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What is an administrative law judge and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an administrative law judge. For example, did you know that they make an average of $32.94 an hour? That's $68,512 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -1% and produce -600 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreAdministrative Law JudgeUS Average
Salary
5.4

Avg. Salary $68,512

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate -1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.31%

Asian 6.24%

Black or African American 5.40%

Hispanic or Latino 7.62%

Unknown 4.36%

White 76.07%

Gender

female 53.55%

male 46.45%

Age - 45
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.2

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Administrative law judge career paths

Key steps to become an administrative law judge

  1. Explore administrative law judge education requirements

    Most common administrative law judge degrees

    Doctorate

    45.0 %

    Bachelor's

    42.5 %

    Master's

    6.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific administrative law judge skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Administrative Law15.19%
    Appeals8.50%
    Litigation6.20%
    Administrative Hearings6.11%
    Mediation5.19%
  3. Complete relevant administrative law judge training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New administrative law judges learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an administrative law judge based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real administrative law judge resumes.
  4. Research administrative law judge duties and responsibilities

    • Manage a civil practice focuse primarily on representing claimants in securities arbitration proceedings.
    • Conduct face to face administrative hearings for recipients of disability benefits involve in the appeals process.
    • Rule on preliminary motions; issue subpoenas; receive or exclude any oral or documentary evidence offer.
    • Conduct hearings and issue written decisions on appeals involving unemployment insurance entitlements and potential employer unemployment tax liability.
  5. Prepare your administrative law judge resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your administrative law judge resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an administrative law judge resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable administrative law judge resume templates

    Build a professional administrative law judge resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your administrative law judge resume.
    Administrative Law Judge Resume
    Administrative Law Judge Resume
    Administrative Law Judge Resume
    Administrative Law Judge Resume
    Administrative Law Judge Resume
    Administrative Law Judge Resume
    Administrative Law Judge Resume
    Administrative Law Judge Resume
    Administrative Law Judge Resume
  6. Apply for administrative law judge jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an administrative law judge job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first administrative law judge job

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Average administrative law judge salary

The average administrative law judge salary in the United States is $68,512 per year or $33 per hour. Administrative law judge salaries range between $40,000 and $117,000 per year.

Average administrative law judge salary
$68,512 Yearly
$32.94 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.