What Is the Salary of a U.S. Supreme Court Justice?

The Supreme Court of the United States

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial office in the country and the only judiciary actually mandated by the U.S. constitution. Supreme Court justices are nominated by the president, confirmed by the Senate and tenured for life. Congress is in charge of determining how much Supreme Court justices are paid and even in charge of determining how many justices are on the Supreme Court.

Salary

As of 2011, United States Supreme Court justices make $213,900 per year while the chief justice of the supreme court makes $223,500. Although these might sound like high-paying positions, Supreme Court justices make far less than other similarly situated lawyers with the same amount of experience.

Other Lawyers

For other lawyers with the same amount of experience as a Supreme Court justice, it is not uncommon to make upwards of $500,000 per year. Partners in large law firms such as Cravath, Swaine & Moore, typically make on average $3 million per year. So when you take the salaries of lawyers at large law firms into consideration, the salary of a Supreme Court justice is actually low.

Clerks

Supreme Court justices hire several clerks every year to help them decide what cases merit their consideration. After finishing their term with the Supreme Court, these clerks are highly desirable and it is very common for them to go on to make more than their prior bosses. In 2007, large law firms typically offered signing bonuses to Supreme Court clerks as high as $250,000, which is more than a Supreme Court justice makes in an entire year.

Considerations

Although Supreme Court justices are not extremely well compensated for their efforts, the position is one of the most coveted in the legal community. Supreme Court justices enjoy life appointments, meaning that they cannot be removed from their positions absent some type of major misconduct. Finally, upon serving for 10 years and reaching the age of 70, or serving 15 years and reaching 65 years of age, Supreme Court justices are eligible for retirement and they will continue to be compensated at the same rate they were paid when they served on the court.

References

• The Washington Post; Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts opts not to ask Congress to raise judicial salaries; Robert Barnes; January 1, 2010
• The New York Times: The Supreme Court's Bonus Babies; David Lat; June 18, 2007
• CNN Money; Supreme Court: A just salary?; July 1, 2005
• The Christian Science Monitor; John Paul Stevens: Supreme Court Retirees Keep...; Laurent Belsie; April 9, 2010
• The White House: The Judicial Branch
• Above the Law; So How Much Do Partners Actually Take Home?; David Lat; May 7, 2007

Resources

• The National Law Journal; How do U.S. Supreme Court Justices...; Marcia Coyle; Feb. 3, 2009
• Cornell University: Justices of the Supreme Court
• The Supreme Court: Biographies of Current Justices of the Supreme Court