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Salary comparison

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers vs. Animal Caretakers: Who Earns More?

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers out-earn Animal Caretakers by $83K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers land at $117,860 and Animal Caretakers at $35,360. The education gap is real: administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officer programs typically require doctoral or professional degree, while animal caretaker programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers is District of Columbia ($181,060); for Animal Caretakers it's District of Columbia ($44,210).

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
Animal Caretakers
Median salary
$117,860
$35,360
Hourly rate
$56.67/hr
$17/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$61,110
$27,250
Senior level (90th %)
$207,480
$50,060
Education required
Doctoral or professional degree
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
16,370
266,910
Job growth (10-year)
-0.7%
12.1%
Category
Legal
Personal Care
Top-paying state
District of Columbia
District of Columbia

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
Animal Caretakers
District of Columbia
$181,060
$44,210
Maryland
$133,460
$36,780
New Jersey
$128,320
$35,850
Minnesota
$126,360
$36,430
Arizona
$123,240
$38,180
New York
$123,170
$37,840
Washington
$122,390
$40,570
Colorado
$121,410
$37,430
Massachusetts
$113,750
$39,650
Hawaii
$106,480
$40,130
Illinois
$104,990
$35,570
Utah
$103,380
$34,750
Connecticut
$95,310
$37,310
Oregon
$89,220
$36,580
Maine
$75,960
$37,230

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 Animal Caretakers?

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers earn more nationally. The median is $117,860 for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers versus $35,360 for Animal Caretakers, a difference of $83K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers or Animal Caretakers?

Animal Caretakers has the better 10-year outlook at 12.1% 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 Animal Caretakers?

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers typically requires doctoral or professional degree. Animal Caretakers requires high school diploma or equivalent. 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. Animal Caretakers 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. $44,210 for Animal Caretakers. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers salary breakdownView →Full Animal Caretakers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Animal Caretakers by take-home payExplore →How to become a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officersGuide →How to become a animal caretakersGuide →