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This question is about attorney salaries.
What is a good starting salary for an Attorney?
A good starting salary for an attorney is $50,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for an attorney in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for attorneys is $86,966, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for an attorney can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Attorney Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level 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 |
| New York | $74,000 | $6,166 | $1,423 | $35.58 |
| District of Columbia | $67,000 | $5,583 | $1,288 | $32.21 |
| Connecticut | $63,000 | $5,250 | $1,211 | $30.29 |
| California | $62,000 | $5,166 | $1,192 | $29.81 |
| Massachusetts | $61,000 | $5,083 | $1,173 | $29.33 |
| Hawaii | $60,000 | $5,000 | $1,153 | $28.85 |
| New Jersey | $55,000 | $4,583 | $1,057 | $26.44 |
| New Hampshire | $53,000 | $4,416 | $1,019 | $25.48 |
| Virginia | $52,000 | $4,333 | $1,000 | $25.0 |
| Delaware | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| Colorado | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| Maine | $46,000 | $3,833 | $884 | $22.12 |
| Vermont | $46,000 | $3,833 | $884 | $22.12 |
| Alaska | $46,000 | $3,833 | $884 | $22.12 |
| Mississippi | $46,000 | $3,833 | $884 | $22.12 |
| Illinois | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| Washington | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Arizona | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| North Dakota | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Oregon | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| New Mexico | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Maryland | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Texas | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Rhode Island | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Nevada | $42,000 | $3,500 | $807 | $20.19 |
| Georgia | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Utah | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Minnesota | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Michigan | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Florida | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| West Virginia | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| South Dakota | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Ohio | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Louisiana | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Nebraska | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Tennessee | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Kentucky | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| North Carolina | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Alabama | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Oklahoma | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Wisconsin | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Missouri | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Iowa | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Montana | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Kansas | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Idaho | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Wyoming | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| South Carolina | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Indiana | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
| Arkansas | $29,000 | $2,416 | $557 | $13.94 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Attorney Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level attorney job is above the national average. Topping the list is White Plains, NY.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| White Plains, NY | $92,000 | $7,666 | $1,769 | $44.23 |
| San Francisco, CA | $83,000 | $6,916 | $1,596 | $39.9 |
| Washington, DC | $83,000 | $6,916 | $1,596 | $39.9 |
| Boston, MA | $77,000 | $6,416 | $1,480 | $37.02 |
| Fort Lee, NJ | $68,000 | $5,666 | $1,307 | $32.69 |
| Arlington, VA | $68,000 | $5,666 | $1,307 | $32.69 |
| Seattle, WA | $57,000 | $4,750 | $1,096 | $27.4 |
| Chicago, IL | $56,000 | $4,666 | $1,076 | $26.92 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $55,000 | $4,583 | $1,057 | $26.44 |
| Baltimore, MD | $55,000 | $4,583 | $1,057 | $26.44 |
