Lawyers salary
The median pay for lawyers in the United States is $159,670 a year. About 754,500 people hold this job.
- 10th percentile
- $78,360
- 25th percentile
- $102,990
- Median percentile
- $159,670
- 75th percentile
- $221,370
- 90th percentile
- $351,600
Percentiles show the spread of pay, not experience. BLS does not report experience, so reading the 25th percentile as "entry level" is only a rough guide. Data period: BLS OEWS May 2025.
How to become: education, skills and job outlook
Highest-paying states · Highest-paying cities
By state
- New York $207,860
- District of Columbia $195,190
- California $195,080
- Massachusetts $176,680
- Delaware $173,510
- Colorado $168,520
- Virginia $167,210
- Connecticut $163,600
- New Jersey $161,430
- Illinois $160,800
- Pennsylvania $157,180
- Minnesota $155,140
- Texas $154,200
- Washington $154,130
- Nevada $150,510
- Alaska $149,940
- Maryland $139,110
- Rhode Island $138,960
- Oregon $138,210
- Tennessee $136,180
- Georgia $134,830
- Arizona $134,260
- Missouri $133,450
- Florida $133,180
- Utah $132,830
- Alabama $131,970
- Ohio $131,020
- Michigan $130,520
- North Carolina $127,710
- Vermont $127,310
- Indiana $126,860
- Wisconsin $126,760
- Hawaii $124,990
- Iowa $123,550
- New Hampshire $120,810
- South Carolina $120,310
- New Mexico $119,680
- Maine $113,120
- Nebraska $109,170
- North Dakota $106,880
- Kansas $106,650
- Louisiana $104,100
- Montana $103,720
- Idaho $103,400
- Oklahoma $103,060
- West Virginia $102,420
- South Dakota $102,040
- Kentucky $101,550
- Wyoming $100,130
- Arkansas $98,880
- Mississippi $91,690
By metro area
- San Jose, CA $301,320
- San Francisco, CA $212,500
- New York, NY $208,880
- Washington, DC $195,190
- Los Angeles, CA $194,410
- Oxnard, CA $185,520
- Boston, MA $183,350
- Santa Rosa, CA $181,560
- Bridgeport, CT $180,610
- Sacramento, CA $178,540
- San Diego, CA $178,220
- Denver, CO $177,380
- San Luis Obispo, CA $175,780
- Stockton, CA $174,880
- Santa Maria, CA $170,970
- Philadelphia, PA $170,660
- Vallejo, CA $170,530
- Birmingham, AL $170,230
- Napa, CA $168,720
- Dallas, TX $168,510
- Salinas, CA $166,940
- New Haven, CT $166,080
- Chicago, IL $165,660
- Seattle, WA $164,980
- Santa Cruz, CA $164,790
- Modesto, CA $164,010
- Reno, NV $163,380
- Midland, TX $163,090
- Albany, OR $162,880
- Fresno, CA $162,680
- El Centro, CA $162,580
- Peoria, IL $161,150
- Miami, FL $160,320
- Minneapolis, MN $159,620
- Houston, TX $157,980
- Waterbury, CT $157,380
- Hartford, CT $157,200
- Charlotte, NC $157,180
- Salem, OR $156,070
- Portland, OR $155,330
- Flagstaff, AZ $154,330
- Anchorage, AK $153,590
- Austin, TX $153,330
- Bakersfield, CA $150,900
- Las Vegas, NV $150,510
- Visalia, CA $150,140
- Charlottesville, VA $149,430
- Hanford, CA $149,430
- Kahului, HI $148,370
- Rochester, NY $148,150
- Chattanooga, TN $147,640
- Richmond, VA $144,910
- Lexington Park, MD $143,760
- St. Louis, MO $142,690
- Nashville, TN $142,540
- Carson City, NV $142,500
- Bremerton, WA $141,540
- El Paso, TX $140,550
- Yuba City, CA $139,710
- Decatur, AL $139,010
- Merced, CA $139,010
- Trenton, NJ $138,760
- Kiryas Joel, NY $138,630
- Atlanta, GA $138,210
- Columbus, OH $137,810
- San Antonio, TX $137,690
- Cedar Rapids, IA $137,570
- Salt Lake City, UT $136,990
- Walla Walla, WA $136,990
- Orlando, FL $136,970
- Watertown, NY $136,970
- North Port, FL $136,910
- Phoenix, AZ $135,670
- Ithaca, NY $135,610
- Kennewick, WA $135,590
- Terre Haute, IN $135,290
- Detroit, MI $134,980
- College Station, TX $134,800
- Cleveland, OH $134,680
- Sherman, TX $134,670
- Kansas City, MO $134,640
- Des Moines, IA $134,560
- Memphis, TN $134,440
- Roanoke, VA $134,440
- Redding, CA $133,900
- Jackson, TN $133,770
- Atlantic City, NJ $133,730
- Virginia Beach, VA $133,380
- Odessa, TX $133,340
- Huntsville, AL $133,220
- Pittsburgh, PA $133,040
- Providence, RI $133,000
- Greeley, CO $132,990
- Ann Arbor, MI $132,920
- Olympia, WA $132,900
- Durham, NC $132,790
- Baltimore, MD $132,400
- Port St. Lucie, FL $132,360
- Wenatchee, WA $132,270
- Gainesville, FL $132,160
- Cleveland, TN $131,980
- Raleigh, NC $131,920
- Omaha, NE $131,730
- Chico, CA $131,710
- Beaumont, TX $131,680
- Yakima, WA $131,660
- Bellingham, WA $131,480
- Harrisburg, PA $131,440
- Springfield, IL $131,400
- Fort Collins, CO $131,380
- Albany, NY $131,310
- Milwaukee, WI $131,100
- Cincinnati, OH $130,980
- Buffalo, NY $130,800
- Amarillo, TX $130,580
- Mobile, AL $130,490
- Tyler, TX $130,390
- Provo, UT $130,370
- Waco, TX $130,230
- Utica, NY $130,100