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Judge

Also called recorder, adjudicator, circuit judge

Judges preside over, review and handle court cases, hearings, appeals and trials. They ensure that court procedures conform to conventional legal processes and review evidence and juries. Judges preside over cases involving such areas as crime, family issues, civil law, small claims and juvenile offenses.

Will there be jobs?Average prospects33 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Legal, social and cultural professionalsWhat does it pay?Above averageFrom about €1,800 (Bulgaria) to €8,800 (Luxembourg) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Legal, social and cultural professionalsWhat do I need to study?Usually a degree9 in 10 have a degree.Legal, social and cultural professionalsWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Judges · ILO

What you'd do

Judges · ILO
  • Presiding over trials and hearings
  • Interpreting and enforcing rules of procedure and making rulings regarding the admissibility of evidence
  • Determining the rights and obligations of the parties involved, and, in cases tried by jury
  • Instructing the jury on points of law that are applicable to the case
  • Weighing and considering evidence in non-jury trials and deciding legal guilt or innocence or degree of liability of the accused or defendant
  • Passing sentence on persons convicted in criminal cases, determining damages or other appropriate remedy in civil cases and issuing court orders
  • Researching legal issues and writing opinions on the issues
Interpret lawShow impartialityObserve confidentialityHear legal argumentsSupervise court hearings+ 1 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • Sitting most of the day
  • Constant contact with people, including the public
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines every day
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates"

Will there be jobs?

Average prospects

A typical number of jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as legal, social and cultural professionals in the EU
5.41m6.54m7.02m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
354,000 new jobs 1,872,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Legal, social and cultural professionals33
All jobs29
Right now
0 of 27 countries report a shortage of judges, 2 a surplus.
Judges · EURES

What does it pay?

Above average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,800 a month (Bulgaria) to €8,800 (Luxembourg), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among professionals in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Professionals · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Usually a degree

A degree in law is the usual route.

Highest qualification of legal, social and cultural professionals (EU, 2025)
Degree 87%Vocational 6%General secondary 5%Basic schooling 2%
Field that teaches it
Law
Vocational route, EU
Fewer than 1 in 10 trainees in this field
Business and law graduates in a matching job
66% in the EU

1,314 institutions in the EU offer business and law bachelor's degrees. Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.31 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 7 tasks
Researching legal issues and writing opinions on the issues0.41
Determining the rights and obligations of the parties involved, and, in cases tried by jury0.35
Instructing the jury on points of law that are applicable to the case0.35
Interpreting and enforcing rules of procedure and making rulings regarding the admissibility of evidence0.33
Weighing and considering evidence in non-jury trials and deciding legal guilt or innocence or degree of liability of the accused or defendant0.33
Passing sentence on persons convicted in criminal cases, determining damages or other appropriate remedy in civil cases and issuing court orders0.27
Presiding over trials and hearings0.15

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for judges. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).