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Salary comparison

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers vs. Air Traffic Controllers: Who Earns More?

Air Traffic Controllerss out-earn Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officerss by $29K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2024. Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officerss land at $115,230 and Air Traffic Controllerss at $144,580. The education gap is real: administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officer programs typically require doctoral or professional degree, while air traffic controller programs require no formal educational credential. Top-paying state for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officerss is District of Columbia ($181,060); for Air Traffic Controllerss it's Virginia ($185,890).

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
Air Traffic Controllers
Median salary
$115,230
$144,580
Hourly rate
$55.4/hr
$69.51/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$56,970
$76,090
Senior level (90th %)
$203,990
$210,410
Education required
Doctoral or professional degree
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
16,230
22,400
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Legal
Transportation
Top-paying state
District of Columbia
Virginia

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
Air Traffic Controllers
Indiana
$143,850
$155,790
Minnesota
$135,050
$176,030
Kansas
$126,570
$156,620
New York
$122,570
$142,190
Washington
$121,850
$164,070
Florida
$113,730
$144,710
Tennessee
$110,140
$153,670
Utah
$103,790
$156,120
Texas
$103,400
$167,710
Hawaii
$98,630
$142,040
Illinois
$96,420
$175,090
Virginia
$93,680
$185,890
Nevada
$85,310
$147,700
New Mexico
$65,580
$145,290
Georgia
$65,000
$174,600

Source: BLS OEWS May 2024. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officerss or Air Traffic Controllerss?

Air Traffic Controllerss earn more nationally. The median is $115,230 for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officerss versus $144,580 for Air Traffic Controllerss, a difference of $29K. Per BLS OEWS May 2024.

Which has better job growth, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers or Air Traffic Controllers?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers or Air Traffic Controllers?

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers typically requires doctoral or professional degree. Air Traffic Controllers requires no formal educational credential. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

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

District of Columbia is the top-paying state for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officerss at $181,060/year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers vs. Air Traffic Controllers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Indiana, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officerss earn $143,850 vs. $155,790 for Air Traffic Controllerss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers salary breakdownView →Full Air Traffic Controllers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officerss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Air Traffic Controllerss by take-home payExplore →How to become a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officersGuide →How to become a air traffic controllersGuide →