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Salary comparison

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers vs. Airfield Operations Specialists: Who Earns More?

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers out-earn Airfield Operations Specialists by $61K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers land at $117,860 and Airfield Operations Specialists at $56,850. The education gap is real: administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officer programs typically require doctoral or professional degree, while airfield operations specialist programs require no formal educational credential. Top-paying state for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers is District of Columbia ($181,060); for Airfield Operations Specialists it's Kentucky ($123,290).

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
Airfield Operations Specialists
Median salary
$117,860
$56,850
Hourly rate
$56.67/hr
$27.33/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$61,110
$35,870
Senior level (90th %)
$207,480
$102,120
Education required
Doctoral or professional degree
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
16,370
15,190
Job growth (10-year)
-0.7%
4.2%
Category
Legal
Transportation
Top-paying state
District of Columbia
Kentucky

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
Airfield Operations Specialists
Alabama
$134,810
$78,590
Michigan
$127,420
$61,780
Arizona
$123,240
$77,570
Washington
$122,390
$84,050
Colorado
$121,410
$77,500
Florida
$115,920
$57,650
Massachusetts
$113,750
$56,020
Utah
$103,380
$59,780
Texas
$100,400
$60,910
Oregon
$89,220
$75,130
Nevada
$87,240
$61,350
New Mexico
$80,800
$69,090
Ohio
$79,000
$57,140
Georgia
$67,990
$66,790
Idaho
$65,050
$62,510

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 Airfield Operations Specialists?

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers earn more nationally. The median is $117,860 for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers versus $56,850 for Airfield Operations Specialists, a difference of $61K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers or Airfield Operations Specialists?

Airfield Operations Specialists has the better 10-year outlook at 4.2% 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 Airfield Operations Specialists?

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers typically requires doctoral or professional degree. Airfield Operations Specialists 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. Airfield Operations Specialists pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Alabama, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers earn $134,810 vs. $78,590 for Airfield Operations Specialists. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers salary breakdownView →Full Airfield Operations Specialists salary breakdownView →Best cities for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Airfield Operations Specialists by take-home payExplore →How to become a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officersGuide →How to become a airfield operations specialistsGuide →