Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Salary
The median pay for a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA is $113,350/year ($54.5/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $166K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $107,522 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,922/month, or 27.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $113K get you in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). 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.
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What this looks like in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers pay in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro tracks closely to the national median, $113K locally vs. $118K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,922/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $130K | $117K |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas | $100K | $100K |
| Boise City | $65K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $113K. Top earners bring in $166K or more, a $99K 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Yes — at the median salary of $113K, rent takes 29.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,030/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $113K locally vs. $118K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $113K median vs. the U.S. average of $118K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $108K — below the national median.
How much do administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $113,350 a year, that works out to about $55 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $67,170, and experienced administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers can clear $166,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $113K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,561/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 29.3% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (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 $107,522 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.