Lawyers Salary
Legal Occupations · 755K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$159,670
Median hourly
$77
Average annual
$185,840
Typical range
$78,360–$351,600
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Lawyers is $159,670 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $77 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $78,360 and $351,600 a year. There are roughly 755K people employed as lawyers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Lawyers.
- Hourly
- $76.76
- Daily
- $614
- Weekly
- $3,071
- Bi-weekly
- $6,141
- Monthly
- $13,306
- Annual
- $159,670
$159,670 a year is around the 50th percentile for Lawyerss. The median is $159,670.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1New York$207,860
- 2District of Columbia$195,190
- 3California$195,080
- 4Massachusetts$176,680
- 5Delaware$173,510
- 6Colorado$168,520
- 7Virginia$167,210
- 8Connecticut$163,600
- 9New Jersey$161,430
- 10Illinois$160,800
- 11Pennsylvania$157,180
- 12Minnesota$155,140
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$301,320
- 2San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$212,500
- 3New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$208,880
- 4Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$195,190
- 5Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$194,410
- 6Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$185,520
- 7Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$183,350
- 8Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$181,560
- 9Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$180,610
- 10Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$178,540
- 11San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$178,220
- 12Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$177,380
Related job titles
Employers advertise Lawyers roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Judicial Law Clerks$64,920
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$117,860
- Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators$75,530
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$153,990
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators$78,000
- Financial Specialists, All Other$81,100
- Compliance Officers$80,730
- Labor Relations Specialists$95,420
What a Lawyers does
- Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.
- Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents.
- Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case.
- Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.
- Advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, advisability of prosecuting or defending lawsuits, or legal rights and obligations.
- Prepare, draft, and review legal documents, such as wills, deeds, patent applications, mortgages, leases, and contracts.
- Study Constitution, statutes, decisions, regulations, and ordinances of quasi-judicial bodies to determine ramifications for cases.
- Negotiate contractual agreements.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Lawyers make?
- The median annual wage for Lawyers is $159,670 ($77 per hour). Pay ranges from about $78,360 at the 10th percentile to $351,600 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Lawyers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $185,840, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Lawyerss the most?
- New York has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $207,860.
- Is Lawyers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 755K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Lawyers do?
- Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.; Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents.; Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case..