Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
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.
Also called: Adjudications Specialist · Adjudicator · Administrative Hearings Officer · Administrative Judge · Administrative Law Judge · Appeals Examiner
Median pay (national)
$115,230
$56,970–$203,990 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
16,230
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
-0.7%
~500 openings/yr
Typical entry
Doctoral or professional degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $203,990 versus $56,970 at the bottom 10% — 3.6x. The median of $115,230 leaves roughly 77% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change -0.7% from 2024 to 2034 — a projected decline, against +3% across all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 500 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 45 states with released data, District of Columbia pays the most for this role (median $181,060, +57% vs the national median), while Arkansas sits lowest at $52,990 — a 242% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Office software as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Learning Strategies
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Determine existence and amount of liability according to current laws, administrative and judicial precedents, and available evidence.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Explain to claimants how they can appeal rulings that go against them.
- Confer with individuals or organizations involved in cases to obtain relevant information.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Windows
- SAP software
- Courtroom scheduling software
- LexisNexis
- Online databases
- Thomson Reuters Westlaw
- Videoconferencing software
- Web browser software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Email software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Law and Government
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics