Lawyers salary
Legal · OCC code 23-1011 · gross annual wage · BLS OEWS May 2024
Lawyers in the US earn a median of $151,160 per year (mean $182,760) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey — that is +205.4% versus the $49,500 median for all US jobs, more than 2.5x the US median wage for all jobs. The middle half earn between $99,760 and $215,420; the top 10% earn $239,200+ or more. The median hourly wage is $72.67. About 747,750 are employed nationally. The highest-paying state is California ($197,790). Wages are gross (pre-tax) and vary by employer, experience and location.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Lawyers pay range (national percentiles)
What lawyers earn across the pay distribution, nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2024):
| Pay level | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-paid 10%) | $72,780 |
| 25th percentile | $99,760 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $151,160 |
| Mean (average) | $182,760 |
| 75th percentile | $215,420 |
| 90th percentile (highest-paid 10%) | $239,200+ |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
A dash (—) means BLS did not release that figure; a plus (+) means the wage is at or above the BLS top code of $239,200/yr. See what wage percentiles mean or check where your salary ranks.
Lawyers salary by state
Median and mean wage for lawyers in each of the 50 states with published data, highest median first. The national median is $151,160.
| # | State | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $197,790 | $254,170 | 92,580 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $191,880 | $236,700 | 33,430 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $179,050 | $218,340 | 22,020 |
| 4 | New York | $177,210 | $208,080 | 91,440 |
| 5 | Delaware | $172,710 | $196,880 | 2,970 |
| 6 | Colorado | $167,970 | $208,710 | 17,160 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $159,240 | $188,990 | 7,500 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $158,470 | $186,430 | 23,360 |
| 9 | Virginia | $157,980 | $173,200 | 18,420 |
| 10 | Illinois | $157,320 | $177,740 | 33,430 |
| 11 | Washington | $151,950 | $170,650 | 13,140 |
| 12 | Maryland | $143,490 | $155,930 | 16,420 |
| 13 | Oregon | $141,520 | $152,580 | 7,690 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $137,720 | $157,360 | 12,880 |
| 15 | Texas | $133,570 | $162,840 | 54,680 |
| 16 | Arizona | $133,360 | $161,480 | 12,130 |
| 17 | Alaska | $132,710 | $140,520 | 1,040 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $130,570 | $155,290 | 8,830 |
| 19 | Indiana | $130,120 | $158,270 | 8,510 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $128,920 | $146,240 | 1,910 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $127,940 | $155,050 | 26,340 |
| 22 | Florida | $127,810 | $152,360 | 59,010 |
| 23 | Alabama | $127,660 | $139,470 | 5,810 |
| 24 | Michigan | $126,600 | $148,340 | 16,060 |
| 25 | Georgia | $126,240 | $185,830 | 23,010 |
| 26 | Utah | $125,710 | $151,220 | 5,850 |
| 27 | Ohio | $125,450 | $142,860 | 19,690 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $124,880 | $159,830 | 17,380 |
| 29 | Missouri | $124,210 | $158,200 | 11,950 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $122,640 | $170,110 | — |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $119,970 | $155,270 | 8,820 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $116,010 | $121,900 | 2,430 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $112,600 | $128,020 | 8,610 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $112,500 | $135,860 | 3,130 |
| 35 | Kansas | $112,000 | $129,530 | 4,270 |
| 36 | Iowa | $107,870 | $124,130 | 3,550 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $104,970 | $127,010 | 3,470 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $104,940 | $122,430 | 1,070 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $104,160 | $132,500 | 7,270 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $102,670 | $116,020 | 6,380 |
| 41 | Idaho | $102,280 | $127,340 | 2,070 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $102,240 | $117,770 | 2,460 |
| 43 | Vermont | $101,090 | $161,990 | 1,150 |
| 44 | Montana | $100,750 | $109,190 | 2,460 |
| 45 | Maine | $100,340 | $122,810 | 2,080 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $100,170 | $133,570 | 940 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $98,870 | $120,220 | 7,430 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $96,550 | $129,500 | 1,130 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $92,610 | $112,690 | 3,200 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $86,970 | $134,860 | 3,500 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Highest median: California ($197,790). Lowest: Arkansas ($86,970).
Similar-paying jobs
| Occupation | Median wage | Mean wage | vs US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers (this job) | $151,160 | $182,760 | +205.4% |
| Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates | $156,210 | $143,110 | +215.6% |
| Marketing Managers | $161,030 | $171,520 | +225.3% |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $140,910 | $152,310 | +184.7% |
| Financial Managers | $161,700 | $180,470 | +226.7% |
| Human Resources Managers | $140,030 | $160,480 | +182.9% |
Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates · Marketing Managers · Computer and Information Research Scientists · Financial Managers · Human Resources Managers
Frequently asked questions
How much do lawyers make?
Lawyers earn a national median of $151,160 per year (mean $182,760) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey. The middle half earn between $99,760 (25th percentile) and $215,420 (75th percentile); the top 10% earn $239,200+ or more and the bottom 10% earn under $72,780. These are gross, pre-tax wages.
What is the hourly wage for lawyers?
The median hourly wage is $72.67 and the mean is $87.86 (BLS OEWS, May 2024). BLS reports some occupations only as annual wages, in which case hourly figures are shown as a dash.
Which state pays lawyers the most?
California has the highest median wage for lawyers at $197,790, versus a national median of $151,160. State pay reflects local cost of living, demand and industry mix. See the full state table on this page.
How many lawyers are there in the US?
BLS estimates about 747,750 lawyers are employed in the US (OEWS, May 2024). Among the 124 occupations tracked here, this job ranks #10 of 124 by median pay.
Keep exploring
Sources & accuracy
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 (OCC 23-1011), gross annual wages, U.S. public domain, retrieved June 2026. OEWS figures are survey estimates and reflect pay before tax. Your actual pay depends on employer, experience, certifications, industry and location. This is information, not financial or career advice — see our methodology and disclaimer.
Last updated: 2026-06-20