Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
SOC 23-1021BLS OEWS May 2025
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).
National median · BLS
$117,860
▲ +2.28%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$125,990
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
16,370
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$61,110
25th
$81,140
Median (50th)
$117,860
75th
$159,680
90th — top pay
$207,480
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
BLS projects employment of administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers to grow 0% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 500 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
17,400 → 17,400
+0 jobs
Projected change
+0%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
500
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree
Plus 5 years or more experience
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 5)
Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers do
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.
Conduct hearings to review and decide claims regarding issues, such as social program eligibility, environmental protection, or enforcement of health and safety regulations.
Rule on exceptions, motions, and admissibility of evidence.
Research and analyze laws, regulations, policies, and precedent decisions to prepare for hearings and to determine conclusions.
Determine existence and amount of liability according to current laws, administrative and judicial precedents, and available evidence.
Issue subpoenas and administer oaths in preparation for formal hearings.
Explain to claimants how they can appeal rulings that go against them.
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $117,860.
