This question is about associate attorney salaries.
What is a good starting salary for an Associate Attorney?
A good starting salary for an associate attorney is $58,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for an associate attorney in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for associate attorneys is $99,101, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for an associate attorney can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Associate Attorney Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level associate attorney earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| District of Columbia | $72,000 | $6,000 | $1,384 | $34.62 |
| New York | $69,000 | $5,750 | $1,326 | $33.17 |
| California | $67,000 | $5,583 | $1,288 | $32.21 |
| Connecticut | $57,000 | $4,750 | $1,096 | $27.4 |
| Massachusetts | $56,000 | $4,666 | $1,076 | $26.92 |
| North Dakota | $56,000 | $4,666 | $1,076 | $26.92 |
| Colorado | $56,000 | $4,666 | $1,076 | $26.92 |
| Alaska | $56,000 | $4,666 | $1,076 | $26.92 |
| Hawaii | $56,000 | $4,666 | $1,076 | $26.92 |
| Virginia | $54,000 | $4,500 | $1,038 | $25.96 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,000 | $4,333 | $1,000 | $25.0 |
| Illinois | $52,000 | $4,333 | $1,000 | $25.0 |
| Oregon | $52,000 | $4,333 | $1,000 | $25.0 |
| Mississippi | $52,000 | $4,333 | $1,000 | $25.0 |
| New Jersey | $51,000 | $4,250 | $980 | $24.52 |
| New Hampshire | $51,000 | $4,250 | $980 | $24.52 |
| Nevada | $51,000 | $4,250 | $980 | $24.52 |
| New Mexico | $51,000 | $4,250 | $980 | $24.52 |
| Delaware | $50,000 | $4,166 | $961 | $24.04 |
| Utah | $50,000 | $4,166 | $961 | $24.04 |
| Minnesota | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| Texas | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| Washington | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| South Dakota | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| Georgia | $46,000 | $3,833 | $884 | $22.12 |
| West Virginia | $46,000 | $3,833 | $884 | $22.12 |
| Maryland | $46,000 | $3,833 | $884 | $22.12 |
| Arizona | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| Nebraska | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| Michigan | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Vermont | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Florida | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| North Carolina | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Rhode Island | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Kentucky | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Maine | $42,000 | $3,500 | $807 | $20.19 |
| Montana | $42,000 | $3,500 | $807 | $20.19 |
| Louisiana | $42,000 | $3,500 | $807 | $20.19 |
| Iowa | $42,000 | $3,500 | $807 | $20.19 |
| Oklahoma | $42,000 | $3,500 | $807 | $20.19 |
| Wisconsin | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Ohio | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Tennessee | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Idaho | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Alabama | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Kansas | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Wyoming | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Missouri | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Indiana | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| South Carolina | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Arkansas | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Associate Attorney Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level associate attorney job is above the national average. Topping the list is San Francisco, CA.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| San Francisco, CA | $93,000 | $7,750 | $1,788 | $44.71 |
| Washington, DC | $89,000 | $7,416 | $1,711 | $42.79 |
| New York, NY | $87,000 | $7,250 | $1,673 | $41.83 |
| Boston, MA | $72,000 | $6,000 | $1,384 | $34.62 |
| Reston, VA | $70,000 | $5,833 | $1,346 | $33.65 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $65,000 | $5,416 | $1,250 | $31.25 |
| Denver, CO | $65,000 | $5,416 | $1,250 | $31.25 |
| Fort Lee, NJ | $64,000 | $5,333 | $1,230 | $30.77 |
| Wheeling, IL | $64,000 | $5,333 | $1,230 | $30.77 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $62,000 | $5,166 | $1,192 | $29.81 |
