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High Court judges got a 9.4 per cent pay rise last year taking their annual salaries to $345,000.
The Remuneration Authority said in its determination that the rise was necessary to ensure the salaries of High Court judges did not fall rapidly behind the salaries of those at the top of the legal profession.
The hike came into effect on October 1.
Authority chairman David Oughton said remuneration in the top ranks of the legal profession was moving ahead of salaries for the judiciary.
"The State will never, nor should it, match these private sector incomes," he said.
However, if the quality and reputation of the High Court was to be maintained, the authority must take private sector salaries into account when setting remuneration, he said.
Salaries for judges of the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and District Court rose 6.1 per cent.
Judges also get allowances ranging from $4100 a year to $7900 a year, and there is a Wellington accommodation allowance available to the Chief High Court judge of up to $20,000.
Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias earns the most, with a salary of $412,00 a year.
Judges of the Supreme Court get $385,000, as does the President of the Court of Appeal.
Appeal court judges are on $361,000.
The Chief High Court judge gets $360,000 while an associate judge of the High Court is on $260,000.
The Chief District Court judge has a salary of $345,000 with District Court judges are on $260,000.
The Principal Family Court judge collects $298,000, while the Principal Youth Court and Principal Environment Court judges are on $280,000.
In the Employment Court, the chief judge gets $327,000 while other judges are on $295,000.
The chief judge of the Maori Land Court also earns $295,000, the deputy chief judge gets $279,000 while a judge of the Maori Land Court gets $260,000.
A spokeswoman for the Remuneration Authority said the determination was gazetted in December.
- NZPA
