed by statute, and a local per capita share, which is stated in terms of cents multiplied by the population of the county in which the judge serves. The base share is paid from the state treasury, and the per capita share is paid by the county.

Beginning July 1, 1997, all common pleas judges are paid the same salary consisting of a local and state share. The local share is based on the population of the county and cannot be less than $3,500 or more than $14,000. The local share is deducted from the total salary to determine the state share.

Full Time
Through June 1987, salaries paid to full-time municipal court judges were paid entirely by the local government entity or entities (municipal corporation or county) responsible for funding the court. Beginning in July 1987, a state supplement, payable from the state treasury, was added. The total salaries paid to full-time municipal court judges varied depending on the population of the municipal court district and were limited to the amounts shown in the table.

Effective July 1, 1997, the per capita share was eliminated, and the local share payable to all full-time municipal court judges was fixed at $61,750. Percentage increases through 2008 will be calculated on the full salary with the entire amount added to the state share.

Part Time
Salaries paid to part-time municipal court judges traditionally have been paid by the local government entity or entities (municipal corporation or county) responsible for funding the court. Prior to August 1975, this amount was set by the legislative authority of the municipality, but could not be less than the amount stated in the table.

In August 1975, a uniform base salary was established by statute, and a per capita share was added. The total salary payable to a part-time municipal court judge could exceed the amount stated in the table.

Effective July 1, 1997, the per capita share was eliminated and a base salary of $35,500 was fixed by statute. This base salary, which will be paid by the local funding authority, will be supplemented by a state share payable from the state treasury.

Through June 1997, salaries payable to county court judges are paid from the county treasury. The amounts stated in the table represent the maximum salary payable to county court judges when combining the uniform base salary and the maximum per capita . Effective July 1, 1997, the per capita share was eliminated and a base salary of $35,500 was fixed by statute. This base salary, which is paid by the county, will be supplemented by a state share payable from the state treasury.

• ¹ Salaries listed for 10/53 - 10/59 indicate the maximum salary payable to common pleas judges. Salaries listed for 10/59 - 7/97 indicate the minimum and maximum salaries payable to common pleas judges. Salaries listed for 7/97 - 2001 indicate the total salary payable to each common pleas judge.
• ² $4,000 base salary plus a per capita share not to exceed $9,000.
• ³ $5,000 base salary plus a per capita share not to exceed $10,000.
• ⁴ $7,000 base share plus a per capita share not less than $2,000 or more than $10,000.
• ⁵ $9,000 base share, a per capita share not less than $2,000 or more than $10,000, plus an additional county share based on county population of $500, $1,000, or $1,500.
• ⁶ Base share plus per capita share not less than $3,500 and not more than $15,000.
• ⁷ Base share plus per capita share not less than $3,500 and not more than $14,000.
• ⁸ Effective 7/1/97, salaries of all common pleas judges are made equal. Common pleas salaries consist of a local per capita share of not less than $3,500 and not more than $14,000 and a state share determined by subtracting the applicable per capita share from the total salary listed.
• ⁹ Salary adjustments for 2002 through 2008 are based on cost of living, not to exceed three percent. In the case of common pleas judges, the cost of living percentage is applied to the total salary with the resulting adjustment added to the state share.
• ¹⁰ Salaries are set by statute. Judicial salaries have not been adjusted since 2008 when statutory authority for annual increases expired.
• ¹¹ House Bill 64 (HB64), the 2016-2017 budget law, includes a series of four five percent market adjustments to the judicial compensation schedule. The first adjustment took effect on Sept. 29, 2015.
• ¹² Second adjustment outlined in HB64.
• ¹³ Third adjustment outlined in HB64.
• ¹⁴ Fourth adjustment outlined in HB64.
• ¹⁵ Senate Bill 296 of the 132nd General Assembly (SB296) includes a series of 1.75 percent market adjustments over nine years (2020-2028).

• ¹ $4,000 base salary plus per capita share. Legislative authority could grant an additional amount not to exceed $3,000. Total salary could not exceed the lesser of $12,000 or the salary of a common pleas judge in the same county.
• ² Amount stated represents the minimum salary payable; salary set by municipal legislative authority.
• ³ $6,000 base salary plus per capita share. Legislative authority could grant an additional amount. Total salary could not exceed lesser of $13,000 or the salary of a common pleas judge in the same county.
• ⁴ Effective 12/64 through the present, the county could approve an additional payment not to exceed $2,000 of each county court judge. This optional payment is not included in the salary listed.
• ⁵ per capita share could not exceed $3,000.
• ⁶ per capita amount tiered based on population. Legislative authority could grant an additional amount. Total salary could not exceed the lesser of the amount stated or the salary of a common pleas judge in the same county.
• ⁷ per capita amount tiered based on population. Total salary could not exceed lesser of the stated amount or the salary of a common pleas judge in the same county minus $2,000.
• ⁸ per capita share could not exceed $4,000.
• ⁹ Current per capita formula ($0.18/person) established. Total salary could not exceed lesser of $31,000 or the salary of a common pleas judge in the county minus $2,000.
• ¹⁰ per capita share could not exceed $9,000.
• ¹¹ Total salary could not exceed lesser of the amount stated or the salary of a common pleas judge in the county minus $3,000.
• ¹² per capita share could not exceed $10,000.
• ¹³ per capita share could not exceed $7,500.
• ¹⁴ Total salary consists of a local base share, local per capita share, and a state share. Total of the local base and per capita shares could not exceed the lesser of $61,750 or the salary of a common pleas judge in the county minus $3,000.
• ¹⁵ Salaries of full-time municipal court judges equalized. Local per capita share eliminated; total salary consists of local base share (fixed at $61,750) and state share (amount stated minus $61,750).
• ¹⁶ Salaries of part-time municipal court judges and county court judges equalized. Local per capita share eliminated; total salary consists of local share (fixed at $35,500) and state share (amount stated minus $35,500).
• ¹⁷ Salary adjustments for 2002 through 2008 are based on cost of living, not to exceed three percent. The cost of living percentage is applied to the total salary with the resulting adjustment added to the state share.
• ¹⁸ Salaries are set by statute. Judicial salaries have not been adjusted since 2008 when statutory authority for annual increases expired.
• ¹⁹ House Bill 64 (HB64), the 2016-2017 budget law, includes a series of four 5 percent market adjustments to the judicial compensation schedule. The first adjustment took effect on Sept. 29, 2015.
• ²⁰ Second adjustment outlined in HB64.
• ²¹ Third adjustment outlined in HB64.
• ²² Fourth adjustment outlined in HB64.
• ²³ Senate Bill 296 of the 132nd General Assembly (SB296) includes a series of 1.75 percent market adjustments over nine years (2020-2028).