SOC 23-1011 · Legal Occupations
Lawyers wages by metro
National median annual wage
$159,670
- 10th percentile
- $78,360
- 25th percentile
- $102,990
- Median
- $159,670
- 75th percentile
- $221,370
- 90th percentile
- $351,600
- Mean
- $185,840
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 754,500.
That median is 213.2% higher than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 6,040 | $129,350 | $301,320 | $421,000 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 18,470 | $98,280 | $212,500 | $375,580 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 94,610 | $94,070 | $208,880 | $391,620 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 46,840 | $106,520 | $195,190 | $382,890 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 41,580 | $93,980 | $194,410 | $375,440 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 1,220 | $82,480 | $185,520 | $284,690 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 20,080 | $84,280 | $183,350 | $379,350 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 590 | $96,860 | $181,560 | $294,230 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 2,100 | $103,760 | $180,610 | $402,750 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 7,620 | $80,540 | $178,540 | $284,610 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 8,020 | $104,140 | $178,220 | $336,590 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 11,860 | $90,640 | $177,380 | $337,050 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 290 | $83,130 | $175,780 | $272,170 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 490 | $94,110 | $174,880 | $239,200 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 700 | $73,920 | $170,970 | $289,030 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 19,040 | $84,840 | $170,660 | $344,160 |
| Vallejo, CA | 220 | $77,020 | $170,530 | $286,680 |
| Birmingham, AL | 2,800 | $65,650 | $170,230 | $272,900 |
| Napa, CA | 110 | $80,530 | $168,720 | $306,130 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 17,110 | $81,360 | $168,510 | $347,260 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 94,610 | $94,070 | $208,880 | $391,620 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 46,840 | $106,520 | $195,190 | $382,890 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 41,580 | $93,980 | $194,410 | $375,440 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 28,320 | $87,070 | $165,660 | $331,140 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 23,270 | $77,510 | $160,320 | $332,850 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 20,080 | $84,280 | $183,350 | $379,350 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 19,040 | $84,840 | $170,660 | $344,160 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 18,760 | $58,750 | $138,210 | $328,900 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 18,470 | $98,280 | $212,500 | $375,580 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 17,110 | $81,360 | $168,510 | $347,260 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 16,810 | $80,210 | $157,980 | $363,120 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 11,860 | $90,640 | $177,380 | $337,050 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 10,160 | $85,810 | $159,620 | $352,210 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 10,110 | $78,730 | $134,980 | $246,420 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 9,210 | $99,910 | $164,980 | $314,120 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 8,820 | $87,170 | $135,670 | $291,750 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 8,330 | $75,560 | $127,490 | $255,310 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 8,020 | $104,140 | $178,220 | $336,590 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 7,620 | $80,540 | $178,540 | $284,610 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 7,540 | $83,990 | $153,330 | $361,090 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 91,870 | $85,200 | $207,860 | $391,420 |
| District of Columbia | 33,070 | $120,580 | $195,190 | $392,750 |
| California | 95,770 | $97,950 | $195,080 | $369,180 |
| Massachusetts | 23,560 | $82,100 | $176,680 | $374,410 |
| Delaware | 2,920 | $101,200 | $173,510 | $354,910 |
| Colorado | 16,720 | $83,350 | $168,520 | $336,970 |
| Virginia | 18,580 | $79,330 | $167,210 | $320,220 |
| Connecticut | 8,420 | $91,180 | $163,600 | $342,970 |
| New Jersey | 23,160 | $93,810 | $161,430 | $328,270 |
| Illinois | 33,590 | $82,160 | $160,800 | $330,200 |
| Pennsylvania | 27,170 | $77,100 | $157,180 | $323,370 |
| Minnesota | 12,380 | $79,820 | $155,140 | $341,170 |
| Texas | 56,580 | $79,340 | $154,200 | $349,490 |
| Washington | 12,770 | $94,260 | $154,130 | $298,210 |
| Nevada | 6,490 | $96,010 | $150,510 | $414,290 |
| Alaska | 1,120 | $86,230 | $149,940 | $281,780 |
| Maryland | 13,810 | $81,730 | $139,110 | $269,020 |
| Rhode Island | 1,840 | $80,710 | $138,960 | $268,270 |
| Oregon | 7,150 | $73,610 | $138,210 | $263,790 |
| Tennessee | 9,010 | $76,510 | $136,180 | $324,880 |
| Georgia | 23,930 | $58,750 | $134,830 | $317,820 |
| Arizona | 11,640 | $85,990 | $134,260 | $268,170 |
| Missouri | 11,560 | $67,020 | $133,450 | $299,990 |
| Florida | 55,210 | $75,530 | $133,180 | $301,050 |
| Utah | 7,020 | $59,990 | $132,830 | $347,090 |
| Alabama | 6,730 | $62,310 | $131,970 | $249,090 |
| Ohio | 19,950 | $69,790 | $131,020 | $269,530 |
| Michigan | 16,620 | $77,180 | $130,520 | $238,370 |
| North Carolina | 17,000 | $61,610 | $127,710 | $323,720 |
| Vermont | 1,330 | $85,510 | $127,310 | $336,450 |
| Indiana | 8,970 | $65,750 | $126,860 | $327,960 |
| Wisconsin | 9,160 | $76,010 | $126,760 | $362,040 |
| Hawaii | 2,270 | $73,890 | $124,990 | $179,010 |
| Iowa | 3,550 | $63,790 | $123,550 | $268,460 |
| Guam | 180 | $63,020 | $122,930 | $186,840 |
| New Hampshire | 2,250 | $65,670 | $120,810 | $358,300 |
| South Carolina | 7,890 | $63,140 | $120,310 | $301,140 |
| New Mexico | 3,380 | $76,100 | $119,680 | $232,890 |
| Virgin Islands | 150 | $99,750 | $118,440 | $165,490 |
| Maine | 2,280 | $76,820 | $113,120 | $215,610 |
| Nebraska | 3,490 | $65,030 | $109,170 | $217,700 |
| North Dakota | 1,050 | $70,500 | $106,880 | $194,840 |
| Kansas | 4,190 | $76,300 | $106,650 | $213,360 |
| Louisiana | 10,200 | $50,140 | $104,100 | $227,230 |
| Montana | 2,380 | $62,090 | $103,720 | $179,620 |
| Idaho | 2,490 | $50,730 | $103,400 | $216,660 |
| Oklahoma | 6,980 | $57,950 | $103,060 | $207,340 |
| West Virginia | 2,440 | $64,950 | $102,420 | $206,370 |
| South Dakota | 1,360 | $76,920 | $102,040 | $234,690 |
| Kentucky | 5,770 | $63,010 | $101,550 | $187,180 |
| Wyoming | 900 | $61,170 | $100,130 | $233,950 |
| Arkansas | 3,430 | $49,900 | $98,880 | $220,660 |
| Mississippi | 3,100 | $47,670 | $91,690 | $176,750 |
| Puerto Rico | 4,020 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
Other legal occupations
- Paralegals and Legal Assistants
- Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
- Legal Support Workers, All Other
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers
- Judicial Law Clerks
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Lawyers?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Lawyers is $159,670. Employment is 754,500.
How does Lawyers pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Lawyers is 213.2% higher than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Lawyers?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is highest on this page's list at $301,320.