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Best states for a law internship
Quoted expert
Leslie Heaphy Ph.D.
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to law internship jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for law interns. We found that District of Columbia is the best state in the nation for law interns, and people in Southampton earn the most in the field.
The median salary for law interns in District of Columbia is $84,598. Compare that to the median salary in Oklahoma of $21,383, which ranked worst for law interns, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that District of Columbia is the best state for law internship jobs, whereas Oklahoma is the worst.
10 best states for law interns in 2025
1. District of Columbia
Total law internship jobs: 163 Average annual salary: $84,598 Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 7.8
2. New York
Total law internship jobs: 207 Average annual salary: $72,968 Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000 Location Quotient: 1.3
3. Massachusetts
Total law internship jobs: 132 Average annual salary: $69,755 Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
4. North Dakota
Total law internship jobs: 21 Average annual salary: $51,820 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Location Quotient: 1.81
5. Vermont
Total law internship jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $61,038 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $103,000 Location Quotient: 0.84
6. Rhode Island
Total law internship jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $62,999 Lowest 10 percent earn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 0.73
7. Washington
Total law internship jobs: 126 Average annual salary: $49,896 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
8. Illinois
Total law internship jobs: 148 Average annual salary: $47,252 Lowest 10 percent earn: $28,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Location Quotient: 1
9. Delaware
Total law internship jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $57,874 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Location Quotient: 0.7
10. Maine
Total law internship jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $58,323 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Location Quotient: 0.54
Law internship jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a law internship
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a law internship
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $84,598 | $48,000 | 693,972 | 163 |
| 2 | New York | $72,968 | $41,000 | 19,849,399 | 207 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $69,755 | $40,000 | 6,859,819 | 132 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $51,820 | $33,000 | 755,393 | 21 |
| 5 | Vermont | $61,038 | $36,000 | 623,657 | 8 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $62,999 | $36,000 | 1,059,639 | 11 |
| 7 | Washington | $49,896 | $31,000 | 7,405,743 | 126 |
| 8 | Illinois | $47,252 | $28,000 | 12,802,023 | 148 |
| 9 | Delaware | $57,874 | $33,000 | 961,939 | 11 |
| 10 | Maine | $58,323 | $34,000 | 1,335,907 | 9 |
| 11 | California | $46,604 | $29,000 | 39,536,653 | 474 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $46,060 | $26,000 | 9,005,644 | 107 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $60,005 | $34,000 | 3,588,184 | 20 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $44,204 | $36,000 | 1,427,538 | 14 |
| 15 | Montana | $43,414 | $28,000 | 1,050,493 | 12 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $44,684 | $25,000 | 12,805,537 | 104 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $37,502 | $21,000 | 1,815,857 | 31 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $56,658 | $32,000 | 1,342,795 | 6 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $40,541 | $25,000 | 5,576,606 | 83 |
| 20 | Colorado | $38,475 | $25,000 | 5,607,154 | 97 |
| 21 | Michigan | $39,773 | $23,000 | 9,962,311 | 80 |
| 22 | Virginia | $39,031 | $22,000 | 8,470,020 | 118 |
| 23 | Nevada | $44,161 | $27,000 | 2,998,039 | 15 |
| 24 | Maryland | $42,363 | $24,000 | 6,052,177 | 59 |
| 25 | Alaska | $34,715 | $28,000 | 739,795 | 15 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $41,709 | $26,000 | 869,666 | 7 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $31,567 | $20,000 | 579,315 | 19 |
| 28 | Missouri | $35,663 | $23,000 | 6,113,532 | 53 |
| 29 | Ohio | $38,595 | $22,000 | 11,658,609 | 63 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $32,319 | $21,000 | 6,715,984 | 68 |
| 31 | Idaho | $39,055 | $25,000 | 1,716,943 | 10 |
| 32 | Arizona | $32,603 | $21,000 | 7,016,270 | 72 |
| 33 | Florida | $30,366 | $19,000 | 20,984,400 | 335 |
| 34 | Oregon | $34,148 | $21,000 | 4,142,776 | 39 |
| 35 | Iowa | $31,489 | $19,000 | 3,145,711 | 28 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $30,479 | $19,000 | 4,454,189 | 27 |
| 37 | Kansas | $32,238 | $21,000 | 2,913,123 | 14 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $26,835 | $17,000 | 5,024,369 | 55 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $29,683 | $17,000 | 5,795,483 | 42 |
| 40 | Texas | $26,912 | $17,000 | 28,304,596 | 245 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $29,675 | $18,000 | 10,273,419 | 75 |
| 42 | Georgia | $24,227 | $16,000 | 10,429,379 | 153 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $24,908 | $16,000 | 3,004,279 | 27 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $28,310 | $18,000 | 2,088,070 | 11 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $24,656 | $16,000 | 2,984,100 | 21 |
| 46 | Utah | $26,539 | $17,000 | 3,101,833 | 21 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $26,875 | $17,000 | 4,684,333 | 20 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $25,434 | $16,000 | 1,920,076 | 19 |
| 49 | Indiana | $26,643 | $16,000 | 6,666,818 | 34 |
| 50 | Alabama | $23,824 | $16,000 | 4,874,747 | 22 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $21,383 | $14,000 | 3,930,864 | 6 |
Highest paying states for law interns
| Rank | State | Avg. Law Internship Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $84,598 |
| 2 | New York | $72,968 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $69,755 |
| 4 | North Dakota | $51,820 |
| 5 | Vermont | $61,038 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $62,999 |
| 7 | Washington | $49,896 |
| 8 | Illinois | $47,252 |
| 9 | Delaware | $57,874 |
| 10 | Maine | $58,323 |
| 11 | California | $46,604 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $46,060 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $60,005 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $44,204 |
| 15 | Montana | $43,414 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $44,684 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $37,502 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $56,658 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $40,541 |
| 20 | Colorado | $38,475 |
| 21 | Michigan | $39,773 |
| 22 | Virginia | $39,031 |
| 23 | Nevada | $44,161 |
| 24 | Maryland | $42,363 |
| 25 | Alaska | $34,715 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $41,709 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $31,567 |
| 28 | Missouri | $35,663 |
| 29 | Ohio | $38,595 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $32,319 |
| 31 | Idaho | $39,055 |
| 32 | Arizona | $32,603 |
| 33 | Florida | $30,366 |
| 34 | Oregon | $34,148 |
| 35 | Iowa | $31,489 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $30,479 |
| 37 | Kansas | $32,238 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $26,835 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $29,683 |
| 40 | Texas | $26,912 |
| 41 | North Carolina | $29,675 |
| 42 | Georgia | $24,227 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $24,908 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $28,310 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $24,656 |
| 46 | Utah | $26,539 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $26,875 |
| 48 | Nebraska | $25,434 |
| 49 | Indiana | $26,643 |
| 50 | Alabama | $23,824 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $21,383 |
Expert opinions on the best states for law interns
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for law internships to find work opportunities?
Leslie Heaphy Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Kent State University
I think the best advice here is to be open to looking widely and being willing to move.
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Updated January 8, 2025