CareerFacts

All careers › Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates › South Carolina

Judge salary in South Carolina

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$86,210median pay per year in South Carolina, or $41.45 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $35,950lowest 10% earn less
  2. $57,88025th percentile
  3. $86,210median
  4. $122,99075th percentile
  5. $211,840top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $153,990[3]

The median pay for a judge in South Carolina was $86,210 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $67,780 below the US median[6].

Jobs in SC
670[4]
Rank by median pay
34 of 41[5]
Compared with US median
−44.0%[6]

How much do judges make in South Carolina?

The median is the midpoint. Half of the judges in South Carolina earned more than $86,210 a year, or $41.45 an hour, and half earned less[1]. The average was higher, at $98,400 a year[7]. Across the US, the median for judges was $153,990, which is $67,780 lower in South Carolina[3][6]. Compared with all jobs in the state, the judge median was $39,720 higher than the $46,490 all-jobs median[8][9].

The lowest-paid 10% of judges in the state earned less than $35,950, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $211,840[2]. The middle half of pay ran from $57,880 to $122,990[2]. About 670 people worked as judges in South Carolina[4].

Among metro areas in or partly in the state, Spartanburg, SC had the highest median, at $122,990[10]. Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC was at $99,400 and Columbia, SC was at $94,400[11]. OEWS counts wage and salary workers only. It leaves out the self-employed, and its wages do not include bonuses outside regular production pay or the cost of benefits like health insurance[12].

South Carolina vs US pay

Pay for judges in South Carolina next to the national figures[1][3].

SCUS
Median per year$86,210[1]$153,990[3]
Median per hour$41.45[1]$74.03[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$35,950[2]$46,950[13]
Top 10% earn more than$211,840[2]$221,710[13]
Jobs670[4]24,030[3]

Pay by metro area in South Carolina

Metro areas in South Carolina with the most jobs for judges, and the median pay in each[11]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC[11]$99,400100
Columbia, SC$94,40090
Charleston-North Charleston, SC$98,12080
Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC$85,26070
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$72,61060
Spartanburg, SC$122,99050
Florence, SC$86,86040

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for judges in the states that border South Carolina, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Georgia[14]$133,6601,190

Median pay for judges in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for judges are projected to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: doctoral or professional degree[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a judge make in South Carolina?
The median pay was $86,210 a year in May 2025, and the average was $98,400[1][7].
How much does a judge make an hour in South Carolina?
The median was $41.45 an hour, and the average was $47.31 an hour[1][7].
Which city in South Carolina pays judges the highest?
Spartanburg, SC had the highest median among the 7 metro areas with a published figure, at $122,990 a year[10].
Is South Carolina a good state for judges?
South Carolina ranked 34th of 41 states for median judge pay[5]. Its median was $67,780 below the US median[6].
What do you need to become a judge in South Carolina?
This is a US figure, not a state one. Across the US, the typical entry education is a doctoral or professional degree, with 5 years or more of related work experience[16].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in South Carolina was $86,210 per year and $41.45 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in South Carolina: 10th percentile $35,950, 25th percentile $57,880, 75th percentile $122,990, 90th percentile $211,840. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in the US as a whole was $153,990 per year and $74.03 per hour, with about 24,030 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 670 people worked as Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in South Carolina (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: South Carolina had the 34th highest median annual wage for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates out of the 41 states with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in South Carolina ($86,210) was $67,780 (44.0%) lower than the US median ($153,990). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in South Carolina was $98,400 per year and $47.31 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in South Carolina was $46,490. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in South Carolina was $39,720 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($46,490). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 7 metro areas in or partly in South Carolina with a published median for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates, Spartanburg, SC had the highest median annual wage, $122,990. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in the US: 10th percentile $46,950, 25th percentile $85,710, 75th percentile $194,950, 90th percentile $221,710. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates in states that border South Carolina (highest first): Georgia $133,660. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates is projected to grow 2.8% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 800 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates: education needed for entry: Doctoral or professional degree; work experience in a related occupation: 5 years or more; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections

State figures cover only South Carolina. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.