SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Conduct hearings to recommend or make decisions on claims concerning government programs or other government-related matters. Determine liability, sanctions, or penalties, or recommend the acceptance or rejection of claims or settlements. Excludes “Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators” (23-1022).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 23-1021.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $61,110 | $5,092 | $1,175 | $29.38 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $81,140 | $6,762 | $1,560 | $39.01 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $117,860 | $9,822 | $2,267 | $56.67 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $159,680 | $13,307 | $3,071 | $76.77 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $207,480 | $17,290 | $3,990 | $99.75 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers is $117,860, which is 131% higher. Among the 8 occupations of the field Legal, it ranks number 3 by median pay. With 16,370 jobs, it makes up about 1.1 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($181,060), Indiana ($145,290) and Alabama ($134,810). The lowest was in Delaware ($56,830), Arkansas ($63,660) and Idaho ($65,050). The most jobs were in New York (1,400), Texas (1,300) and Pennsylvania (800). The occupation is most concentrated in District of Columbia, where its share of all jobs is 4.0 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 300 | $181,060 | $171,730 | $87.05 |
| Indiana | 70 | $145,290 | $154,990 | $69.85 |
| Alabama | 70 | $134,810 | $150,430 | $64.81 |
| Maryland | 430 | $133,460 | $131,160 | $64.16 |
| Wisconsin | 60 | $132,250 | $143,910 | $63.58 |
| North Carolina | 260 | $129,960 | $120,970 | $62.48 |
| Missouri | 160 | $129,670 | $138,730 | $62.34 |
| New Jersey | 330 | $128,320 | $133,870 | $61.69 |
| Michigan | 390 | $127,420 | $128,760 | $61.26 |
| Kansas | 40 | $126,570 | $139,250 | $60.85 |
| Louisiana | 140 | $126,440 | $137,490 | $60.79 |
| Minnesota | 120 | $126,360 | $124,550 | $60.75 |
| Iowa | 80 | $123,500 | $121,720 | $59.38 |
| Arizona | 300 | $123,240 | $119,550 | $59.25 |
| New York | 1,400 | $123,170 | $123,150 | $59.22 |
| Oklahoma | 90 | $122,930 | $129,270 | $59.10 |
| Washington | 330 | $122,390 | $130,140 | $58.84 |
| Colorado | 220 | $121,410 | $129,600 | $58.37 |
| Nebraska | 30 | $117,060 | $128,540 | $56.28 |
| Florida | 570 | $115,920 | $126,380 | $55.73 |
| Massachusetts | 270 | $113,750 | $124,550 | $54.69 |
| Tennessee | 380 | $107,740 | $106,490 | $51.80 |
| Hawaii | 50 | $106,480 | $108,100 | $51.19 |
| Illinois | 550 | $104,990 | $110,300 | $50.48 |
| Utah | 190 | $103,380 | $108,540 | $49.70 |
| Texas | 1,300 | $100,400 | $102,010 | $48.27 |
| Pennsylvania | 800 | $98,010 | $108,790 | $47.12 |
| Connecticut | 300 | $95,310 | $105,130 | $45.82 |
| South Carolina | 130 | $94,880 | $108,940 | $45.62 |
| Oregon | 480 | $89,220 | $102,760 | $42.90 |
| Puerto Rico | 40 | $88,530 | $110,250 | $42.56 |
| Nevada | 170 | $87,240 | $102,370 | $41.94 |
| Montana | 90 | $83,910 | $88,190 | $40.34 |
| New Mexico | 140 | $80,800 | $99,950 | $38.85 |
| Ohio | 690 | $79,000 | $98,990 | $37.98 |
| West Virginia | 90 | $78,870 | $91,700 | $37.92 |
| Maine | 120 | $75,960 | $88,220 | $36.52 |
| Georgia | 490 | $67,990 | $95,120 | $32.69 |
| Mississippi | 110 | $66,310 | $96,930 | $31.88 |
| Idaho | 110 | $65,050 | $73,600 | $31.27 |
| Arkansas | 340 | $63,660 | $74,670 | $30.60 |
| Delaware | 70 | $56,830 | $76,560 | $27.32 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Lawyers$159,670 a year
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$153,990 a year
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$75,530 a year
- Legal Support Workers, All Other$72,110 a year
- Judicial Law Clerks$64,920 a year
Common questions
How much do Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $117,860 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $61,110 and the highest-paid 10% more than $207,480.
How many people work as Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers?
About 16,370 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.