💡 Why it matters: Courts settle everything from land disputes to serious crimes, and fair, careful judges let people trust that rules apply to everyone equally.
🌍 Around the world
- United States: Jobs are projected to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035, slower than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦4M – ₦8M
- Mid-career
- ₦8M – ₦15M
- Senior
- ₦15M – ₦30M
≈ ₦667k – ₦1.3M a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Median pay for judges and hearing officers combined (no low/high given for the whole group). US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Annual pay range for judges from Job Bank (administrative data, not hourly). Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Hear evidence and arguments from both sides
- Apply the law to the facts of a case
- Decide who is right and what happens next
- Write clear judgments explaining the decision
- Manage the courtroom and keep proceedings fair
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Fairness and integrity
- Critical thinking
- Listening
- Writing
- Patience
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- After many years as a lawyer, be appointed through the National Judicial Council process
- Start in a magistrate court role in the judicial service and progress upward
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Usually at least 7 years in law-related work, then apply to the Judicial Appointments Commission
- Start in fee-paid part-time roles such as deputy district judge, then move up
🇺🇸 United States
- Years of practice as a lawyer or government attorney, then appointment or election (varies by state)
- Federal judges are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate
🇨🇦 Canada
- Many years as a lawyer, then appointment by the federal or provincial government (varies by province)
- Start as a tribunal member or in a court administration role
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Study Law and graduate with strong grades
- 2Qualify as a lawyer and be admitted to practise (called to the Bar or the local equivalent)
- 3Practise for many years or work in the judicial service
- 4Be shortlisted and appointed as a magistrate or judge
- 5Rise to higher courts with a record of fair decisions
⏰ A day in the life
You read case files before court, then sit and listen as both lawyers present evidence. After the hearing you study the law carefully and write a judgment explaining why you decided as you did.