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Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers vs. Aerospace Engineers: Who Earns More?

Aerospace Engineers out-earn Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers by $17K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers land at $117,860 and Aerospace Engineers at $134,960. The education gap is real: administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officer programs typically require doctoral or professional degree, while aerospace engineer programs require bachelor's degree. Top-paying state for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers is District of Columbia ($181,060); for Aerospace Engineers it's Minnesota ($159,060).

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
Aerospace Engineers
Median salary
$117,860
$134,960
Hourly rate
$56.67/hr
$64.89/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$61,110
$86,700
Senior level (90th %)
$207,480
$205,890
Education required
Doctoral or professional degree
Bachelor's degree
U.S. employment
16,370
67,710
Job growth (10-year)
-0.7%
6.1%
Category
Legal
Engineering
Top-paying state
District of Columbia
Minnesota

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers median pay.

State
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
Aerospace Engineers
District of Columbia
$181,060
$157,600
Maryland
$133,460
$156,750
Louisiana
$126,440
$136,970
Minnesota
$126,360
$159,060
Washington
$122,390
$158,370
Colorado
$121,410
$156,190
Nebraska
$117,060
$135,670
Massachusetts
$113,750
$149,470
Hawaii
$106,480
$137,240
Utah
$103,380
$135,840
Pennsylvania
$98,010
$133,940
South Carolina
$94,880
$137,030
New Mexico
$80,800
$132,850
Ohio
$79,000
$138,440
Georgia
$67,990
$140,460

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers or Aerospace Engineers?

Aerospace Engineers earn more nationally. The median is $117,860 for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers versus $134,960 for Aerospace Engineers, a difference of $17K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers or Aerospace Engineers?

Aerospace Engineers has the better 10-year outlook at 6.1% projected growth, compared to -0.7% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers or Aerospace Engineers?

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers typically requires doctoral or professional degree. Aerospace Engineers requires bachelor's degree. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers get paid the most?

District of Columbia is the top-paying state for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers at $181,060/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers vs. Aerospace Engineers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In District of Columbia, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers earn $181,060 vs. $157,600 for Aerospace Engineers. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers salary breakdownView →Full Aerospace Engineers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Aerospace Engineers by take-home payExplore →How to become a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officersGuide →How to become a aerospace engineersGuide →