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Best states for a legal counsel
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to legal counsel 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. In fact, our research shows that California is the best state for legal counsels in America. The best city in America for legal counsels with the highest pay is San Francisco, CA.
The median salary for legal counsels in California is $144,086. Compare that to the median salary in Louisiana of $86,367, which ranked worst for legal counsels, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the South is best for legal counsels, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for legal counsel jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for legal counsels in 2025
1. California
Total legal counsel jobs: 797 Average annual salary: $144,086 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $221,000 Location Quotient: 1.642. New York
Total legal counsel jobs: 395 Average annual salary: $132,575 Lowest 10 percent earn: $84,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $207,000 Location Quotient: 1.853. North Dakota
Total legal counsel jobs: 15 Average annual salary: $125,726 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 0.974. District of Columbia
Total legal counsel jobs: 144 Average annual salary: $137,442 Lowest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $214,000 Location Quotient: 5.155. Colorado
Total legal counsel jobs: 128 Average annual salary: $125,186 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 1.296. Connecticut
Total legal counsel jobs: 44 Average annual salary: $130,945 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $204,000 Location Quotient: 0.87. New Jersey
Total legal counsel jobs: 138 Average annual salary: $127,077 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $199,000 Location Quotient: 1.048. Massachusetts
Total legal counsel jobs: 201 Average annual salary: $123,552 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 1.319. Illinois
Total legal counsel jobs: 185 Average annual salary: $123,226 Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $194,000 Location Quotient: 0.9310. Washington
Total legal counsel jobs: 215 Average annual salary: $121,448 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $193,000 Location Quotient: 1.77
Legal counsel jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a legal counsel
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a legal counsel
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $144,086 | $93,000 | 39,536,653 | 797 |
| 2 | New York | $132,575 | $84,000 | 19,849,399 | 395 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $125,726 | $80,000 | 755,393 | 15 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $137,442 | $88,000 | 693,972 | 144 |
| 5 | Colorado | $125,186 | $79,000 | 5,607,154 | 128 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $130,945 | $83,000 | 3,588,184 | 44 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $127,077 | $80,000 | 9,005,644 | 138 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $123,552 | $78,000 | 6,859,819 | 201 |
| 9 | Illinois | $123,226 | $77,000 | 12,802,023 | 185 |
| 10 | Washington | $121,448 | $76,000 | 7,405,743 | 215 |
| 11 | Virginia | $126,100 | $79,000 | 8,470,020 | 134 |
| 12 | Michigan | $111,986 | $69,000 | 9,962,311 | 100 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $111,890 | $70,000 | 5,576,606 | 108 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $121,984 | $76,000 | 2,088,070 | 8 |
| 15 | Nevada | $115,377 | $72,000 | 2,998,039 | 18 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $118,005 | $72,000 | 2,984,100 | 8 |
| 17 | Vermont | $114,093 | $71,000 | 623,657 | 9 |
| 18 | Utah | $107,305 | $67,000 | 3,101,833 | 55 |
| 19 | Georgia | $109,671 | $67,000 | 10,429,379 | 158 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $109,379 | $68,000 | 12,805,537 | 139 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $111,090 | $69,000 | 1,342,795 | 21 |
| 22 | Texas | $107,639 | $65,000 | 28,304,596 | 308 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $106,778 | $65,000 | 10,273,419 | 147 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $109,575 | $68,000 | 1,059,639 | 16 |
| 25 | Iowa | $110,520 | $69,000 | 3,145,711 | 20 |
| 26 | Arizona | $104,694 | $63,000 | 7,016,270 | 91 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $100,091 | $61,000 | 1,815,857 | 20 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $107,192 | $66,000 | 4,454,189 | 28 |
| 29 | Oregon | $101,870 | $62,000 | 4,142,776 | 67 |
| 30 | Delaware | $99,488 | $61,000 | 961,939 | 23 |
| 31 | Maine | $108,482 | $67,000 | 1,335,907 | 8 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $97,588 | $60,000 | 5,795,483 | 56 |
| 33 | Florida | $90,945 | $53,000 | 20,984,400 | 354 |
| 34 | Alaska | $94,585 | $57,000 | 739,795 | 12 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $96,322 | $58,000 | 6,715,984 | 47 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $94,863 | $58,000 | 1,920,076 | 22 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $95,647 | $59,000 | 869,666 | 7 |
| 38 | Ohio | $91,727 | $56,000 | 11,658,609 | 114 |
| 39 | Missouri | $92,093 | $56,000 | 6,113,532 | 70 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $93,013 | $56,000 | 5,024,369 | 32 |
| 41 | Alabama | $93,161 | $56,000 | 4,874,747 | 23 |
| 42 | Maryland | $93,765 | $57,000 | 6,052,177 | 75 |
| 43 | Idaho | $91,109 | $56,000 | 1,716,943 | 16 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $92,723 | $59,000 | 1,427,538 | 8 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $77,735 | $48,000 | 579,315 | 8 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $74,322 | $45,000 | 3,004,279 | 35 |
| 47 | Kansas | $86,052 | $53,000 | 2,913,123 | 27 |
| 48 | Indiana | $85,605 | $52,000 | 6,666,818 | 59 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $88,513 | $54,000 | 3,930,864 | 13 |
| 50 | Montana | $69,132 | $43,000 | 1,050,493 | 14 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $86,367 | $51,000 | 4,684,333 | 14 |
Highest paying states for legal counsels
| Rank | State | Avg. Legal Counsel Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $144,086 |
| 2 | New York | $132,575 |
| 3 | North Dakota | $125,726 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $137,442 |
| 5 | Colorado | $125,186 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $130,945 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $127,077 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $123,552 |
| 9 | Illinois | $123,226 |
| 10 | Washington | $121,448 |
| 11 | Virginia | $126,100 |
| 12 | Michigan | $111,986 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $111,890 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $121,984 |
| 15 | Nevada | $115,377 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $118,005 |
| 17 | Vermont | $114,093 |
| 18 | Utah | $107,305 |
| 19 | Georgia | $109,671 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $109,379 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $111,090 |
| 22 | Texas | $107,639 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $106,778 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $109,575 |
| 25 | Iowa | $110,520 |
| 26 | Arizona | $104,694 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $100,091 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $107,192 |
| 29 | Oregon | $101,870 |
| 30 | Delaware | $99,488 |
| 31 | Maine | $108,482 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $97,588 |
| 33 | Florida | $90,945 |
| 34 | Alaska | $94,585 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $96,322 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $94,863 |
| 37 | South Dakota | $95,647 |
| 38 | Ohio | $91,727 |
| 39 | Missouri | $92,093 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $93,013 |
| 41 | Alabama | $93,161 |
| 42 | Maryland | $93,765 |
| 43 | Idaho | $91,109 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $92,723 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $77,735 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $74,322 |
| 47 | Kansas | $86,052 |
| 48 | Indiana | $85,605 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $88,513 |
| 50 | Montana | $69,132 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $86,367 |
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Updated January 8, 2025