(a) Except as provided in (e) of this section, the monthly base salary for each district court judge is $10,793.
(b) Each magistrate shall receive annual compensation including geographic differential pay to be determined by the supreme court. Salary increases shall be determined on the basis of percentage of pay increase the legislature provides for state employees in the classified service. A magistrate's annual compensation may be payable, at the option of the magistrate, either monthly in 12 equal installments or semi-monthly in 24 equal installments.
(c) A salary disbursement may not be issued to a district judge or magistrate until the judge or magistrate has filed with the state officer designated to issue salary disbursements an affidavit that no matter referred to the judge or magistrate for opinion or decision has been uncompleted or undecided by the judge or magistrate for a period of more than six months.
(d) In addition to the monthly salary, each district court judge is entitled to receive a geographic cost-of-living adjustment each year on $100,000 of the judge's annual base salary for that year, based on the location of the primary office assignment. The commissioner of administration shall calculate the geographic cost-of-living adjustment based on the geographic pay differentials established under AS 39.27.020(a). Retirement contributions and benefits shall be computed only on the monthly base salary not including the geographic cost-of-living adjustment.
(e) Beginning July 1, 2006, if the monthly basic salary for Step E, Range 28, of the salary schedule set out in AS 39.27.011 increases, the monthly base salary of the judges of the district court shall increase by the same percentage. The increase takes effect when the salary increase under AS 39.27.011 takes effect and may be retroactive if consistent with the change to AS 39.27.011. The commissioner of administration shall, by regulation, establish the percentage at which the salary is increased and the increased salary amount.