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Wisconsin ALJ Statistics

Social Security Disability hearing statistics for 2 hearing offices and 11 administrative law judges in Wisconsin.

State Approval Rate

59.3%

vs 58.3% national

Hearing Offices

2

in Wisconsin

ALJs

11

active judges

Avg Wait Time

8.4 months

vs 8 months national

Hearing Offices in Wisconsin

Office ALJs Approval Rate Wait Time Processing Pending
Madison 6 67.7% 7 months 276 days 1,446
Milwaukee 5 49.5% 8 months 263 days 2,016

About Wisconsin Disability Hearings

The Social Security Administration operates 2 hearing offices in Wisconsin, falling under SSA Region 05. These offices are staffed by 11 ALJs who preside over disability appeals from claimants throughout the state.

The average approval rate across Wisconsin hearing offices is 59.3%, which is close to the national average of 58.3%. This rate aggregates decisions from all judges across the state's hearing offices. Within the state, office-level approval rates range from 49.5% at the Milwaukee hearing office to 67.7% at the Madison hearing office, a 18-point difference.

Wait times across Wisconsin offices range from 7 months at the Madison hearing office to 8 months at the Milwaukee hearing office.

Across all offices, there are 3,462 cases currently pending in Wisconsin, averaging approximately 315 pending cases per judge. Click on any hearing office below to see detailed judge-level statistics and individual approval rates.

Wisconsin Hearing Landscape

Wisconsin's 2 hearing offices each serve different geographic areas of the state. Case assignment is based on the claimant's residential address, so hearing location and judge assignment depend on where the claimant lives rather than personal preference. All statistics on this page are weighted by individual judge caseloads to accurately reflect the volume of cases processed.

With 2 hearing offices, Wisconsin provides multiple venues for disability hearings. Office sizes vary from 5 judges at the Milwaukee hearing office to 6 judges at the Madison hearing office. Cases are assigned to offices based on the claimant's residential address, so hearing location is determined by geography rather than preference.

For attorneys practicing disability law in Wisconsin, understanding the local hearing landscape is an important part of case preparation. The data on this page provides a starting point for evaluating office-level patterns, though individual judge statistics offer more granular insight into decision-making tendencies. Visit individual office pages for judge-level data.

Wisconsin Disability Hearing FAQ

What are my chances of approval in Wisconsin?
The average ALJ approval rate in Wisconsin is 59.3% for FY 2025. This includes both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions. The national average is 58.3%, putting Wisconsin above the national benchmark. Office-level rates within the state range from 49.5% to 67.7%.
Which cities in Wisconsin have SSA hearing offices?
Wisconsin has 2 SSA hearing offices with a total of 11 administrative law judges. The largest office is the Madison hearing office with 6 judges, while the Milwaukee hearing office has 5. The SSA assigns cases to offices according to claimant geography, and judges receive cases through rotation rather than selection.
What is the fastest hearing office in Wisconsin?
The Madison hearing office currently has the shortest wait time at 7 months. The longest wait is at the Milwaukee hearing office at 8 months, a gap of 1.0 months. Wait time averages reflect the most recently reported SSA data and will evolve as new disposition reports are released.
How is state data calculated?
Wisconsin's 2 offices handle cases for the state. State averages are calculated by aggregating data from all hearing offices within the state. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. Source data comes from the Social Security Administration's public reporting on ALJ decisions, which we incorporate as updates are released.
Where does Wisconsin rank in disability hearing outcomes?
Wisconsin is in SSA Region 05. Its average approval rate of 59.3% is above the national average of 58.3%. For a full comparison of approval rates and wait times across all states, visit the states overview page.
What affects disability hearing results in Wisconsin?
Hearing outcomes in Wisconsin are influenced by several factors including the strength and completeness of medical evidence, vocational factors such as the claimant's age, education, and work history, the quality of legal representation at the hearing, and individual judge decision-making patterns.

While all ALJs apply the same federal disability standards, these case-level factors can lead to variation in outcomes across offices and judges.
Can I request a different hearing location in Wisconsin?
Hearing location is determined by the claimant's home address. Within each office, judges are assigned cases through a rotational scheduling system. While transfers between offices are generally not possible based on preference, a change of address that moves you into a different office's service area may result in case reassignment. Wisconsin has 2 hearing offices, each serving a defined geographic area within the state.

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