The chief justice makes $212,100 per year, while the associate justices make $203,000 per year. This has risen dramatically since the time of the first Supreme Court justices when the chief made $4,000 a year and the associate justices $3,500 a year. Federal law, 28 U.S.C. Section 5 provides: “The Chief Justice and each associate justice shall each receive a salary at annual rates determined under section 225 of the Federal Salary Act of 1967 (2 U.S.C. 351–361), as adjusted by section 461 of this title.”

Federal appeals court judges make $175,100 a year, while federal district court judges make $162,500 a year.