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Job title · Illinois

Administrative Law Judge / Hearing Officer in Illinois

Illinois Department of Central Management Services lists 2 job classes for this work in the Illinois state pay plan: Hearings Referee, Hearings Referee - Intermittent.

$96,720 – $158,454
state pay plan range, a year
2
classes in the state plan
$104,990
median pay in IL, all employers
550
workers in IL (SOC 23-1021)

Sources: Illinois Department of Central Management Services, Illinois CMS Alphabetic Index of Position Titles (FY 2027, effective July 1, 2026, corrected edition); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Illinois state pay plan Sourced

Published rates for each class, lowest first, effective July 1, 2026. These are the ranges Illinois sets for its own state employees; cities, counties and school districts have their own pay plans.

Class and gradePublished rate
Hearings Referee
Class 18300
Grade RC-010-23-B · RC-010 Professional Legal Unit
$8,060.00 – $11,851.00 a month
$96,720 – $142,212 a year
10 steps
  • Step 1b: $8,060.00 a month
  • Step 1a: $8,313.00 a month
  • Step 1: $8,470.00 a month
  • Step 2: $8,917.00 a month
  • Step 3: $9,375.00 a month
  • Step 4: $9,820.00 a month
  • Step 5: $10,270.00 a month
  • Step 6: $10,714.00 a month
  • Step 7: $11,393.00 a month
  • Step 8: $11,851.00 a month
Grade RC-010-23-Q · RC-010 Professional Legal Unit
$8,421.00 – $12,379.00 a month
$101,052 – $148,548 a year
10 steps
  • Step 1b: $8,421.00 a month
  • Step 1a: $8,688.00 a month
  • Step 1: $8,854.00 a month
  • Step 2: $9,323.00 a month
  • Step 3: $9,799.00 a month
  • Step 4: $10,261.00 a month
  • Step 5: $10,738.00 a month
  • Step 6: $11,202.00 a month
  • Step 7: $11,904.00 a month
  • Step 8: $12,379.00 a month
Grade MS-29-4 · Merit Compensation System salary ranges (MS)
$8,060.00 – $11,851.00 a month
$96,720 – $142,212 a year
Hearings Referee - Intermittent
Class 18301
Grade RC-010-23-BH · RC-010 Professional Legal Unit
$49.60 – $72.93 a hour
$103,168 – $151,694 a year
10 steps
  • Step 1b: $49.60 a hour
  • Step 1a: $51.16 a hour
  • Step 1: $52.12 a hour
  • Step 2: $54.87 a hour
  • Step 3: $57.69 a hour
  • Step 4: $60.43 a hour
  • Step 5: $63.20 a hour
  • Step 6: $65.93 a hour
  • Step 7: $70.11 a hour
  • Step 8: $72.93 a hour
Grade RC-010-23-QH · RC-010 Professional Legal Unit
$51.82 – $76.18 a hour
$107,786 – $158,454 a year
10 steps
  • Step 1b: $51.82 a hour
  • Step 1a: $53.46 a hour
  • Step 1: $54.49 a hour
  • Step 2: $57.37 a hour
  • Step 3: $60.30 a hour
  • Step 4: $63.14 a hour
  • Step 5: $66.08 a hour
  • Step 6: $68.94 a hour
  • Step 7: $73.26 a hour
  • Step 8: $76.18 a hour
Grade MS-29-4 · Merit Compensation System salary ranges (MS)
$8,060.00 – $11,851.00 a month
$96,720 – $142,212 a year

Rates are as the plan publishes them; "a year" figures are conversions (hourly × 2,080). Classes are matched to this job by title (GovJobsWiki editorial rule).

Source: Illinois Department of Central Management Services, Illinois CMS Alphabetic Index of Position Titles (FY 2027, effective July 1, 2026, corrected edition). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Pay in Illinois, all employers Sourced

Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers (SOC 23-1021) in Illinois, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.

MeasureIL
Workers550
10th percentile$59,990
Median$104,990
90th percentile$180,960
National median, government employers$117,860

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Free practice tests for Illinois

Source: Open Exam Prep, Open Exam Prep free practice tests. Data captured October 1, 2026. Each link was opened and its exam title checked on the date shown.

More about this job

Requirements, hiring process, training, schedule and day-to-day work are on the national Administrative Law Judge / Hearing Officer page.

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