Mississippi Judges in Line for Significant Pay Raises

Proposed increases range from $11,404 to $13,877 for over 100 judges across the state.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 1:52am

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A serene, photorealistic painting of a stately Mississippi state courthouse building, its facade and steps bathed in warm, golden sunlight with deep shadows, conveying a sense of quiet dignity and civic importance.The proposed judicial pay raises in Mississippi aim to retain experienced legal talent and attract top lawyers to the state's courthouses.Jackson Today

The Mississippi state legislature has passed a bill that would provide pay raises ranging from $11,404 to $13,877 for over 100 judges across the state, including circuit and chancery court judges, Supreme Court justices, and Court of Appeals judges. The raises are intended to help retain experienced judges and attract top legal talent to the bench.

Why it matters

The proposed pay increases for judges come as Mississippi teachers continue to rank last in the country for average teacher salaries. Some lawmakers have argued that the state should provide similar significant pay raises for educators to attract and retain the best teaching talent.

The details

The pay raise legislation would increase salaries for 128 judges across Mississippi. Circuit and chancery court judges would see a $13,063 raise, bringing their new salary to $171,063. Supreme Court presiding justices would get a $13,877 raise to $190,614, while associate justices would see an $13,825 increase to $187,625. The chief justice of the Supreme Court would receive a $12,680 raise to $194,171. The chief judge of the Court of Appeals would get a $13,275 raise to $182,624, and associate Court of Appeals judges would see an $11,404 increase to $179,871.

  • The bill now heads to the governor's desk.
  • If signed into law, the new raises would take effect on July 1, 2026.

The players

Rep. Robert Johnson

A state representative who voted in favor of the pay raise legislation, arguing that it is necessary to retain experienced judges and attract top legal talent to the bench.

Mississippi Teachers

The state's teachers, who currently rank last in the country for average teacher salaries according to the National Education Association.

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What they’re saying

“We're doing that for judges to retain good judges, to attract better lawyers to the bench to serve as judges.”

— Rep. Robert Johnson, State Representative

“We ought to have that same philosophy, and I have that same philosophy, and I think most people do with teachers, we need to do the same thing. Now, arguably, a teacher pay raise I'm talking about would be 10 to 20 times larger because there are more teachers than there are judges. But the philosophy is the same. If you want to attract the best people, you've got to pay the best people.”

— Rep. Robert Johnson, State Representative

What’s next

If signed into law by the governor, the new judicial pay raises would take effect on July 1, 2026.

The takeaway

The proposed pay increases for Mississippi judges highlight the state's efforts to retain experienced legal talent and attract top lawyers to the bench. However, the significant raises for judges have also sparked calls for the state to provide similar substantial pay increases for its teachers, who currently rank last in the country for average teacher salaries.