Does this career fit your work personality?
Begin The Career Assessment TestArbitrate, advise, adjudicate, or administer justice in a court of law. May sentence defendant in criminal cases according to government statutes or sentencing guidelines. May determine liability of defendant in civil cases. May perform wedding ceremonies.
Critical-thinking skills. Judges and hearing officers must apply rules of law. They cannot let their own personal assumptions interfere with the proceedings. For example, they must base their decisions on specific meanings of the law when evaluating and deciding whether a person is a threat to others and must be sent to jail.
Decision-making skills. Judges and hearing officers must be able to weigh the facts, to apply the law and rules, and to make a decision relatively quickly.
Listening skills. Judges and hearing officers evaluate information, so they must pay close attention to what is being said.
Reading skills. Judges and hearing officers must be able to distinguish important facts from large amounts of sometimes complex information and then evaluate the facts objectively.
Writing skills. Judges and hearing officers write recommendations and decisions on appeals and disputes. They must be able to write their decisions clearly so that all sides understand the decision.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
99% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
|
|
98% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
|
|
97% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
|
|
97% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
|
|
97% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
|
|
94% | Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. | |
|
|
94% | Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction. | |
|
|
92% | Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. | |
|
|
85% | Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. | |
|
|
84% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. | |
|
|
84% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
|
|
83% | Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. | |
|
|
83% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
|
|
79% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. | |
|
|
60% | Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job. | |
|
|
57% | Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
100% | Enterprising - Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law. | |
|
|
78% | Social - Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Values of the Work Environment |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
100% | Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy. | |
|
|
95% | Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service. | |
|
|
89% | Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement. | |
|
|
89% | Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions. | |
|
|
89% | Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status. | |
|
|
56% | Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
91% | Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. | |
|
|
91% | Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. | |
|
|
85% | Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. | |
|
|
81% | Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). | |
|
|
81% | Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. | |
|
|
78% | Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. | |
|
|
78% | Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand. | |
|
|
75% | Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem. | |
|
|
75% | Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). | |
|
|
75% | Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. | |
|
|
72% | Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). | |
|
|
56% | Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Skills | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
84% | Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. | |
|
|
82% | Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. | |
|
|
71% | Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions. | |
|
|
70% | Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively. | |
|
|
70% | Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. | |
|
|
68% | Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents. | |
|
|
68% | Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one. | |
|
|
66% | Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. | |
|
|
59% | Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. | |
|
|
57% | Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. | |
|
|
57% | Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others. | |
|
|
55% | Negotiation - Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences. | |
|
|
52% | Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
100% | Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? | |
|
|
100% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
|
|
98% | Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? | |
|
|
97% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
|
|
97% | Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer? | |
|
|
96% | Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job? | |
|
|
95% | Spend Time Sitting - How much does this job require sitting? | |
|
|
94% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
|
|
94% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
|
|
93% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? | |
|
|
92% | Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job? | |
|
|
92% | Frequency of Conflict Situations - How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job? | |
|
|
92% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
|
|
90% | Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? | |
|
|
85% | Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job? | |
|
|
83% | Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People - How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements? | |
|
|
81% | Public Speaking - How often do you have to perform public speaking in this job? | |
|
|
81% | Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? | |
|
|
80% | Letters and Memos - How often does the job require written letters and memos? | |
|
|
66% | Consequence of Error - How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable? | |
|
|
65% | Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers? | |
|
|
61% | Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people? | |
|
|
59% | Deal With Physically Aggressive People - How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals? | |
|
|
58% | Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job? | |
|
|
53% | Level of Competition - To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures? | |
|
|
79% | Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
98% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. | |
|
|
95% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
|
|
91% | Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. | |
|
|
88% | Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. | |
|
|
86% | Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. | |
|
|
80% | Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. | |
|
|
79% | Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. | |
|
|
77% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
|
|
75% | Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. | |
|
|
72% | Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. | |
|
|
71% | Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. | |
|
|
71% | Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used. | |
|
|
64% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. | |
|
|
64% | Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. | |
|
|
63% | Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork. | |
|
|
63% | Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. | |
|
|
63% | Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. | |
|
|
62% | Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. | |
|
|
61% | Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. | |
|
|
53% | Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks. | |
|
|
52% | Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions. |
Judges and hearing officers apply the law by overseeing the legal process in courts. They also conduct pretrial hearings, resolve administrative disputes, facilitate negotiations between opposing parties, and issue legal decisions.
Judges and hearing officers typically do the following:
Judges commonly preside over trials and hearings of cases regarding nearly every aspect of society, from individual traffic offenses to issues concerning the rights of large corporations. Judges listen to arguments and determine if the evidence presented deserves a trial. In criminal cases, judges may decide that people charged with crimes should be held in jail until the trial, or they may set conditions for their release. They also approve search warrants and arrest warrants.
Judges interpret the law to determine how a trial will proceed, which is particularly important when unusual circumstances arise for which standard procedures have not been established. They ensure that hearings and trials are conducted fairly and that the legal rights of all involved parties are protected.
In trials in which juries are selected to decide the case, judges instruct jurors on applicable laws and direct them to consider the facts from the evidence. For other trials, judges decide the case. A judge who determines guilt in criminal cases may impose a sentence or penalty on the guilty party. In civil cases, the judge may award relief, such as compensation for damages, to the parties who win lawsuits.
Judges use various forms of technology, such as electronic databases and software, to manage cases and to prepare for trials. In some cases, a judge may manage the court’s administrative and clerical staff.
The following are examples of types of judges and hearing officers:
Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates preside over trials and hearings. They typically work in local, state, and federal courts.
In local and state court systems, they have a variety of titles, such as municipal court judge, county court judge, and justice of the peace. Traffic violations, misdemeanors, small-claims cases, and pretrial hearings make up the bulk of these judges’ work.
In federal and state court systems, district court judges and general trial court judges have authority over any case in their system. Appellate court judges rule on a small number of cases, by reviewing decisions of the lower courts and lawyers’ written and oral arguments.
Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers usually work for local, state, and federal government agencies. They decide many issues, such as whether a person is eligible for workers’ compensation benefits or whether employment discrimination occurred.
Administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers held about 13,200 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers were as follows:
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 58% |
| Federal government | 25 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 17 |
Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates held about 29,600 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates were as follows:
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 57% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 43 |
Judges and hearing officers do most of their work in offices and courtrooms. Their jobs can be demanding, because they must sit in the same position in the court or hearing room for long periods and give undivided attention to the process.
Some judges and hearing officers may be required to travel to different counties and courthouses throughout their state.
The work may be stressful as judges and hearing officers sometimes work with difficult or confrontational individuals.
Some courthouses have evening and weekend hours. In addition, judges may have to be on call during nights or weekends to issue emergency orders, such as search warrants and restraining orders.
Judges and hearing officers typically need a law degree and work experience as a lawyer.
Although there may be a few positions available for those with a bachelor’s degree, a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree is typically required for most jobs as a local, state, or federal judge or hearing officer.
In addition to earning a law degree, federal administrative law judges must pass a competitive exam from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Earning a law degree usually takes 7 years of full-time study after high school: 4 years of undergraduate study in any field, followed by 3 years of law school. Law degree programs include courses such as constitutional law, contracts, property law, civil procedure, and legal writing.
Most judges and magistrates must be appointed or elected into their positions, a procedure that often requires political support. Many local and state judges are appointed to serve fixed renewable terms, ranging from 4 to 14 years. A few judges, such as appellate court judges, are appointed for life. Judicial nominating commissions screen candidates for judgeships in many states and for some federal judgeships.
For specific state information, including information on the number of judgeships by state, term lengths, and requirements for qualification, visit the National Center for State Courts.
Most judges and hearing officers learn their skills through years of experience as practicing lawyers. Some states allow those who are not lawyers to hold limited-jurisdiction judgeships, but opportunities are better for those with law experience.
All states have some type of orientation and training requirements for newly elected or appointed judges. The Federal Judicial Center, American Bar Association, National Judicial College, and National Center for State Courts provide judicial education and training for judges and other judicial branch personnel.
More than half of all states, as well as Puerto Rico, require judges to take continuing education courses while serving on the bench. General and continuing education courses usually last from a few days to 3 weeks.
Most judges and hearing officers are required to have a law license. In addition, they typically must maintain their law license and good standing with their state bar association while working as a judge or hearing officer.
Advancement for some judicial workers means moving to courts with a broader jurisdiction. Advancement for various hearing officers includes taking on more complex cases, practicing law, and becoming district court judges.
Overall employment of judges and hearing officers is projected to grow 2 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 1,700 openings for judges and hearing officers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
These workers play an essential role in the legal system, and their services will continue to be needed into the future. However, budgetary constraints in federal, state, and local governments may limit the ability of these governments to fill vacant judge and hearing officer positions or authorize new ones. If there are governmental budget concerns, this could limit the employment growth opportunities of hearing officers and administrative law judges working for local, state, and federal government agencies, despite the continued need for these workers to settle disputes.
For more information about state courts and judgeships, visit
National Center for State Courts
For more information about federal judges, visit
Administrative Office of the United States Courts
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
For more information about judicial education and training for judges and other judicial branch personnel, visit
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of judges and hearing officers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators |
Arbitrators, mediators, and conciliators facilitate negotiation and dialogue between disputing parties to help resolve conflicts outside of the court system. |
Bachelor's degree | $64,030 |
|
Lawyers |
Lawyers advise and represent clients on legal proceedings or transactions. |
Doctoral or professional degree | $135,740 |
|
Paralegals and Legal Assistants |
Paralegals and legal assistants perform a variety of tasks to support lawyers. |
Associate's degree | $59,200 |
|
Private Detectives and Investigators |
Private detectives and investigators search for information about legal, financial, and personal matters. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $52,120 |