Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $125,990 ≈ $61/hr
National median salary $117,860
Total employment 16,370 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth -0.7%
Decline
Annual openings 500 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 17,500 → 17,400 (-100)
Typical entry education Doctoral or professional degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$171,730
- Indiana$154,990
- Alabama$150,430
- Wisconsin$143,910
- Kansas$139,250
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $171,730 | $181,060 | $83 | +36.3% | 300 |
| 2 | Indiana | $154,990 | $145,290 | $75 | +23% | 70 |
| 3 | Alabama | $150,430 | $134,810 | $72 | +19.4% | 70 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $143,910 | $132,250 | $69 | +14.2% | 60 |
| 5 | Kansas | $139,250 | $126,570 | $67 | +10.5% | 40 |
| 6 | Missouri | $138,730 | $129,670 | $67 | +10.1% | 160 |
| 7 | Louisiana | $137,490 | $126,440 | $66 | +9.1% | 140 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $133,870 | $128,320 | $64 | +6.3% | 330 |
| 9 | Maryland | $131,160 | $133,460 | $63 | +4.1% | 430 |
| 10 | Washington | $130,140 | $122,390 | $63 | +3.3% | 330 |
| 11 | Colorado | $129,600 | $121,410 | $62 | +2.9% | 220 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $129,270 | $122,930 | $62 | +2.6% | 90 |
| 13 | Michigan | $128,760 | $127,420 | $62 | +2.2% | 390 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $128,540 | $117,060 | $62 | +2% | 30 |
| 15 | Florida | $126,380 | $115,920 | $61 | +0.3% | 570 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $124,550 | $113,750 | $60 | -1.1% | 270 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $124,550 | $126,360 | $60 | -1.1% | 120 |
| 18 | New York | $123,150 | $123,170 | $59 | -2.3% | 1,400 |
| 19 | Iowa | $121,720 | $123,500 | $59 | -3.4% | 80 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $120,970 | $129,960 | $58 | -4% | 260 |
| 21 | Arizona | $119,550 | $123,240 | $57 | -5.1% | 300 |
| 22 | Illinois | $110,300 | $104,990 | $53 | -12.5% | 550 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $108,940 | $94,880 | $52 | -13.5% | 130 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $108,790 | $98,010 | $52 | -13.7% | 800 |
| 25 | Utah | $108,540 | $103,380 | $52 | -13.9% | 190 |
| 26 | Hawaii | $108,100 | $106,480 | $52 | -14.2% | 50 |
| 27 | Tennessee | $106,490 | $107,740 | $51 | -15.5% | 380 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $105,130 | $95,310 | $51 | -16.6% | 300 |
| 29 | Oregon | $102,760 | $89,220 | $49 | -18.4% | 480 |
| 30 | Nevada | $102,370 | $87,240 | $49 | -18.7% | 170 |
| 31 | Texas | $102,010 | $100,400 | $49 | -19% | 1,300 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $99,950 | $80,800 | $48 | -20.7% | 140 |
| 33 | Ohio | $98,990 | $79,000 | $48 | -21.4% | 690 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $96,930 | $66,310 | $47 | -23.1% | 110 |
| 35 | Georgia | $95,120 | $67,990 | $46 | -24.5% | 490 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $91,700 | $78,870 | $44 | -27.2% | 90 |
| 37 | Maine | $88,220 | $75,960 | $42 | -30% | 120 |
| 38 | Montana | $88,190 | $83,910 | $42 | -30% | 90 |
| 39 | Delaware | $76,560 | $56,830 | $37 | -39.2% | 70 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $74,670 | $63,660 | $36 | -40.7% | 340 |
| 41 | Idaho | $73,600 | $65,050 | $35 | -41.6% | 110 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 75 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tallahassee, FL | $177,150 | $159,750 | 60 |
| 2 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $164,530 | $153,930 | 60 |
| 3 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $151,990 | $145,610 | 660 |
| 4 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $144,660 | $137,840 | 120 |
| 5 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $140,050 | $138,000 | 40 |
| 6 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $139,240 | $146,160 | 50 |
| 7 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $138,260 | $151,500 | 40 |
| 8 | Toledo, OH | $134,930 | $143,680 | 30 |
| 9 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $132,250 | $144,770 | 40 |
| 10 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $131,660 | $114,890 | 130 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $135,730 | $145,230 | 5,080 |
| 2 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $135,700 | $145,230 | 5,090 |
| 3 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $117,860 | $126,250 | 16,250 |
| 4 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $117,860 | $126,240 | 16,290 |
| 5 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $117,860 | $125,990 | 16,370 |
| 6 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $117,860 | $126,250 | 16,250 |
| 7 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $106,050 | $122,390 | 8,630 |
| 8 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $105,940 | $122,370 | 8,630 |
| 9 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $94,880 | $101,570 | 2,570 |
| 10 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $94,520 | $101,440 | 2,540 |
| 11 | Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $66,530 | $76,480 | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers make in the U.S.?
The median administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers salary in the United States is $117,860 per year (mean $125,990), and about 80% earn between $61,110 and $207,480.
How much do administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers make per hour?
Roughly $61 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $125,990 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers at $171,730 per year (median $181,060).
What is the job outlook for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers?
Employment is projected to change -0.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 500 openings per year.
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