Administrative law judge vs judge

The differences between administrative law judges and judges can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an administrative law judge, becoming a judge takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a judge has an average salary of $123,457, which is higher than the $68,512 average annual salary of an administrative law judge.

The top three skills for an administrative law judge include administrative law, appeals and litigation. The most important skills for a judge are legal issues, civil law, and international law.

Administrative law judge vs judge overview

	Administrative Law Judge	Judge
Yearly salary	$68,512	$123,457
Hourly rate	$32.94	$59.35
Growth rate	-1%	-1%
Number of jobs	37,230	1,026
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	10

Administrative law judge vs judge salary

Administrative law judges and judges have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Administrative Law Judge	Judge
Average salary	$68,512	$123,457
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $117,000	Between $68,000 And $222,000
Highest paying City	Baltimore, MD	Jacksonville, FL
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	New Mexico
Best paying company	United States Courts	United States Courts
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Media

Differences between administrative law judge and judge education

There are a few differences between an administrative law judge and a judge in terms of educational background:

	Administrative Law Judge	Judge
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 45%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Law	Law
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Administrative law judge vs judge demographics

Here are the differences between administrative law judges' and judges' demographics:

	Administrative Law Judge	Judge
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 46.4% Female, 53.6%	Male, 50.3% Female, 49.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 6.2% White, 76.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 5.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 6.4% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between administrative law judge and judge duties and responsibilities

Administrative law judge example 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.
Sign subpoenas; rule on admissibility of evidence, and issue written orders.
Represent clients in business disputes as principal trial attorney and provide litigation management services to clients in federal patent infringement actions.

Judge example responsibilities.

Prepare jury charges, manage trial docket and handle appeals of SSI disability cases.
Manage, and update all scheduling of events, meetings, and appointments for mediation and arbitration for family law cases.
Docket civil orders on CM/ECF.
Observe civil and criminal trial and appeals proceedings.
Perform extensive research and prepare legal memoranda on domestic relations and probate issues.
Prepare orders and decisions from drafts provide by the assigned AJ.

Administrative law judge vs judge skills

Common administrative law judge skills

Administrative Law, 15%
Appeals, 9%
Litigation, 6%
Administrative Hearings, 6%
Mediation, 5%
Legal Research, 5%

Common judge skills

Legal Issues, 18%
Civil Law, 15%
International Law, 14%
Legal Services, 12%
Defense Counsel, 12%
Trial Counsel, 5%

Administrative Law Judge vs. similar jobs

Administrative Law Judge related careers

Administrative Law Judge related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Legal Industry
Administrative Law Judge
Administrative Law Judge vs Judge

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse legal jobs