Pay by state · 42 states
Administrative Law Judge, Adjudicator, and Hearing Officer Salary by State (2026)
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers earn the most in District of Columbia at $181,060 a year and the least in Delaware at $56,830 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $117,860. All 42 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $181,060District of Columbia
- National median
- $117,860BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $56,830Delaware
- States reporting
- 42of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Administrative Law Judge, Adjudicator, and Hearing Officer salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $181,060 | $137,560 | $207,480 | 300 | $164,748 |
| 2 | INIndiana | $145,290 | $117,000 | $207,480 | 70 | $155,675 |
| 3 | ALAlabama | $134,810 | $112,400 | $207,480 | 70 | $151,774 |
| 4 | MDMaryland | $133,460 | $83,630 | $175,720 | 430 | $127,154 |
| 5 | WIWisconsin | $132,250 | $121,220 | $179,030 | 60 | $140,549 |
| 6 | NCNorth Carolina | $129,960 | $79,830 | $131,660 | 260 | $137,777 |
| 7 | MOMissouri | $129,670 | $90,190 | $207,480 | 160 | $142,782 |
| 8 | NJNew Jersey | $128,320 | $105,930 | $161,430 | 330 | $117,936 |
| 9 | MIMichigan | $127,420 | $102,150 | $144,660 | 390 | $132,430 |
| 10 | KSKansas | $126,570 | $118,680 | $136,990 | 40 | $140,527 |
| 11 | LALouisiana | $126,440 | $88,610 | $207,480 | 140 | $143,345 |
| 12 | MNMinnesota | $126,360 | $97,860 | $139,780 | 120 | $128,127 |
| 13 | IAIowa | $123,500 | $104,630 | $136,810 | 80 | $140,721 |
| 14 | AZArizona | $123,240 | $100,430 | $125,630 | 300 | $122,411 |
| 15 | NYNew York | $123,170 | $101,190 | $132,480 | 1,400 | $114,130 |
| 16 | OKOklahoma | $122,930 | $90,480 | $153,570 | 90 | $139,943 |
| 17 | WAWashington | $122,390 | $108,240 | $142,130 | 330 | $114,369 |
| 18 | COColorado | $121,410 | $91,180 | $165,420 | 220 | $117,814 |
| 19 | NENebraska | $117,060 | $112,400 | $133,470 | 30 | $129,918 |
| 20 | FLFlorida | $115,920 | $96,550 | $149,430 | 570 | $112,093 |
| 21 | MAMassachusetts | $113,750 | $96,910 | $159,830 | 270 | $107,558 |
| 22 | TNTennessee | $107,740 | $58,190 | $144,680 | 380 | $117,274 |
| 23 | HIHawaii | $106,480 | $89,810 | $121,390 | 50 | $96,843 |
| 24 | ILIllinois | $104,990 | $72,860 | $133,270 | 550 | $105,034 |
| 25 | UTUtah | $103,380 | $73,920 | $130,000 | 190 | $104,568 |
| 26 | TXTexas | $100,400 | $66,420 | $129,960 | 1,300 | $103,444 |
| 27 | PAPennsylvania | $98,010 | $77,200 | $130,640 | 800 | $100,449 |
| 28 | CTConnecticut | $95,310 | $78,520 | $122,870 | 300 | $91,989 |
| 29 | SCSouth Carolina | $94,880 | $62,830 | $129,960 | 130 | $101,206 |
| 30 | OROregon | $89,220 | $77,320 | $130,890 | 480 | $86,319 |
| 31 | PRPuerto Rico | $88,530 | $63,710 | $133,200 | 40 | N/A |
| 32 | NVNevada | $87,240 | $74,710 | $128,920 | 170 | $87,258 |
| 33 | MTMontana | $83,910 | $65,910 | $108,390 | 90 | $88,658 |
| 34 | NMNew Mexico | $80,800 | $63,590 | $131,770 | 140 | $87,624 |
| 35 | OHOhio | $79,000 | $69,800 | $121,040 | 690 | $85,153 |
| 36 | WVWest Virginia | $78,870 | $56,630 | $115,920 | 90 | $88,126 |
| 37 | MEMaine | $75,960 | $65,210 | $105,370 | 120 | $78,269 |
| 38 | GAGeorgia | $67,990 | $56,810 | $131,680 | 490 | $70,607 |
| 39 | MSMississippi | $66,310 | $50,590 | $133,470 | 110 | $76,260 |
| 40 | IDIdaho | $65,050 | $65,050 | $65,050 | 110 | $68,119 |
| 41 | ARArkansas | $63,660 | $50,670 | $83,700 | 340 | $73,225 |
| 42 | DEDelaware | $56,830 | $50,680 | $88,670 | 70 | $56,939 |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $181,060, while District of Columbia leads once prices are taken into account at $164,748.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Administrative Law Judge, Adjudicator, and Hearing Officer pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers at $181,060 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Indiana ($145,290) and Alabama ($134,810).
Which state pays Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers the least?
Delaware reports the lowest median for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers at $56,830 a year, $124,230 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts District of Columbia first at $164,748 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $181,060. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.