SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 23-1011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $78,360 | $6,530 | $1,507 | $37.67 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $102,990 | $8,582 | $1,981 | $49.51 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $159,670 | $13,306 | $3,071 | $76.76 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $221,370 | $18,448 | $4,257 | $106.43 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $351,600 | $29,300 | $6,762 | $169.04 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Lawyers is $159,670, which is 213% higher. Among the 8 occupations of the field Legal, it ranks number 1 by median pay. With 754,500 jobs, it makes up about 49 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($185,840) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Lawyers pay by state
The highest median pay was in New York ($207,860), District of Columbia ($195,190) and California ($195,080). The lowest was in Mississippi ($91,690), Arkansas ($98,880) and Wyoming ($100,130). The most jobs were in California (95,770), New York (91,870) and Texas (56,580). The occupation is most concentrated in District of Columbia, where its share of all jobs is 9.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 91,870 | $207,860 | $220,180 | $99.93 |
| District of Columbia | 33,070 | $195,190 | $242,800 | $93.84 |
| California | 95,770 | $195,080 | $230,040 | $93.79 |
| Massachusetts | 23,560 | $176,680 | $205,980 | $84.94 |
| Delaware | 2,920 | $173,510 | $199,970 | $83.42 |
| Colorado | 16,720 | $168,520 | $206,440 | $81.02 |
| Virginia | 18,580 | $167,210 | $179,240 | $80.39 |
| Connecticut | 8,420 | $163,600 | $186,170 | $78.66 |
| New Jersey | 23,160 | $161,430 | $184,090 | $77.61 |
| Illinois | 33,590 | $160,800 | $181,240 | $77.31 |
| Pennsylvania | 27,170 | $157,180 | $169,170 | $75.57 |
| Minnesota | 12,380 | $155,140 | $174,300 | $74.59 |
| Texas | 56,580 | $154,200 | $180,370 | $74.13 |
| Washington | 12,770 | $154,130 | $169,940 | $74.10 |
| Nevada | 6,490 | $150,510 | $205,630 | $72.36 |
| Alaska | 1,120 | $149,940 | $167,890 | $72.09 |
| Maryland | 13,810 | $139,110 | $157,370 | $66.88 |
| Rhode Island | 1,840 | $138,960 | $159,690 | $66.81 |
| Oregon | 7,150 | $138,210 | $156,620 | $66.45 |
| Tennessee | 9,010 | $136,180 | $163,870 | $65.47 |
| Georgia | 23,930 | $134,830 | $191,190 | $64.82 |
| Arizona | 11,640 | $134,260 | $157,190 | $64.55 |
| Missouri | 11,560 | $133,450 | $162,820 | $64.16 |
| Florida | 55,210 | $133,180 | $162,060 | $64.03 |
| Utah | 7,020 | $132,830 | $169,480 | $63.86 |
| Alabama | 6,730 | $131,970 | $146,630 | $63.45 |
| Ohio | 19,950 | $131,020 | $151,140 | $62.99 |
| Michigan | 16,620 | $130,520 | $148,820 | $62.75 |
| North Carolina | 17,000 | $127,710 | $160,340 | $61.40 |
| Vermont | 1,330 | $127,310 | $179,630 | $61.21 |
| Indiana | 8,970 | $126,860 | $175,850 | $60.99 |
| Wisconsin | 9,160 | $126,760 | $171,200 | $60.94 |
| Hawaii | 2,270 | $124,990 | $127,280 | $60.09 |
| Iowa | 3,550 | $123,550 | $144,760 | $59.40 |
| Guam | 180 | $122,930 | $123,120 | $59.10 |
| New Hampshire | 2,250 | $120,810 | $172,990 | $58.08 |
| South Carolina | 7,890 | $120,310 | $144,700 | $57.84 |
| New Mexico | 3,380 | $119,680 | $138,250 | $57.54 |
| Virgin Islands | 150 | $118,440 | $124,510 | $56.94 |
| Maine | 2,280 | $113,120 | $129,600 | $54.39 |
| Nebraska | 3,490 | $109,170 | $133,490 | $52.49 |
| North Dakota | 1,050 | $106,880 | $128,680 | $51.39 |
| Kansas | 4,190 | $106,650 | $130,530 | $51.28 |
| Louisiana | 10,200 | $104,100 | $127,520 | $50.05 |
| Montana | 2,380 | $103,720 | $115,830 | $49.87 |
| Idaho | 2,490 | $103,400 | $125,070 | $49.71 |
| Oklahoma | 6,980 | $103,060 | $122,750 | $49.55 |
| West Virginia | 2,440 | $102,420 | $123,210 | $49.24 |
| South Dakota | 1,360 | $102,040 | $132,270 | $49.06 |
| Kentucky | 5,770 | $101,550 | $120,730 | $48.82 |
| Wyoming | 900 | $100,130 | $125,050 | $48.14 |
| Arkansas | 3,430 | $98,880 | $131,680 | $47.54 |
| Mississippi | 3,100 | $91,690 | $108,930 | $44.08 |
| Puerto Rico | 4,020 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$153,990 a year
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$117,860 a year
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$75,530 a year
Common questions
How much do Lawyers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $159,670 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $78,360 and the highest-paid 10% more than $351,600.
How many people work as Lawyers?
About 754,500 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.