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Average law major salary
Average law major salary
Updated September 14, 2023
$84,159
What is the average law major salary in the US?
Law major graduates in America make an average salary of $84,159 per year or $40.46 per hour.If you are in the top 10 percent, you will make over $160,000; however, if you are in the bottom 10 percent, you will earn less than $44,000 per year.professional companies and technology companies are the best when it comes to the number of employment opportunities.New York, California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey have the highest paying jobs for law major graduates.
Best paying cities
$106,708
$104,614
$102,420
Average law salary by company
Law major graduates can expect good job security. However, some industries pay higher than others.The most abundant employment opportunities for law majors are in professional companies and technology companies.Reed Smith and Kirkland & Ellis are the highest paying companies.In addition, companies like Skadden and Morgan Lewis report highly competitive salaries for law major graduates.
Average law major salary by city
Law major graduates in the US make an average salary of $84,159 per year or $40.46 per hour.The top city when it comes to salaries for law majors is Washington, DC at $106,708 per year.The average starting salary in Washington, DC for law major graduates is $60,000.law major graduates in San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, Boston, MA, Hartford, CT, Jersey City, NJ, and Arlington, VA make the most money.The highest earning states when it comes to salaries for law major graduates are New York, California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey.Kansas, South Carolina, Indiana, Wyoming, and Oklahoma have the lowest reported salaries for law major graduates.
Average salary by location
| Rank | City | Average law salary | Salary range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $106,708 | $49k $144k |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $104,614 | $49k $144k |
| 3 | New York, NY | $102,420 | $49k $144k |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $91,013 | $49k $144k |
| 5 | Hartford, CT | $90,048 | $49k $144k |
| 6 | Jersey City, NJ | $85,082 | $49k $144k |
| 7 | Arlington, VA | $83,860 | $49k $144k |
| 8 | Providence, RI | $83,622 | $49k $144k |
| 9 | Des Moines, WA | $80,106 | $49k $144k |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $78,587 | $49k $144k |
| 11 | Las Vegas, NV | $78,549 | $49k $144k |
| 12 | Baltimore, MD | $78,039 | $49k $144k |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $76,371 | $49k $144k |
| 14 | Denver, CO | $76,181 | $49k $144k |
| 15 | Portland, ME | $75,995 | $49k $144k |
| 16 | Albany, OR | $75,166 | $49k $144k |
| 17 | Phoenix, AZ | $72,901 | $49k $144k |
| 18 | San Antonio, TX | $72,075 | $49k $144k |
| 19 | Detroit, MI | $70,680 | $49k $144k |
| 20 | Saint Paul, MN | $69,682 | $49k $144k |
Average law major salary by state
The darker areas on the map show where law majors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary
Law major average salary by state
| State | Average law major salary | Average hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $101,820 | $48.95 |
| California | $99,155 | $47.67 |
| Massachusetts | $91,064 | $43.78 |
| Connecticut | $90,141 | $43.34 |
| New Jersey | $84,964 | $40.85 |
| Rhode Island | $83,622 | $40.20 |
| Vermont | $81,939 | $39.39 |
| Virginia | $81,888 | $39.37 |
| Delaware | $80,913 | $38.90 |
| New Hampshire | $80,743 | $38.82 |
| Washington | $79,535 | $38.24 |
| Nevada | $78,816 | $37.89 |
| Illinois | $78,111 | $37.55 |
| Maryland | $77,763 | $37.39 |
| Colorado | $76,381 | $36.72 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,862 | $36.47 |
| Maine | $75,228 | $36.17 |
| Oregon | $74,750 | $35.94 |
| North Dakota | $74,174 | $35.66 |
| Arizona | $72,736 | $34.97 |
| New Mexico | $72,461 | $34.84 |
| Texas | $71,050 | $34.16 |
| Michigan | $70,394 | $33.84 |
| West Virginia | $70,386 | $33.84 |
| Minnesota | $69,665 | $33.49 |
| Utah | $67,970 | $32.68 |
| Mississippi | $67,470 | $32.44 |
| North Carolina | $67,455 | $32.43 |
| Ohio | $65,991 | $31.73 |
| Georgia | $65,941 | $31.70 |
| Alaska | $65,732 | $31.60 |
| Florida | $65,005 | $31.25 |
| Kentucky | $64,949 | $31.23 |
| Louisiana | $63,943 | $30.74 |
| Tennessee | $63,376 | $30.47 |
| South Dakota | $62,823 | $30.20 |
| Wisconsin | $62,493 | $30.04 |
| Montana | $62,144 | $29.88 |
| Hawaii | $62,036 | $29.82 |
| Iowa | $61,893 | $29.76 |
| Idaho | $61,593 | $29.61 |
| Nebraska | $60,772 | $29.22 |
| Alabama | $60,694 | $29.18 |
| Missouri | $59,748 | $28.73 |
| Kansas | $59,530 | $28.62 |
| South Carolina | $58,599 | $28.17 |
| Indiana | $57,861 | $27.82 |
| Wyoming | $57,015 | $27.41 |
| Oklahoma | $56,924 | $27.37 |
| Arkansas | $52,295 | $25.14 |
Average law major salary by industry
Wages for law major graduates can differ based on the industry they work in.Our analysis shows that professional companies, government companies, and finance companies pay higher-than-average wages for law major graduates.professional companies pay law major graduates an average salary of $67,719, government companies pay $60,003, and finance companies come in at $50,349.The types of companies that pay law majors the least are in the manufacturing industry, where the average annual salary is $49,862.
Average salary by industry
| Rank | Industry | Average law major salary | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $67,719 | $36k $100k |
| 2 | Government | $60,003 | $36k $100k |
| 3 | Finance | $50,349 | $36k $100k |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $49,862 | $36k $100k |
Salary history for law major graduates
This data shows the national average salary between 2011-2020 among Law major graduates.
Salaries for related majors
| Rank | Major | Average salary | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Legal Research And Advanced Professional Studies | $74,566 | $34k $105k |
| 2 | Legal Studies | $51,348 | $34k $105k |
| 3 | Legal Support Services | $44,231 | $34k $105k |