THE CHALLENGES OF SETTING JUDICIAL COMPENSATION
A very important administrative question focuses on judicial compensation. Historically, increases in judicial compensation have been tied to increases in the compensation of other elected officials, such as legislators. As a result, there have been long delays in increasing judicial salaries as legislators wait until they deem it is politically feasible to act to increase their own, and other elected officials', salaries.
This has created the problem, experienced not only in Pennsylvania, but in other states and in the federal government, of judges having to ask legislators, whose actions they often must review in court, to raise their salaries. As a result, different proposals have arisen as to how to separate the judicial compensation process from the political process. In 2005, this issue came to a head in Pennsylvania. READ MORE
CURRENT LEVELS OF JUDICIAL COMPENSATION
As of January 1, 2011, the salaries paid to Pennsylvania judges are:
APPELLATE COURTS
Supreme Court Superior Court Commonwealth Court
Associate Justice: $189,620 Judge: $178,914 Judge: $178,914
Chief Justice: $195,138 President Judge: $184,432 President Judge: $184,432
TRIAL COURTS
Courts of Common Pleas
Judge: $164,602
President Judges: $166, 167 (average - varies by county and division)
Magisterial District Judge Phila. Municipal Court Phila.Traffic Court
$82,303 Judge: $160,793 Judge: $86,496
President Judge: $163,277 President Judge: $87,213
SENIOR JUDGES
Per diem rate of $506. Total compensation for a senior judge (including retirement income paid by the Commonwealth) cannot exceed the annual salary paid by the Commonwealth to a judge serving on the court from which the senior judge retired. A senior judge can choose to serve without being paid all or any portion of the compensation permitted.
Comparison with Other States
For information about the salaries paid to judges and justices in other states, review the annual salary survey compiled by the National Center on State Courts.
