12 perks of being a Supreme Court justice

Becoming a Supreme Court justice is the culmination of decades of work and legal expertise, and it brings notable perks: a high salary, prestige, lifetime security, and even a private basketball court. Still, public sentiment has cooled—about half of Americans surveyed held an unfavorable view of the Court in a Pew Research Center poll—and the institution has faced criticism from the president after recent rulings.

The chief justice earns $320,700, while associate justices make $306,600. Retirees can receive a lifetime pension that matches their final salary if they meet age-and-service rules, and the appointment is effectively for life: impeachment has happened only once, in 1804.

Justices and their families receive lifetime protection from the US Marshals, with active justices getting full-time security and retirees receiving protection when deemed warranted; they may also decline it. Financial disclosures apply, but the rules are different from those for lower-court judges.

United States

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