Occupation · SOC 23-1023.00
Arbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines. May determine liability of defendant in civil cases. May perform wedding ceremonies.
Also called: District Court Judge · Judge · Magistrate · Superior Court Judge · Circuit Court Judge · Circuit Judge · County Judge · Court of Appeals Judge · Justice of the Peace · Magisterial District Judge · Administrative Court Justice · Appeals Specialist
Job family: Legal Occupations
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-23-1023-00/context.md directly.
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Task areas most often handled directively in observed AI conversations — candidates to delegate with light review.
Task areas where a human was still judged necessary in a large share of observed conversations — not a safety ruling, an observed-need signal.
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
62nd-percentile task overlap — yet about 900 openings a year (+2.5% projected, BLS), and observed AI use leans 3321% copilot, not hand-off (AEI) . What exposure means →
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) High | 99th | 1.5 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) High | 69th | 0.8 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Low | 21st | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.4), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.8). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.4 · 44th percentile among occupations · Moderate
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Research legal issues and write opinions on the issues. | 1.9% | |
| Write decisions on cases. | 1.0% | |
| Provide information regarding the judicial system or other legal issues through the media and public speeches. | 0.3% | |
| Read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues. | 0.2% | |
| Advise attorneys, juries, litigants, and court personnel regarding conduct, issues, and proceedings. | 0.2% |
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | About average · +2.5% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 900 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 27,300 → 28,000 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Judges · 2612 | 31% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
How people actually apply AI to this occupation's tasks, from Claude.ai (Free and Pro) conversations in the Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15. This is one AI assistant's consumer sample — not all AI, not the whole workforce. Autonomy and the collaboration mix are model-rated estimates; figures below the sample floor are hidden.
| Augmentation vs. automation | 33.2% working with AI · 54.1% handed to AI |
| Most common way people use AI here | Directive · AI does it; you give the instruction |
| Typical AI autonomy | 3.0 / 5 · higher = AI acts more independently |
| Used for work (vs. personal / coursework) | 64.9% |
The role's most common tasks in AI conversations, each tagged with how people work with the AI on it. “Usage” is the share of observed conversations, not of the job.
| Task | How | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Research legal issues and write opinions on the issues. | Directive | 1.4% |
| Write decisions on cases. | Directive | 0.8% |
| Read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues. | Directive | 0.5% |
Tasks where the model most often judged that a person remained necessary — a useful read on the current boundary, not a guarantee.
| Write decisions on cases. | 96.0% | |
| Read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues. | 92.5% | |
| Research legal issues and write opinions on the issues. | 91.4% |
Example prompts phrased from the tasks people most often delegate to AI in this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index). Each shows the underlying measured task and its share of observed AI use. They are suggested phrasings of real tasks — starting points, not endorsed instructions.
Help me research legal issues and write opinions on the issues. From: Research legal issues and write opinions on the issues. · 1.4% of measured AI use · directive
Help me write decisions on cases. From: Write decisions on cases. · 0.8% of measured AI use · directive
Help me read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues. From: Read documents on pleadings and motions to ascertain facts and issues. · 0.5% of measured AI use · directive
All 21 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
Newer responsibilities O*NET has flagged as growing for this occupation.
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
| Active Listening | 5.0 | |
| Critical Thinking | 4.9 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.3 | |
| Writing | 4.1 | |
| Speaking | 4.1 | |
| Active Learning | 4.0 | |
| Monitoring | 3.9 |
| Law and Government | 4.9 | |
| English Language | 4.5 | |
| Administration and Management | 3.6 | |
| Psychology | 3.4 | |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.3 | |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.1 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.6 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 4.6 | |
| Written Comprehension | 4.4 | |
| Oral Expression | 4.3 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 4.3 | |
| Written Expression | 4.1 | |
| Speech Clarity | 4.1 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.0 | |
| Near Vision | 4.0 | |
| Speech Recognition | 4.0 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.9 | |
| Category Flexibility | 3.3 | |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.0 | |
| Originality | 3.0 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.3 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.1 | |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 | |
| Time Management | 3.4 | |
| Negotiation | 3.3 | |
| Coordination | 3.0 | |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | |
| Instructing | 3.0 | |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 | |
| Systems Analysis | 3.0 | |
| Systems Evaluation | 2.9 | |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 2.9 |
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Showing the top 40 of 41.
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
What to study: Legal Professions and Studies . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| Doctoral Degree | 66.5% | |
| First Professional Degree | 23.3% | |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 9.8% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 0.2% | |
| Some College Courses | 0.2% | |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 0.2% |
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
| Dependability | 9.0 | |
| Attention to Detail | 8.0 | |
| Integrity | 7.0 | |
| Cautiousness | 6.0 | |
| Intellectual Curiosity | 5.0 | |
| Self-Control | 4.0 | |
| Stress Tolerance | 3.0 |
| Law | 6.8 | |
| Public Speaking | 5.1 | |
| Management/Administration | 4.7 | |
| Social Science | 3.1 | |
| Protective Service | 3.0 |
| Enterprising | 5.3 | |
| Conventional | 4.1 | |
| Social | 4.0 | |
| Investigative | 3.8 |
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $46,520 |
| 25th percentile | $86,060 |
| Median (50th) | $156,210 |
| 75th percentile | $189,890 |
| 90th percentile | $216,540 |
| People employed | 25,580 |
Part of the Public Service & Safety career cluster.
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
Options the data surfaces for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
How people typically prepare for this work.
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 59th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates show 62nd-percentile AI task overlap — and about 900 annual U.S. openings
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates show 62nd-percentile AI task overlap — and about 900 annual U.S. openings • Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates rank in the 62nd percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 900 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be about average (+2.5%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $156,210, across about 25,580 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) • Of the AI use actually observed for this work, 33% looks like augmentation (drafting, iterating, checking) rather than hands-off automation — from a Claude.ai usage sample, not a census. (2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2) Source: Singulariki — "Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-23-1023-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Singulariki. "Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-23-1023-00
Singulariki. (2026). Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-23-1023-00
@misc{singulariki-role-23-1023-00,
title = {Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-23-1023-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.