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Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeModerate pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $117,860 Median per year · $56.67/hr Most earn $61,110–$207,480

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Issue subpoenas and administer oaths in preparation for formal hearings.
  • 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.
  • Confer with individuals or organizations involved in cases to obtain relevant information.
  • Conduct studies of appeals procedures in field agencies to ensure adherence to legal requirements and to facilitate determination of cases.
  • Rule on exceptions, motions, and admissibility of evidence.

Job outlook

United States
About the same number of jobs by 2035, little or no change · about 500 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • State government, excluding education and hospitals53.1%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service31.2%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals14.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 4 to 6 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeExperience before this job: 4 to 6 years

This is not an entry-level job. Most people need a law degree and roughly 4 to 6 years of legal work before they become an administrative law judge, so the whole path usually takes about 9 to 11 years after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree (any major, such as political science, history, or English)

    4 years

    Build strong reading, writing, and research skills, and keep grades high so you can get into law school.

  2. Law degree (Juris Doctor, JD)

    3 years

    Law school teaches legal reasoning, how courts and agencies work, and how to argue both sides of a case, which is the core of judging hearings.

  3. Lawyer

    2 to 4 years

    After passing the bar exam, you practice law, often in government agencies, legal aid, or litigation, and learn to handle hearings and evidence.

  4. Administrative Law Judge

    4 to 6 years of related experience before this role

    You conduct hearings on government program claims and other agency matters, weigh the evidence, and write decisions. Many people are hired into this role after years of practice in a related legal field.

Where it can lead

  1. Judge (Magistrate Judge or similar judicial role)

    About 6 to 8 years of total experience of experience first

    Moving up usually means presiding over a larger or more formal court role, with broader authority and more complex cases.

  2. Arbitrator or Mediator

    About 6 to 8 years of total experience of experience first

    This is a related move where you help resolve disputes outside the courtroom, often needing added training in dispute resolution and a master's degree.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take English, history, and government classesThese build the reading, writing, and understanding of rules that you will need for law school.
  • Join debate or mock trialPracticing arguments and listening to both sides prepares you for weighing evidence in hearings.
  • Work on your writing and speakingWriting clear essays and speaking in class or in clubs will help you explain decisions well later on.
  • Volunteer at a local court, library, or government officeSeeing how public services and legal processes work gives you real context for this career.
  • Keep your grades strongA good GPA opens doors to colleges and scholarships that lead toward law school.

In college

  • Major in political science, history, or another writing-heavy fieldThese majors train you to read dense material, research, and write clear arguments, which law school requires.
  • Take a logic, statistics, or philosophy courseCareful reasoning and understanding evidence are central to judging hearings and writing decisions.
  • Get a part-time job or internship at a government office, legal aid clinic, or courtReal experience with hearings and case files shows you what the work is like and builds your resume for law school.
  • Join a mock trial, moot court, or pre-law clubThese groups let you practice arguing and judging both sides, and they look good on law school applications.
  • Prepare for the LSAT and talk with your college's pre-law advisorStrong test scores and good advice help you apply to law schools that fit your goals.

Tips for getting started

  • Take courses in government, constitutional law, writing, and public speaking. These show up in law school and in hearing work.
  • Look for a part-time or summer job at a court, legislature, or government agency. Seeing hearings up close helps you decide if this path fits you.
  • Practice writing clear, fair summaries of what people say and why they disagree. Judges must explain their decisions in plain, careful language.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Law Professional degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $76,005 a year · typical debt $111,029

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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