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Compensation

The federal Judiciary offers a competitive compensation package to all employees. Review our pay systems and compensation packages.

Judiciary pay consists of base pay plus a locality pay component and a cost-of-living allowance component for states and US territories outside the contiguous US. There are multiple pay systems to accommodate differences in personnel type, but most employees fall under the Court Personnel System. Pay is set at the local court level based on qualifications for the job such as length or quality of experience, specific job skills, and/or education level.

Court Personnel System

The Court Personnel System (CPS) covers most court employees who work in appellate court units, bankruptcy and district court clerks’ offices, and probation and pretrial services offices. The CPS classification system provides 12 pay bands. Each band includes a developmental range, which allows employees to advance at a faster pace while they learn the job, and a full performance range. The bands provide considerable flexibility to courts in setting pay for their employees.

CPS Pay Rates (non-law enforcement officer)

CPS Pay Rates (law enforcement officer)

Judiciary Salary Plan

The Judiciary Salary Plan (JSP) covers all executives and their deputies, judges’ personal staff, court interpreters, and court law clerks. These pay rates are also used for graded employees in federal public defender organizations.

JSP Pay Rates

Court Reporters

Court reporters in the judiciary have a unique compensation structure that includes both salary and transcript income. The pay rates listed reflect the salary component of court reporter income.

Court Reporter Pay Rates (For Court Reporters Hired Before Oct. 11, 2009)

Court Reporter Pay Rates (For Court Reporters Hired On or After Oct. 11, 2009)