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Best states for a lawyer
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Francesca Laguardia Ph.D.
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Job opportunities vary from state to state, and legal careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to lawyer jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for lawyers.Our research found that District of Columbia is the best state for lawyers, while New York and Massachusetts are ranked highest in terms of median salary. District of Columbia has a median salary of $148,841 and New York has the highest median salary among all 50 states for lawyers.
District of Columbia is the best state for jobs for lawyers, and Kansas is the worst. The most common pay in District of Columbia is $148,841, while the median pay in Kansas is $64,385.District of Columbia is the best state, and Southampton is the city with the highest pay for lawyers.
10 best states for lawyers in 2026
1. District of Columbia
Total lawyer jobs: 78 Average annual salary: $148,841 Lowest 10 percent earn: $95,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $231,000 Location Quotient: 8.61
2. New York
Total lawyer jobs: 147 Average annual salary: $132,472 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $212,000 Location Quotient: 2.12
3. Massachusetts
Total lawyer jobs: 78 Average annual salary: $127,181 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000 Location Quotient: 1.57
4. California
Total lawyer jobs: 192 Average annual salary: $123,707 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $202,000 Location Quotient: 1.22
5. New Jersey
Total lawyer jobs: 41 Average annual salary: $106,636 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $177,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
6. Virginia
Total lawyer jobs: 38 Average annual salary: $109,429 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 0.75
7. Maine
Total lawyer jobs: 7 Average annual salary: $100,051 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
8. Connecticut
Total lawyer jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $115,525 Lowest 10 percent earn: $70,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $189,000 Location Quotient: 0.45
9. New Hampshire
Total lawyer jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $102,571 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 0.64
10. North Dakota
Total lawyer jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $98,516 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 0.8
Lawyer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a lawyer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a lawyer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $148,841 | $95,000 | 693,972 | 78 |
| 2 | New York | $132,472 | $82,000 | 19,849,399 | 147 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $127,181 | $78,000 | 6,859,819 | 78 |
| 4 | California | $123,707 | $75,000 | 39,536,653 | 192 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $106,636 | $64,000 | 9,005,644 | 41 |
| 6 | Virginia | $109,429 | $65,000 | 8,470,020 | 38 |
| 7 | Maine | $100,051 | $59,000 | 1,335,907 | 7 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $115,525 | $70,000 | 3,588,184 | 8 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $102,571 | $61,000 | 1,342,795 | 6 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $98,516 | $59,000 | 755,393 | 4 |
| 11 | Washington | $101,850 | $60,000 | 7,405,743 | 36 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $102,003 | $61,000 | 1,059,639 | 4 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $102,018 | $59,000 | 2,088,070 | 5 |
| 14 | Vermont | $104,348 | $62,000 | 623,657 | 1 |
| 15 | Ohio | $94,103 | $55,000 | 11,658,609 | 30 |
| 16 | Michigan | $91,596 | $53,000 | 9,962,311 | 35 |
| 17 | Texas | $88,459 | $50,000 | 28,304,596 | 121 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $96,778 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 3 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $95,767 | $56,000 | 12,805,537 | 33 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $92,287 | $54,000 | 5,576,606 | 30 |
| 21 | Illinois | $91,755 | $53,000 | 12,802,023 | 58 |
| 22 | Colorado | $92,934 | $54,000 | 5,607,154 | 25 |
| 23 | Nevada | $95,954 | $56,000 | 2,998,039 | 1 |
| 24 | Oregon | $84,922 | $49,000 | 4,142,776 | 25 |
| 25 | Arizona | $86,079 | $49,000 | 7,016,270 | 23 |
| 26 | Florida | $79,193 | $44,000 | 20,984,400 | 177 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $86,023 | $49,000 | 4,454,189 | 9 |
| 28 | Georgia | $79,199 | $44,000 | 10,429,379 | 55 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $84,622 | $48,000 | 10,273,419 | 30 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $79,692 | $46,000 | 5,795,483 | 25 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $77,620 | $43,000 | 4,684,333 | 17 |
| 32 | Iowa | $87,007 | $50,000 | 3,145,711 | 4 |
| 33 | Delaware | $88,632 | $52,000 | 961,939 | 3 |
| 34 | Maryland | $85,476 | $50,000 | 6,052,177 | 20 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $84,340 | $49,000 | 1,815,857 | 1 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $72,976 | $41,000 | 5,024,369 | 23 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $74,441 | $42,000 | 6,715,984 | 16 |
| 38 | Missouri | $69,942 | $40,000 | 6,113,532 | 31 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $57,490 | $33,000 | 579,315 | 21 |
| 40 | Alaska | $73,684 | $46,000 | 739,795 | 3 |
| 41 | Utah | $76,790 | $44,000 | 3,101,833 | 7 |
| 42 | Alabama | $74,025 | $41,000 | 4,874,747 | 6 |
| 43 | Montana | $52,821 | $31,000 | 1,050,493 | 10 |
| 44 | Idaho | $71,553 | $41,000 | 1,716,943 | 5 |
| 45 | Indiana | $69,854 | $40,000 | 6,666,818 | 21 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $70,865 | $41,000 | 1,920,076 | 6 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $72,661 | $42,000 | 869,666 | 1 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $68,011 | $38,000 | 3,930,864 | 9 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $56,937 | $32,000 | 3,004,279 | 8 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $62,055 | $44,000 | 1,427,538 | 2 |
| 51 | Kansas | $64,385 | $37,000 | 2,913,123 | 3 |
Highest paying states for lawyers
| Rank | State | Avg. Lawyer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $148,841 |
| 2 | New York | $132,472 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $127,181 |
| 4 | California | $123,707 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $106,636 |
| 6 | Virginia | $109,429 |
| 7 | Maine | $100,051 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $115,525 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $102,571 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $98,516 |
| 11 | Washington | $101,850 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $102,003 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $102,018 |
| 14 | Vermont | $104,348 |
| 15 | Ohio | $94,103 |
| 16 | Michigan | $91,596 |
| 17 | Texas | $88,459 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $96,778 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $95,767 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $92,287 |
| 21 | Illinois | $91,755 |
| 22 | Colorado | $92,934 |
| 23 | Nevada | $95,954 |
| 24 | Oregon | $84,922 |
| 25 | Arizona | $86,079 |
| 26 | Florida | $79,193 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $86,023 |
| 28 | Georgia | $79,199 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $84,622 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $79,692 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $77,620 |
| 32 | Iowa | $87,007 |
| 33 | Delaware | $88,632 |
| 34 | Maryland | $85,476 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $84,340 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $72,976 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $74,441 |
| 38 | Missouri | $69,942 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $57,490 |
| 40 | Alaska | $73,684 |
| 41 | Utah | $76,790 |
| 42 | Alabama | $74,025 |
| 43 | Montana | $52,821 |
| 44 | Idaho | $71,553 |
| 45 | Indiana | $69,854 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $70,865 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $72,661 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $68,011 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $56,937 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $62,055 |
| 51 | Kansas | $64,385 |
Expert opinions on the best states for lawyers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for lawyers to find work opportunities?
Francesca Laguardia Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Montclair State University
The legal field is universal. Major firms may tend to gravitate to bigger cities, but there is legal work everywhere.
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Updated January 8, 2025