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Best states for a research attorney
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Jason Cieslik
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Are you thinking of becoming a research attorney and really want to work at Michigan Court of Appeals? Turns out, your chances to become a research attorney are better in some states than others.In fact, our research shows that California is the best state for research attorneys in America. The best city in America for research attorneys with the highest pay is San Francisco, CA.
In order to get you the best states for research attorneys, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.We found that the Midwest is best for research attorneys, and the Northeast is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for research attorney jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for research attorneys in 2026
1. California
Total research attorney jobs: 4,032 Average annual salary: $110,346 Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.72
2. Colorado
Total research attorney jobs: 606 Average annual salary: $98,872 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $149,000 Location Quotient: 1.27
3. Oregon
Total research attorney jobs: 536 Average annual salary: $92,263 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 1.61
4. New Jersey
Total research attorney jobs: 855 Average annual salary: $87,332 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.34
5. Vermont
Total research attorney jobs: 94 Average annual salary: $82,463 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.53
6. Arizona
Total research attorney jobs: 516 Average annual salary: $90,968 Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.1
7. Utah
Total research attorney jobs: 287 Average annual salary: $86,102 Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $132,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
8. District of Columbia
Total research attorney jobs: 130 Average annual salary: $106,214 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $170,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
9. New York
Total research attorney jobs: 165 Average annual salary: $109,676 Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 0.16
10. Massachusetts
Total research attorney jobs: 72 Average annual salary: $108,596 Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $174,000 Location Quotient: 0.1
Research attorney jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a research attorney
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a research attorney
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $110,346 | $72,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,032 |
| 2 | Colorado | $98,872 | $65,000 | 5,607,154 | 606 |
| 3 | Oregon | $92,263 | $60,000 | 4,142,776 | 536 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $87,332 | $53,000 | 9,005,644 | 855 |
| 5 | Vermont | $82,463 | $50,000 | 623,657 | 94 |
| 6 | Arizona | $90,968 | $59,000 | 7,016,270 | 516 |
| 7 | Utah | $86,102 | $56,000 | 3,101,833 | 287 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $106,214 | $66,000 | 693,972 | 130 |
| 9 | New York | $109,676 | $68,000 | 19,849,399 | 165 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $108,596 | $67,000 | 6,859,819 | 72 |
| 11 | Tennessee | $78,394 | $50,000 | 6,715,984 | 546 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $77,492 | $47,000 | 1,059,639 | 147 |
| 13 | Texas | $84,654 | $55,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,692 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $81,927 | $50,000 | 3,588,184 | 280 |
| 15 | Illinois | $78,931 | $51,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,036 |
| 16 | Washington | $93,221 | $61,000 | 7,405,743 | 43 |
| 17 | Virginia | $79,861 | $49,000 | 8,470,020 | 833 |
| 18 | Florida | $73,564 | $47,000 | 20,984,400 | 1,478 |
| 19 | Delaware | $77,198 | $47,000 | 961,939 | 103 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $71,306 | $43,000 | 1,342,795 | 175 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $69,016 | $42,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,298 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $75,286 | $48,000 | 4,684,333 | 181 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $70,432 | $44,000 | 1,815,857 | 113 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $69,400 | $45,000 | 2,088,070 | 191 |
| 25 | Idaho | $72,582 | $47,000 | 1,716,943 | 121 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $65,899 | $44,000 | 579,315 | 76 |
| 27 | Nevada | $73,326 | $47,000 | 2,998,039 | 117 |
| 28 | Alaska | $81,300 | $60,000 | 739,795 | 4 |
| 29 | Georgia | $71,544 | $45,000 | 10,429,379 | 757 |
| 30 | Maryland | $80,922 | $50,000 | 6,052,177 | 35 |
| 31 | Michigan | $65,078 | $41,000 | 9,962,311 | 744 |
| 32 | Alabama | $69,823 | $45,000 | 4,874,747 | 148 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $68,740 | $43,000 | 10,273,419 | 738 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $66,006 | $43,000 | 5,576,606 | 668 |
| 35 | Iowa | $67,960 | $45,000 | 3,145,711 | 192 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $65,942 | $44,000 | 1,920,076 | 190 |
| 37 | Montana | $64,645 | $43,000 | 1,050,493 | 104 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $70,110 | $52,000 | 1,427,538 | 63 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $66,443 | $42,000 | 5,795,483 | 403 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $65,348 | $44,000 | 755,393 | 65 |
| 41 | Ohio | $62,780 | $39,000 | 11,658,609 | 803 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $61,060 | $41,000 | 869,666 | 95 |
| 43 | Kansas | $63,927 | $42,000 | 2,913,123 | 189 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $63,285 | $41,000 | 3,004,279 | 131 |
| 45 | Missouri | $52,675 | $34,000 | 6,113,532 | 546 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $61,467 | $39,000 | 4,454,189 | 184 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $61,404 | $40,000 | 2,984,100 | 114 |
| 48 | Maine | $50,754 | $31,000 | 1,335,907 | 115 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $59,636 | $39,000 | 3,930,864 | 215 |
| 50 | Indiana | $56,741 | $36,000 | 6,666,818 | 486 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $60,899 | $38,000 | 5,024,369 | 198 |
Highest paying states for research attorneys
| Rank | State | Avg. Research Attorney Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $110,346 |
| 2 | Colorado | $98,872 |
| 3 | Oregon | $92,263 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $87,332 |
| 5 | Vermont | $82,463 |
| 6 | Arizona | $90,968 |
| 7 | Utah | $86,102 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $106,214 |
| 9 | New York | $109,676 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $108,596 |
| 11 | Tennessee | $78,394 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $77,492 |
| 13 | Texas | $84,654 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $81,927 |
| 15 | Illinois | $78,931 |
| 16 | Washington | $93,221 |
| 17 | Virginia | $79,861 |
| 18 | Florida | $73,564 |
| 19 | Delaware | $77,198 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $71,306 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $69,016 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $75,286 |
| 23 | West Virginia | $70,432 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $69,400 |
| 25 | Idaho | $72,582 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $65,899 |
| 27 | Nevada | $73,326 |
| 28 | Alaska | $81,300 |
| 29 | Georgia | $71,544 |
| 30 | Maryland | $80,922 |
| 31 | Michigan | $65,078 |
| 32 | Alabama | $69,823 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $68,740 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $66,006 |
| 35 | Iowa | $67,960 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $65,942 |
| 37 | Montana | $64,645 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $70,110 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $66,443 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $65,348 |
| 41 | Ohio | $62,780 |
| 42 | South Dakota | $61,060 |
| 43 | Kansas | $63,927 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $63,285 |
| 45 | Missouri | $52,675 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $61,467 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $61,404 |
| 48 | Maine | $50,754 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $59,636 |
| 50 | Indiana | $56,741 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $60,899 |
Expert opinions on the best states for research attorneys
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for research attorneys to find work opportunities?
Jason Cieslik
Assistant Professor & Academic Advisor of Legal Studies, Illinois State University
The old saying in the legal profession used to be that 80% of the available legal jobs are not posted. Attorneys communicated their need to hire a legal professional by word of mouth and in-person interaction at social legal functions. It's not certain that this old adage holds true today. Attorneys may be utilizing more traditional methods of posting job opportunities.
Jobs are available, but certain legal specialties may be thriving more than others. However, this cyclical trend tends to hold true regardless of whether the country is experiencing a pandemic or not. Rather than focusing on the specific location of where jobs are located around the country, it appears that legal professionals seeking employment should focus on areas of law that have work and need employees to complete that work. The great aspect of the legal profession is that attorneys and paralegals have always been more than willing to assist one another. Employment is no different. Legal professionals seeking work need to start making as many connections as possible with other legal professionals by phone, email, and other socially distant forms of communication to establish a network.
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Updated January 8, 2025