Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Salary
The median pay for a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD is $130,940/year ($62.95/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $204K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.49), that's roughly $125,313 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,857/month, or 24% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $131K actually covers in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson’s Regional Price Parity (104.49). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers
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What this looks like in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson sits well above the national pay line for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers, local pay runs about 11% higher than the U.S. median of $118K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,857/month, 23.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 104.49) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson offers a genuinely strong financial position for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in metros near Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $152K | $140K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $95K | $93K |
| Richmond | $89K | $91K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $100K | $101K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Entry-level administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $131K. Top earners bring in $204K or more, a $142K spread from bottom to top.
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $181K | +54% | 300 |
| Indiana | $145K | +23% | 70 |
| Alabama | $135K | +14% | 70 |
| Maryland | $133K | +13% | 430 |
| Wisconsin | $132K | +12% | 60 |
| North Carolina | $130K | +10% | 260 |
| Missouri | $130K | +10% | 160 |
| New Jersey | $128K | +9% | 330 |
| Michigan | $127K | +8% | 390 |
| Kansas | $127K | +7% | 40 |
| Louisiana | $126K | +7% | 140 |
| Minnesota | $126K | +7% | 120 |
| Iowa | $124K | +5% | 80 |
| Arizona | $123K | +5% | 300 |
| New York | $123K | +5% | 1,400 |
| Oklahoma | $123K | +4% | 90 |
| Washington | $122K | +4% | 330 |
| Colorado | $121K | +3% | 220 |
| Nebraska | $117K | -1% | 30 |
| Florida | $116K | -2% | 570 |
| Massachusetts | $114K | -3% | 270 |
| Tennessee | $108K | -9% | 380 |
| Hawaii | $106K | -10% | 50 |
| Illinois | $105K | -11% | 550 |
| Utah | $103K | -12% | 190 |
| Texas | $100K | -15% | 1,300 |
| Pennsylvania | $98K | -17% | 800 |
| Connecticut | $95K | -19% | 300 |
| South Carolina | $95K | -19% | 130 |
| Oregon | $89K | -24% | 480 |
| Nevada | $87K | -26% | 170 |
| Montana | $84K | -29% | 90 |
| New Mexico | $81K | -31% | 140 |
| Ohio | $79K | -33% | 690 |
| West Virginia | $79K | -33% | 90 |
| Maine | $76K | -36% | 120 |
| Georgia | $68K | -42% | 490 |
| Mississippi | $66K | -44% | 110 |
| Idaho | $65K | -45% | 110 |
| Arkansas | $64K | -46% | 340 |
| Delaware | $57K | -52% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Baltimore-Columbia-Towson numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Yes — at the median salary of $131K, rent takes 23.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,857/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,115/month. At HUD’s $1,857/month FMR, rent would take 45% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officer a high-paying job in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $131K here vs. $118K nationally.
How does Baltimore-Columbia-Towson compare to the national average for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pays $131K median vs. the U.S. average of $118K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $125K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers make in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
The median is $130,940 a year, that works out to about $63 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,390, and experienced administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers can clear $204,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $131K enough to live in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,844/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,857/month, which eats 23.7% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers salary go in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson has a Regional Price Parity of 104.49 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers salary is worth about $125,313 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.