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Project attorney salary
Average project attorney salary
$84,138
Average Project Attorney Salary
As of October 2025, Project Attorneys earn an average annual salary of $84,138, or approximately $40 per hour. Salaries for Project Attorneys can vary significantly based on factors such as location, years of experience, and the specific industry they operate in.
Where Can Project Attorneys Earn More?
Project Attorneys in states like California and New York tend to earn higher salaries due to the demand for legal expertise in various sectors. Additionally, experience plays a vital role in salary potential. For instance, those with several years in the field can command salaries well above the average.
Salary Estimates by Experience Level
Entry-level Project Attorneys can expect to earn lower salaries, while those with over ten years of experience typically see significant increases in their earnings. It's essential for legal professionals to understand these dynamics when considering their career trajectories.
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Where can a Project Attorney earn more?
Project attorney salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level project attorney | $48,800 | $23.48 |
| Mid-level project attorney | $58,900 | $28.33 |
| Senior-level project attorney | $124,000 | $59.42 |
Project attorney salary estimates from across the web
Average project attorney salary by state
The highest-paying states for project attorneys are New York, Massachusetts, and California. The lowest average project attorney salary states are Montana, South Dakota, and Hawaii.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for project attorneys
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $85,251 | $40.99 |
| 2 | Nevada | $85,125 | $40.93 |
| 3 | New York | $110,449 | $53.10 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $109,160 | $52.48 |
| 5 | California | $100,701 | $48.41 |
| 6 | Tennessee | $76,405 | $36.73 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $96,441 | $46.37 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $92,541 | $44.49 |
| 9 | Michigan | $74,553 | $35.84 |
| 10 | Ohio | $71,617 | $34.43 |
| 11 | Georgia | $74,646 | $35.89 |
| 12 | Virginia | $82,575 | $39.70 |
| 13 | Vermont | $82,733 | $39.78 |
| 14 | Washington | $82,231 | $39.53 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $82,396 | $39.61 |
| 16 | Texas | $76,328 | $36.70 |
| 17 | Oregon | $80,242 | $38.58 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $78,152 | $37.57 |
| 19 | Illinois | $77,662 | $37.34 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $71,683 | $34.46 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $74,852 | $35.99 |
| 22 | Arizona | $74,957 | $36.04 |
| 23 | Maryland | $80,518 | $38.71 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $70,092 | $33.70 |
| 25 | Utah | $75,793 | $36.44 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $71,091 | $34.18 |
| 27 | Iowa | $68,703 | $33.03 |
| 28 | Florida | $73,768 | $35.47 |
| 29 | Delaware | $76,689 | $36.87 |
| 30 | Wisconsin | $63,894 | $30.72 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $63,020 | $30.30 |
| 32 | Alaska | $74,936 | $36.03 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $62,927 | $30.25 |
| 34 | Missouri | $64,643 | $31.08 |
| 35 | Alabama | $67,294 | $32.35 |
| 36 | Indiana | $65,035 | $31.27 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $71,689 | $34.47 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $62,675 | $30.13 |
| 39 | Idaho | $63,541 | $30.55 |
| 40 | Colorado | $69,241 | $33.29 |
| 41 | Kansas | $60,466 | $29.07 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $60,366 | $29.02 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $59,139 | $28.43 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $57,799 | $27.79 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $59,525 | $28.62 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $59,000 | $28.37 |
| 47 | Maine | $51,488 | $24.75 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $56,536 | $27.18 |
| 49 | Montana | $58,012 | $27.89 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $44,953 | $21.61 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $57,788 | $27.78 |
Highest paying cities for project attorneys
The highest-paying cities for project attorneys are New York, NY, Boston, MA, and San Francisco, CA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | $111,060 | $53.39 |
| 2 | Boston, MA | $109,808 | $52.79 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $106,617 | $51.26 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $96,519 | $46.40 |
| 5 | Reno, NV | $88,268 | $42.44 |
| 6 | Silver Spring, MD | $80,193 | $38.55 |
| 7 | Beaverton, OR | $79,858 | $38.39 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $78,093 | $37.54 |
| 9 | Houston, TX | $76,647 | $36.85 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $75,399 | $36.25 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $75,278 | $36.19 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $74,547 | $35.84 |
| 13 | Manchester, NH | $71,684 | $34.46 |
| 14 | Baton Rouge, LA | $71,330 | $34.29 |
| 15 | Zionsville, IN | $64,658 | $31.09 |
| 16 | Madison, WI | $63,138 | $30.35 |
| 17 | Topeka, KS | $60,332 | $29.01 |
Project attorney salary details
A project attorney's salary ranges from $50,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $140,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a project attorney's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $140,000 | $11,667 | $67 |
| 75th Percentile | $110,000 | $9,167 | $53 |
| Average | $84,138 | $7,012 | $40 |
| 25th Percentile | $64,000 | $5,333 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $50,000 | $4,167 | $24 |
Highest paying project attorney jobs
The highest paying types of project attorneys are general counsel, litigation associate, and senior attorney.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Counsel | $125,248 | $10,437 | $60.22 | 50,275 |
| Housing Counselor | $78,730 | $6,561 | $37.85 | 33,639 |
| Legal Extern | $47,238 | $3,937 | $22.71 | 10,986 |
| Attorney At Law | $108,018 | $9,002 | $51.93 | 7,025 |
| Litigation Attorney | $109,027 | $9,086 | $52.42 | 6,918 |
| Document Review Attorney | $81,181 | $6,765 | $39.03 | 9,393 |
Top companies hiring project attorneys now:
Which companies pay project attorneys the most?
Project attorney salaries at Alston & Bird and Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average project attorney salary at companies like Apple and Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. Are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alston & Bird | $201,514 | $96.88 |
| 2 | Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough | $194,957 | $93.73 |
| 3 | Apple | $140,617 | $67.60 |
| 4 | Robins Kaplan Miller & Ciresi L.L.P. | $99,284 | $47.73 |
| 5 | Door’s | $87,387 | $42.01 |
| 6 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $84,063 | $40.41 |
| 7 | NRDC | $76,839 | $36.94 |
| 8 | National Congress of American Indians | $74,796 | $35.96 |
| 9 | Legal Aid | $68,030 | $32.71 |
| 10 | Beacon Hill Staffing Group | $66,805 | $32.12 |
| 11 | TransPerfect | $63,888 | $30.72 |
| 12 | University of Wisconsin System | $62,132 | $29.87 |
| 13 | Public Advocates | $61,148 | $29.40 |
| 14 | Powell Valley Care Ctr | $60,718 | $29.19 |
| 15 | The Door - A Center of Alternatives | $57,640 | $27.71 |
| 16 | Catholic Charities Of The Archdiocese Of Washington | $56,818 | $27.32 |
| 17 | Legal Aid NW Texas | $37,847 | $18.20 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Project attorney salary trends
The average project attorney salary has risen by $9,029 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average project attorney earned $75,109 annually, but today, they earn $84,138 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for project attorneys over the last decade.
Compare project attorney salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average project attorney salary over time
Compare project attorney salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Project attorney salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $84,100 | $40.45 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $81,500 | $39.19 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | $80,100 | $38.53 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $79,000 | $38.00 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $78,300 | $37.66 | +2.0% |
Recently added project attorney salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usc | Supervising Attorney, Post-Conviction Justice Project | Parksdale, CA | 06/27/2025 | $136,032 |
| University of Southern California | Supervising Attorney, Post-Conviction Justice Project | Los Angeles, CA | 06/25/2025 | $136,032 |
| State of New York | Project Attorney: Litigate Adult Survivors ACT Claims (3790) | New York, NY | 06/11/2025 | $81,159 |
| The Door | Supervising Attorney-Detained Minors Project | New York, NY | 06/08/2025 | $82,000 |
| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton | Project Attorney | New York, NY | 04/28/2025 | $99,133 |
| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton | Project Attorney | Washington, DC | 04/28/2025 | $99,133 |
| Earthjustice | One-Year Project Attorney, Community Partnerships Program | Los Angeles, CA | 04/01/2025 | $120,600 |
| Earthjustice | One-Year Project Attorney, Community Partnerships Program | Los Angeles, CA | 03/29/2025 | $120,600 |
| Roderick MacArthur Foundation | Attorney-National Parole Transformation Project | Chicago, IL | 03/28/2025 | $104,000 |
| Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton | Project Attorney | Washington, DC | 03/27/2025 | $99,133 |
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