The 411 on How Judges Are Compensated

Judges are often a topic of discussion across various social media outlets. The topics are many and often varied, from rating judges to just about anything today’s exhibitors can critique.

This article is not to discuss the subject of good or bad judging; it is rather to clarify for some people a better understanding of judges’ compensation and why it is well deserved.

Those individuals who choose to enter into the judging arena do it for a variety of reasons that only each person can attest to. The road to getting that sought-after approval is a long, tedious, and often very expensive process.

To become a judge, each individual must have a lengthy history as a breeder and exhibitor that displays some level of success. If they meet the minimum requirements to start their journey, they must then begin the process of ongoing education by attending seminars, judging Matches and Sweepstakes, and attending and observing Specialties and several other educational opportunities as required.

Attending Specialties, seminars, major entries, and kennel visits is paid for out of the individual’s pocket, and those costs add up very quickly.

Usually, when a judge is granted their initial breed, the clubs that hire them are only paying them a per-dog fee (usually between free and $3.00 or $4.00 per dog). The aspiring judge pays all the other costs out of their own pocket.

I have been judging for over 40 years, and the compensation fees for judges have not really changed over the years. Those judges with less than one Group usually get the per-dog compensation and pay hotel and other travel expenses themselves. Some clubs will cover one night’s hotel in cases where the judge may have enough breeds to justify the cost to the club.

Judges with one Group or more are usually paid a daily fee that ranges between $200 and $500 per day, plus their normal expenses. Those include airfare (economy coach) or IRS mileage at the current rate, hotel/motel fee, meals (usually a maximum per diem as dictated by the club), and airport parking. Unfortunately, the per diem meal allowance is often not enough to cover the increased cost today, so the judge again absorbs the difference. Judges are not compensated for the travel days before and following the days they judge, except for some meal reimbursement.

Judges who still breed or keep dogs at their home incur all costs for having someone come in to take care of their animals, and those costs can easily exceed $100 per day. Also, judges who are still employed in the normal workforce will use vacation days or PTO days to meet their assignments.

In many cases, judges accept assignments anywhere from a few months to a few years before the actual dates of the shows.

Because all judges take the assignments seriously once committed, they may find that those dates will interfere with family, work, or other obligations that arise well after accepting and contracting for the show. This means that several family and other obligations are missed to fulfill their commitment to the show-giving club.

Traveling for judges is often a true experience all its own. Judges will often try to get the first flight out the day before their assignment, so they can allow for the “just in case” travel disruptions that take place daily within the airline industry. The judge is often up between 3:00 and 4:00 AM to allow time to get to the airport, go through TSA, and be on time for those early morning flights. And when those flights are canceled or delayed, they are in a position to find alternate flights so that they can reach the show.

Once the judge arrives at the destination city of the show, they are at the mercy of the club and their volunteers. Some clubs use hotels with an airport shuttle; others have members who pick up judges; some tell the judge to use Uber, while very few will ask the judge to rent a car.

Hopefully, the club’s host hotel has on-site restaurants. (Very few do today.) If not, hopefully there is one within a very short walk. When the hotel does not have a full-service restaurant, judges are dependent on others to find a place to eat. This means that if someone has traveled by car or has a rental, they are usually faced with taking a group out with them. I don’t have to tell you the problems this can present, as some people do not like each other and tension can be felt and observed. And in cases where a judge may have rented a car at their own expense, it creates hard feelings for the judge, who may feel they are being taken advantage of.

Clubs need to be aware of the needs of judges to be able to get to a place to eat, and make arrangements for at least one or two judges to rent a car and have them help out with getting the judges to the show as well as places to eat.

On the day of the show, the judges are again up early, and hopefully, have time for breakfast if available at the hotel before leaving. This can be a problem on the weekends, as many don’t have breakfast available until 7:00, and when the show starts at 8:00, they do not have time as they need to be at the show at least 30 minutes before judging.

Once at the show, the judge will be on their feet for possibly more than nine or 10 hours, depending upon the number of dogs and Groups they are assigned. The weather and the facility make a huge difference. Judging in the cold, rain, or extreme heat will take a toll on anyone. Imagine if you were expected to stand out in the elements and smile and be gracious while also making hundreds of decisions in the course of the day’s events, with the only break being a 45-minute lunch break!

As a judge, I appreciate the privilege of being asked to judge at any show. I truly appreciate all of the volunteers who work so hard to put on the show, and especially those who understand and try to make the judges as comfortable as possible and provide a good lunch and a choice of beverages to help the judges through the day.

Once the show or cluster is complete, the judge then has the task of getting home, and the early mornings and flight issues appear again. I know that I myself have on several occasions ended up spending the night in an airport terminal because of weather, flight delays, and cancellations.

Another item that is often not spoken about is the fact that even though the clubs are considered “not for profit,” the judges are considered “contracted employees” and those fees are subject to tax as normal income. Which means, depending upon the individual’s tax bracket, a percentage of those fees go to the federal government. There have been numerous incidents where judges did not report their incomes and, after being subjected to an audit by the IRS, were not only hit with the back taxes but also with interest and penalties that they were required to pay.

Hopefully this will give everyone a little better understanding that judges, for the most part, are judging because of their true love and dedication to our sport.

The discussions, evaluations, critiques, and other comments about judges on the various forms of social media will not stop. Still, comments that are made by exhibitors that “we are paying their salary” are really, in my opinion, out of line. The only people truly making money in our sport are the superintendents, professional handlers, photographers, and the AKC. When you take in all the costs to become a judge, all of the extra time for traveling and the extra costs this incurs, judges are truly underpaid.

Judges are people who, whether or not you agree with their choices, are making hundreds of decisions each day based on their knowledge of each breed. They at least deserve the respect that goes with their dedication to the sport.