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Lawyer salary
Average lawyer salary
$115,808
Average Lawyer Salary
The average salary for a lawyer in the United States is approximately $115,808 per year, translating to about $56 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as location, years of experience, and the specific area of law practiced. For instance, entry-level lawyers may start with a salary around $69,000, while experienced attorneys can earn upwards of $159,000.
Factors Influencing Salary
Lawyers working in metropolitan areas typically command higher salaries due to increased demand and living costs. For example, states like California and New York often offer some of the highest salaries for legal professionals. Additionally, specialization in lucrative fields such as corporate law, intellectual property, or trial law can lead to significantly higher earnings.
Salary by Experience Level
As lawyers gain experience, their earning potential increases. New attorneys usually earn less than their seasoned counterparts. According to recent data, lawyers with 1-4 years of experience earn an average of $81,000, while those with over 10 years can earn as much as $164,000.
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Where can a Lawyer earn more?
Lawyer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level lawyer | $67,200 | $32.31 |
| Mid-level lawyer | $81,100 | $38.99 |
| Senior-level lawyer | $170,000 | $81.79 |
Lawyer salary estimates from across the web
Average lawyer salary by state
The average lawyer salary in New York, Massachusetts, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average lawyer salary states are Oklahoma, Kansas, and Hawaii.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for lawyers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $148,841 | $71.56 |
| 2 | New York | $132,472 | $63.69 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $127,181 | $61.14 |
| 4 | California | $123,707 | $59.47 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $106,636 | $51.27 |
| 6 | Virginia | $109,429 | $52.61 |
| 7 | Maine | $100,051 | $48.10 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $115,525 | $55.54 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $102,571 | $49.31 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $98,516 | $47.36 |
| 11 | Washington | $101,850 | $48.97 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $102,003 | $49.04 |
| 13 | New Mexico | $102,018 | $49.05 |
| 14 | Vermont | $104,348 | $50.17 |
| 15 | Ohio | $94,103 | $45.24 |
| 16 | Michigan | $91,596 | $44.04 |
| 17 | Texas | $88,459 | $42.53 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $96,778 | $46.53 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $95,767 | $46.04 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $92,287 | $44.37 |
| 21 | Illinois | $91,755 | $44.11 |
| 22 | Colorado | $92,934 | $44.68 |
| 23 | Nevada | $95,954 | $46.13 |
| 24 | Oregon | $84,922 | $40.83 |
| 25 | Arizona | $86,079 | $41.38 |
| 26 | Florida | $79,193 | $38.07 |
| 27 | Kentucky | $86,023 | $41.36 |
| 28 | Georgia | $79,199 | $38.08 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $84,622 | $40.68 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $79,692 | $38.31 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $77,620 | $37.32 |
| 32 | Iowa | $87,007 | $41.83 |
| 33 | Delaware | $88,632 | $42.61 |
| 34 | Maryland | $85,476 | $41.09 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $84,340 | $40.55 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $72,976 | $35.08 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $74,441 | $35.79 |
| 38 | Missouri | $69,942 | $33.63 |
| 39 | Wyoming | $57,490 | $27.64 |
| 40 | Alaska | $73,684 | $35.42 |
| 41 | Utah | $76,790 | $36.92 |
| 42 | Alabama | $74,025 | $35.59 |
| 43 | Montana | $52,821 | $25.39 |
| 44 | Idaho | $71,553 | $34.40 |
| 45 | Indiana | $69,854 | $33.58 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $70,865 | $34.07 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $72,661 | $34.93 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $68,011 | $32.70 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $56,937 | $27.37 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $62,055 | $29.83 |
| 51 | Kansas | $64,385 | $30.95 |
Highest paying cities for lawyers
The highest-paying cities for lawyers are Washington, DC, White Plains, NY, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $155,728 | $74.87 |
| 2 | White Plains, NY | $135,844 | $65.31 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $130,368 | $62.68 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $129,251 | $62.14 |
| 5 | Alexandria, VA | $112,133 | $53.91 |
| 6 | Fort Lee, NJ | $107,439 | $51.65 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | $102,928 | $49.48 |
| 8 | Philadelphia, PA | $96,535 | $46.41 |
| 9 | Las Vegas, NV | $96,324 | $46.31 |
| 10 | El Paso, TX | $93,216 | $44.82 |
| 11 | Glenview, IL | $92,427 | $44.44 |
| 12 | Minneapolis, MN | $92,258 | $44.35 |
| 13 | Detroit, MI | $92,050 | $44.25 |
| 14 | Rockville, MD | $85,087 | $40.91 |
| 15 | Tampa, FL | $80,813 | $38.85 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $79,049 | $38.00 |
| 17 | Salt Lake City, UT | $76,070 | $36.57 |
| 18 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $62,242 | $29.92 |
Lawyers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Lawyer salary details
A lawyer's salary ranges from $64,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $208,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a lawyer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $208,000 | $17,333 | $100 |
| 75th Percentile | $157,000 | $13,083 | $75 |
| Average | $115,808 | $9,651 | $56 |
| 25th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| 10th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
Highest paying lawyer jobs
The highest paying types of lawyers are legal counsel, general counsel, and litigation associate.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Document Review Attorney | $81,181 | $6,765 | $39.03 | 9,393 |
| Attorney | $109,476 | $9,123 | $52.63 | 10,991 |
| Contract Attorney | $97,474 | $8,123 | $46.86 | 13,592 |
| Housing Counselor | $78,730 | $6,561 | $37.85 | 33,639 |
| Legal Consultant | $75,024 | $6,252 | $36.07 | 16,118 |
| General Counsel | $125,248 | $10,437 | $60.22 | 50,275 |
Which companies pay lawyers the most?
Lawyer salaries at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lawyer salary at companies like Vinson & Elkins and Nossaman are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough | $263,259 | $126.57 |
| 2 | Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner | $256,474 | $123.30 |
| 3 | Vinson & Elkins | $248,763 | $119.60 |
| 4 | Nossaman | $247,632 | $119.05 |
| 5 | Hughes Hubbard & Reed | $239,770 | $115.27 |
| 6 | Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner | $237,399 | $114.13 |
| 7 | Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison | $236,938 | $113.91 |
| 8 | Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman | $236,064 | $113.49 |
| 9 | Simpson Thacher & Bartlett | $235,809 | $113.37 |
| 10 | Irell & Manella | $234,308 | $112.65 |
| 11 | O'Melveny | $231,832 | $111.46 |
| 12 | Sidley Austin | $228,587 | $109.90 |
| 13 | Orrick | $226,904 | $109.09 |
| 14 | Fried Frank | $226,449 | $108.87 |
| 15 | Alston & Bird | $225,241 | $108.29 |
| 16 | Norton Rose Fulbright | $223,289 | $107.35 |
| 17 | Latham & Watkins | $222,612 | $107.03 |
| 18 | Baker McKenzie | $221,917 | $106.69 |
| 19 | Perkins Coie | $221,753 | $106.61 |
| 20 | Miller Mayer | $221,639 | $106.56 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Lawyer salary trends
The average lawyer salary has risen by $12,426 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lawyer earned $103,382 annually, but today, they earn $115,808 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for lawyers over the last decade.
Compare lawyer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average lawyer salary over time
Compare lawyer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Lawyer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $116,000 | $55.68 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $112,000 | $53.94 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $110,000 | $53.04 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $109,000 | $52.31 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $108,000 | $51.83 | +2.0% |
Recently added lawyer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nrf | Compliance Lawyer | Houston, TX | 06/28/2025 | $130,000 |
| Excel Sports Management | Employment Lawyer | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $100,000 |
| Partners Group Holding AG | Structured Product Lawyer | New York, NY | 06/23/2025 | $270,000 |
| Ibotta | Privacy Lawyer | Denver, CO | 06/20/2025 | $165,000 |
| Swift Staffing Group | Senior Lawyer | New York, NY | 06/19/2025 | $200,000 |
| Norton Rose Fulbright Us LLP | Risc (EAR, Ofac, & International Trade) Lawyer | Washington, DC | 06/16/2025 | $260,000 |
| Aura | Senior Privacy & Cybersecurity Lawyer | Boston, MA | 06/13/2025 | $140,000 |
| Axiom Talent Platform | Mid-Level/Senior Healthcare Procurement/Supply Chain Contract Lawyer-Hybrid | New York, NY | 06/13/2025 | $175,000 |
| Goodwin Procter | Knowledge & Innovation Lawyer (Executive Compensation) | Boston, NY | 06/06/2025 | $171,500 |
| Mike Agruss Law | Personal Injury Lawyer | Chicago, IL | 06/03/2025 | $100,000 |
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