Judges of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals and the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals listen to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s State of the State Address on Feb. 3, 2025. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY – A panel has recommended all Oklahoma judges get a 17.58% salary hike.
If approved by lawmakers, the proposed hike recommended Tuesday by the Board of Judicial Compensation would mean the Oklahoma Supreme Court chief justice would earn $233,062 a year while district judges would make $197,189.
Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman, who serves as president of the Oklahoma Judges Association, said the cost will be about $10 million.
The state has 277 trial and appellate judges, Balkman said.
In a letter to state leaders, Ty Tyler, Board on Judicial Compensation chair, said the increase would make Oklahoma judicial salaries equivalent to the regional average.
Oklahoma ranks 45th in judicial pay, the letter said.
“It was the agreement of the board that the role of our judiciary is becoming even more important and to draw qualified candidates we needed to be competitive with the region,” said Lauren Brookey, a board member.
The board meets to make recommendations for judicial compensation every two years. Any change requires legislative approval.
The Board of Judicial Compensation in 2023 recommended a 17% hike in judicial salaries, Balkman said.
In 2024, the Legislature approved a 7% hike for district judges. The following year, lawmakers approved a 7% hike for appellate court judges, Balkman said.
Oklahoma’s 27 district attorneys salaries are tied to the salaries of district judges, Balkman said. The $10 million does not include an increase for prosecutors, he said.
Statewide elected officials’ salaries were also once tied to judicial salaries, but they were decoupled about a decade ago.
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