This side-by-side compares Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates (SOC 23-1023) against Lawyers (SOC 23-1011) using BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics from May 2025 plus BLS Employment Projections covering 2023–2033. The national median pay gap is $5,680/year (4%), favoring Lawyers. Total U.S. employment sits at 24,030 for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates and 754,500 for Lawyers, which matters when judging how competitive the market is on either side.

Career trajectory diverges as well: BLS projects Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates employment to change +2.5% through 2033 versus +4.1% for Lawyers, a difference of 1.6 percentage points. Annual openings (growth + replacement combined) are projected at 0.9 for Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates against 31.5 for Lawyers.

Salary comparisons mask enormous state-level variation. This page's state-by-state table shows where each occupation pays best relative to the other — 41 states have reported wage data for both occupations, and the top-paying metros can exceed the national median by 20-40%. When weighing these two careers, look past the headline median: check the 10th-to-90th percentile spread to understand ceiling and floor, compare the state where you actually want to live, factor in the educational and experience investment required to enter, and keep in mind that BLS wage data excludes employer benefits, stock options, tips, and bonuses which can shift total compensation by 20-40%. Both sides of this comparison link through to full national profiles where you can run those deeper checks before making a career decision.