Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers Salary
The median pay for a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC is $72,960/year ($35.08/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $207K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.94), that's roughly $74,495 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,713/month, about 35.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $73K get you in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk’s Regional Price Parity (97.94). 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk
Pay for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk runs about 38% below the U.S. median of $118K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,713/month, which is 36.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in metros near Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond | $89K | $91K |
| Roanoke | $126K | $135K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $152K | $140K |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $131K | $125K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
Entry-level administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $73K. Top earners bring in $207K or more, a $161K 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $73K, rent takes 36.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,713/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,779/month. At HUD’s $1,713/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Local pay runs 38% below the national median — $73K here vs. $118K nationally.
How does Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk compare to the national average for administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk pays $73K median vs. the U.S. average of $118K — that’s -38%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $74K — below the national median.
How much do administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers make in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC?
The median is $72,960 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,320, 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 $73K enough to live in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,670/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,713/month, which eats 36.7% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers salary go in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk?
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk has a Regional Price Parity of 97.94 (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 $74,495 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.