Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Salary
The median pay for a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $121,720/year ($58.52/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $77K at the entry level to $207K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $117,502 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,781/month, or 24.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $122K get you in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.59). 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin tracks closely to the national median, $122K locally vs. $118K nationwide, a 3% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,781/month, 24.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 103.59) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $131K | $138K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $127K | $139K |
| Kansas City | $165K | $178K |
| Lexington-Fayette | $66K | $71K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers (10th percentile) start around $77K. Mid-career wages sit at $122K. Top earners bring in $207K or more, a $131K 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Yes — at the median salary of $122K, rent takes 24.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers typically earn — is $77K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,607/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $122K locally vs. $118K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $122K median vs. the U.S. average of $118K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $118K — below the national median.
How much do administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $121,720 a year, that works out to about $59 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $76,790, and experienced administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers can clear $207,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $122K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,327/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 24.3% 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (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 $117,502 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.