Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers: Career Profile
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.
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What Do Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Perform?
The core tasks performed by administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers include:
- Determine existence and amount of liability according to current laws, administrative and judicial precedents, and available evidence.
- Monitor and direct the activities of trials and hearings to ensure that they are conducted fairly and that courts administer justice while safeguarding the legal rights of all involved parties.
- Prepare written opinions and decisions.
- Authorize payment of valid claims and determine method of payment.
- Conduct hearings to review and decide claims regarding issues, such as social program eligibility, environmental protection, or enforcement of health and safety regulations.
- Research and analyze laws, regulations, policies, and precedent decisions to prepare for hearings and to determine conclusions.
- Review and evaluate data on documents, such as claim applications, birth or death certificates, or physician or employer records.
- Recommend the acceptance or rejection of claims or compromise settlements according to laws, regulations, policies, and precedent decisions.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Adjudications Specialist
- Adjudicator
- Administrative Hearing Officer
- Administrative Hearings Officer
- Administrative Judge
- Administrative Law Judge
- Appeals Examiner
- Appeals Officer
Job Outlook
There are about 191,947 administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +10.2% over the projection horizon.
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $137,571 |
| Hourly median | $66.14 |
| 10th percentile | $94,388 |
| 25th percentile | $115,979 |
| 75th percentile | $159,162 |
| 90th percentile | $180,754 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $181,060 |
| Alabama | $149,760 |
| Indiana | $143,850 |
| Minnesota | $135,050 |
| Wisconsin | $129,750 |
| Maryland | $127,120 |
| Missouri | $127,070 |
| Kansas | $126,570 |
| New Jersey | $125,530 |
| Michigan | $125,420 |
| Massachusetts | $124,590 |
| Louisiana | $124,090 |
| Oklahoma | $124,090 |
| New York | $122,570 |
| Washington | $121,850 |
| Nebraska | $120,640 |
| Colorado | $120,290 |
| Arizona | $118,810 |
| Iowa | $116,820 |
| North Carolina | $115,090 |
| Florida | $113,730 |
| Tennessee | $110,140 |
| New Hampshire | $104,150 |
| West Virginia | $103,840 |
| Utah | $103,790 |
| Texas | $103,400 |
| Hawaii | $98,630 |
| Illinois | $96,420 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,100 |
| Virginia | $93,680 |
| South Carolina | $89,630 |
| Oregon | $89,220 |
| Connecticut | $87,790 |
| Nevada | $85,310 |
| Montana | $77,560 |
| Mississippi | $75,540 |
| Ohio | $75,250 |
| Puerto Rico | $75,110 |
| New Mexico | $65,580 |
| Georgia | $65,000 |
| Maine | $60,880 |
| Idaho | $58,410 |
| Kentucky | $57,960 |
| Delaware | $54,500 |
| Arkansas | $52,990 |
Where Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Earn the Most
Pay for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers shift depending on where you work. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plains States | $127,347 | 3.9% | 0.52 |
| Middle Atlantic | $122,646 | 24.2% | 1.53 |
| Southwest | $103,860 | 12.9% | 0.89 |
| Far Western US | $99,093 | 7.9% | 1.56 |
| Rocky Mountains | $97,585 | 4.6% | 1.05 |
| Great Lakes | $96,172 | 13.9% | 1.00 |
| New England | $91,608 | 4.6% | 1.33 |
| Southeast | $90,037 | 27.7% | 1.27 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tallahassee, FL | FL | $172,000 | 60 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | MO | $161,350 | 60 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $153,320 | 650 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | MI | $137,780 | 120 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | NC | $137,240 | 30 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | IN | $135,660 | 40 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | WI | $133,350 | 40 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $131,310 | 150 |
Top Industries Employing Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
The bulk of administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 30 | $103,870 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers reflects the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Spend Time Sitting
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How to Become Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
This occupation sits in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators (Primary-Short)
- Compliance Officers (Supplemental)
- Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers (Primary-Long)
- Coroners (Supplemental)
- Labor Relations Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Lawyers (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Future administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers commonly pursue programs in:
Legal Professions and Studies
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 23-1021.00 (Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers).
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