Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Salary
The median pay for a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in Illinois is $104,990/year ($50.48/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $181K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $111,870 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,407/month, or 21.2% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $105K get you in Illinois?
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What this looks like in Illinois
Pay for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in Illinois runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $118K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,407/month, 21.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Illinois can be a reasonable trade-off for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $105K. Top earners bring in $181K or more, a $121K spread from bottom to top.
Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers salary by metro in Illinois
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $122K | +16% | 350 |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
Yes — at the median salary of $105K, rent takes 21.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/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 Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,599/month. At HUD’s $1,407/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 Illinois?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $105K here vs. $118K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers?
Illinois pays $105K median vs. the U.S. average of $118K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $112K — below the national median.
How much do administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers make in Illinois?
The median is $104,990 a year, that works out to about $50 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,990, and experienced administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers can clear $180,960. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $105K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,421/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 21.9% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $111,870 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.