US Supreme Court Chief Justice Salary 2021: Here's How Much John Roberts Earns Annually

Chief Justice John Roberts, who is entering his 16th year on the Supreme Court, makes nearly $300,000 a year in his position, but the bulk of his annual income comes from other revenue streams.

Roberts, 66, earns $280,500 per year as chief justice as of 2021, according to the U.S. Courts’ judicial compensation website. The 2021 paycheck for the highest judicial officer of the nation reflects an almost $3,000 hike from what he received a year before, which was $$277,700.

His take-home pay is slightly higher compared to that of associate justices, who receive $268,300 per year as of 2021.

But Roberts' chief justice salary is only a fraction of his wealth. His net worth is estimated to be between $5 million and $11 million as of 2016, the Center for Public Integrity reported. This figure makes him the second richest in the Supreme Court, surpassed only by Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, who had a minimum reportable net worth of $6.15 million in the same year.

Roberts’ wealth comes from mutual funds and education savings plans, the report said. He also invested in various stocks. He reportedly has a stake worth at least $500,000 each in entertainment conglomerate Time Warner and semiconductor manufacturer Texas Instruments. Further, he owns shares worth at least $100,000 in SiriusXM Radio and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

In terms of real estate, the chief justice owns part of a Limerick, Ireland cottage worth around $50,000.

Roberts has authored the majority opinion in several landmark cases, including Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California, National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius and King v. Burwell, among many others.

Roberts studied history at Harvard University before attending Harvard Law School, as per Forbes. He was nominated to the Supreme Court by George W. Bush in 2005. The Indiana native was the youngest to be appointed as chief justice since John Marshall in 1801, CNN reported.

Prior to his nomination, Roberts was an appellate lawyer with the Washington, D.C., law firm Hogan & Hartson. During his stint with the firm, he argued 39 cases before the Supreme Court and won 25.