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Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers vs. Agricultural Inspectors: Who Earns More?

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers out-earn Agricultural Inspectors by $68K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers land at $117,860 and Agricultural Inspectors at $49,940. The education gap is real: administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officer programs typically require doctoral or professional degree, while agricultural inspector programs require no formal educational credential. Top-paying state for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers is District of Columbia ($181,060); for Agricultural Inspectors it's Minnesota ($77,150).

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
Agricultural Inspectors
Median salary
$117,860
$49,940
Hourly rate
$56.67/hr
$24.01/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$61,110
$37,020
Senior level (90th %)
$207,480
$79,580
Education required
Doctoral or professional degree
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
16,370
14,410
Job growth (10-year)
-0.7%
1.5%
Category
Legal
Farming & Fishing
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
Agricultural Inspectors
Maryland
$133,460
$58,160
Wisconsin
$132,250
$53,640
Michigan
$127,420
$65,730
Louisiana
$126,440
$63,130
Minnesota
$126,360
$77,150
New York
$123,170
$73,920
Oklahoma
$122,930
$53,060
Washington
$122,390
$62,880
Nebraska
$117,060
$55,090
Hawaii
$106,480
$60,650
Illinois
$104,990
$62,000
Utah
$103,380
$53,930
Pennsylvania
$98,010
$55,650
Oregon
$89,220
$53,060
Ohio
$79,000
$69,280

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 Agricultural Inspectors?

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers earn more nationally. The median is $117,860 for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers versus $49,940 for Agricultural Inspectors, a difference of $68K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers or Agricultural Inspectors?

Agricultural Inspectors has the better 10-year outlook at 1.5% 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 Agricultural Inspectors?

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers typically requires doctoral or professional degree. Agricultural Inspectors requires no formal educational credential. 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. Agricultural Inspectors pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Maryland, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers earn $133,460 vs. $58,160 for Agricultural Inspectors. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers salary breakdownView →Full Agricultural Inspectors salary breakdownView →Best cities for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Agricultural Inspectors by take-home payExplore →How to become a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officersGuide →How to become a agricultural inspectorsGuide →