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Federal Government
Social Security Administration, Securities and Exchange Commission, U.S. Department of Labor
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers decide disputes over benefits, licenses, penalties, and other agency actions. The work is distinctive because it combines courtroom-style hearings with detailed rule reading and written decisions, but the tradeoff is that fairness has to be delivered inside very tight legal and procedural boundaries.
Also known as Administrative Law JudgeAdministrative Hearing OfficerHearing OfficerHearing ExaminerAppeals Hearing Officer
Median Salary
$115,230
Mean $122,620
U.S. Workforce
~16K
0.5K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-0.7%
17.5K to 17.4K
Entry Education
Doctoral or professional degree
+ 5 years or more experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers sits in the Government category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~16K workers, with a median annual pay of $115,230 and roughly 0.5K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 17.5 K in 2024 to 17.4K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Doctoral or professional degree, and employers typically expect 5 years or more of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Entry-level and can progress toward Senior / Lead. High-value skills usually include Administrative Law Research with Westlaw & LexisNexis, Hearing Procedures, Evidence Review & Decision Drafting, and Federal and State Regulations & Precedent Tracking, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Reading Comprehension.
Core Responsibilities
- Review case files, laws, and prior decisions before a hearing starts.
- Run hearings, keep them orderly, and make sure both sides get a fair chance to speak.
- Ask claimants, witnesses, and agency staff questions to clear up missing facts.
- Issue subpoenas or swear in witnesses when formal evidence is needed.
Keep exploring: more Government careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Review case files, laws, and prior decisions before a hearing starts.
02 Run hearings, keep them orderly, and make sure both sides get a fair chance to speak.
03 Ask claimants, witnesses, and agency staff questions to clear up missing facts.
04 Issue subpoenas or swear in witnesses when formal evidence is needed.
05 Decide whether a claim, penalty, or appeal should be approved, denied, or changed.
06 Write the final ruling and explain how someone can appeal it.
Industries That Hire
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State and Local Government
California Office of Administrative Hearings, New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings
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Financial Regulation
FINRA, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
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Healthcare and Benefits Administration
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Blue Cross Blue Shield
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Environmental and Workplace Safety
Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, California Air Resources Board
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is strong for a small public-sector occupation, with a median annual salary of $115,230 and a mean of $122,620.
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The work is structured around evidence, rules, and written decisions rather than sales quotas or production targets.
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It makes full use of reading, listening, writing, and judgment skills every day.
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The cases can have real consequences for people’s income, licenses, or legal standing, which keeps the work meaningful.
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Once you are established, the job is intellectually demanding without being physically hard on the body.
Challenges
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Growth is slightly negative at -0.7%, and the occupation is tiny, with only about 16,230 workers and roughly 0.5K annual openings.
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The entry bar is high: employers often want a doctoral or professional degree plus 5 or more years of related experience.
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A lot of the job is telling one side no, which can make the work emotionally tense and sometimes unpopular.
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Advancement is limited because there are not many higher-level slots, so moving up often depends on rare government openings.
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The role is tightly controlled by statutes, precedent, and agency rules, so there is little room for improvisation or creative solutions.
Career Progression
Entry-level
0-4 years
$45K-$69K
People often start in paralegal, legal assistant, or case-support roles, learning how records, deadlines, and agency rules work.
Mid-level
5-9 years
$70K-$99K
At this stage, workers may handle simpler hearings, prepare case summaries, and begin writing recommendations or draft decisions.
Core role THIS ROLE
10-19 years
$100K-$135K
This is the full decision-making job, with hearings, evidence review, legal research, and written rulings that directly affect benefits, licenses, or penalties.
Senior / Lead
15+ years
$136K-$170K
Experienced judges and hearing officers take on tougher cases, mentor newer staff, and may help set hearing procedures for an office or agency.
Education Paths
Doctoral or professional degree
This is the main route in the data: 37.34% of workers hold a doctoral degree, and 13.76% hold a first professional degree such as a J.D.
Bachelor's degree plus substantial legal or agency experience
A bachelor's degree appears for 19.95% of workers, but in practice it usually has to be paired with years of hearings, compliance, or legal work.
Agency hearing experience, paralegal work, or compliance training
Some employers hire from related office or enforcement roles and provide short-term on-the-job training after several years of relevant experience.
Key Skills
Technical
Administrative Law Research with Westlaw & LexisNexis 96%
Hearing Procedures, Evidence Review & Decision Drafting 94%
Federal and State Regulations & Precedent Tracking 92%
Agency Case Management Systems & Electronic Dockets 90%
Microsoft Word, Outlook & Formal Order Formatting 84%
Subpoena, Oath & Record Management Tools 82%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionJudgment and Decision MakingWritingSpeaking Job Outlook and Trends
+-0.7%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
0.5K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 17.5K to 17.4 K over the next decade, representing -0.7% growth. Around 0.5 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Limited. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.