Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Salary
The median pay for a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in Columbia, SC is $80,820/year ($38.86/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $54K at the entry level to $188K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $86,291 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,276/month, or 25% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $81K get you in Columbia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbia’s Regional Price Parity (93.66). 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 Columbia
Pay for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in Columbia runs about 31% below the U.S. median of $118K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,276/month, 24.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Columbia can be a reasonable trade-off for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $72K | $72K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $132K | $134K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $140K | $144K |
| Winston-Salem | $123K | $134K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbia, SC
Entry-level administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers (10th percentile) start around $54K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $188K or more, a $134K 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 Columbia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
Yes — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 24.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,276/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 Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers typically earn — is $54K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,242/month. At HUD’s $1,276/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 Columbia?
Local pay runs 31% below the national median — $81K here vs. $118K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers?
Columbia pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $118K — that’s -31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $86K — below the national median.
How much do administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $80,820 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $54,040, and experienced administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers can clear $187,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,142/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 24.8% 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 Columbia?
Columbia has a Regional Price Parity of 93.66 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers salary is worth about $86,291 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.