Court jobs at every level: Supreme Court, High Courts and district courts
How the court system is arranged, how judges and court staff are recruited at each level, and what they are paid.
Three levels of courts
India has one integrated court system. The Supreme Court sits at the top, each state has a High Court, and below it are the district and subordinate courts where most cases begin. Each level has two kinds of jobs: judges, and the staff who run the registry and courtrooms.
| Level | Judges | Staff recruited by |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court | Chief Justice of India and judges, appointed by the President | The Supreme Court registry itself |
| High Court | Chief Justice and judges, appointed by the President | Each High Court, for its own benches |
| District and subordinate courts | District Judges, Senior and Junior Civil Judges, Magistrates | The High Court of the state, usually through a centralised recruitment |
Becoming a judge
You cannot apply to be a High Court or Supreme Court judge. Those judges are chosen from senior advocates and from district judges. What you can apply for is the subordinate judiciary, and there are two entry points.
| Entry | Who can apply | Pay scale |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Judge (Junior Division) / Judicial Magistrate | Law graduates with at least three years' practice as an advocate, through the state's Judicial Service exam | J-1: ₹77,840–1,36,520 |
| District Judge (entry level) | Advocates aged about 35 to 45 with seven years' practice, through the Higher Judicial Service exam | J-5: ₹1,44,840–1,94,660 |
Between the two is the Civil Judge (Senior Division) grade (J-3: ₹1,11,000–1,63,030), reached by promotion. These judicial scales follow the Second National Judicial Pay Commission and are the same in every state; the figures here are from the Delhi service rules. Each High Court holds its own exam, with its own age limits and language requirement. In Maharashtra the Civil Judge exam is conducted through MPSC.
Judges of High Courts and the Supreme Court are paid fixed salaries set by Parliament, not a scale: currently ₹2,25,000 a month for a High Court judge, ₹2,50,000 for a High Court Chief Justice and a Supreme Court judge, and ₹2,80,000 for the Chief Justice of India.
Staff jobs in the courts
Court staff posts need no law degree. They are office, typing and support jobs with a court's own rules and a posting fixed to one place, which many people prefer to transferable government posts.
| Court | Typical entry posts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court | Junior Court Assistant, Personal Assistant, Junior Court Attendant | Degree with typing for assistants; Class 10 for attendants |
| High Courts | Clerk or Junior Judicial Assistant, Stenographer, Translator, Peon | Degree with typing; shorthand for stenographers |
| District courts | Junior Clerk, Stenographer, Bailiff, Peon or Hamal | Class 10 to degree, depending on the post |
District court junior clerks, stenographers and peons in Maharashtra are recruited through the Bombay High Court's centralised 'District Court Recruitment'. We have not profiled those posts yet because we could not read that advertisement.
What to weigh
- Court staff posts are advertised irregularly, sometimes years apart, so watch the court's own website.
- Typing and shorthand are tested seriously, often with marks, not as a formality.
- Most posts stay in one city or district, which suits people who do not want transfers.
- For a judicial career, the three years of practice now required means planning for a period of low or uncertain income after your law degree.
Common questions
Can I become a judge right after LL.B.?+
Not any more in most services. Following a 2025 Supreme Court ruling, the Civil Judge (Junior Division) exam requires at least three years of practice as an advocate. Check the rules of the High Court you are applying to.
Do court clerks need a law degree?+
No. A general degree and typing skill are enough for most clerical posts. Some High Courts give preference to law graduates.
Go further
More guides
- Government career options by field: clerk, peon, courts, doctors, nurses, municipal bodies and more
- How to become a government teacher: D.El.Ed, B.Ed, M.Ed, CTET, TET and the recruitment exams
- How government recruitment works, from notification to joining
- In-hand salary explained: basic pay, DA, HRA, TA and deductions
HowIndiaEarns is an independent guide. Rules change through government orders, so confirm anything that affects your eligibility in the official notification. Pay figures use rates as of January 2026.