How much does a lawyer make?
Median yearly pay in the United States: half earn more and half earn less. That is $76.76 an hour or $13,310 a month.
- Hourly
- $76.76
- Average (mean)
- $185,800
- Jobs
- 754,500
| Percentile | Yearly | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $78,360 | $37.67 | |
| 25th | $103,000 | $49.51 | |
| Median | $159,700 | $76.76 | |
| 75th | $221,400 | $106.43 | |
| 90th | $351,600 | $169.04 |
By state
Median yearly pay.
| New York | $207,900 |
| District of Columbia | $195,200 |
| California | $195,100 |
| Massachusetts | $176,700 |
| Delaware | $173,500 |
| Colorado | $168,500 |
| Virginia | $167,200 |
| Connecticut | $163,600 |
| New Jersey | $161,400 |
| Illinois | $160,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $157,200 |
| Minnesota | $155,100 |
| Texas | $154,200 |
| Washington | $154,100 |
| Nevada | $150,500 |
| Alaska | $149,900 |
| Maryland | $139,100 |
| Rhode Island | $139,000 |
| Oregon | $138,200 |
| Tennessee | $136,200 |
| Georgia | $134,800 |
| Arizona | $134,300 |
| Missouri | $133,500 |
| Florida | $133,200 |
| Utah | $132,800 |
| Alabama | $132,000 |
| Ohio | $131,000 |
| Michigan | $130,500 |
| North Carolina | $127,700 |
| Vermont | $127,300 |
| Indiana | $126,900 |
| Wisconsin | $126,800 |
| Hawaii | $125,000 |
| Iowa | $123,600 |
| New Hampshire | $120,800 |
| South Carolina | $120,300 |
| New Mexico | $119,700 |
| Maine | $113,100 |
| Nebraska | $109,200 |
| North Dakota | $106,900 |
| Kansas | $106,700 |
| Louisiana | $104,100 |
| Montana | $103,700 |
| Idaho | $103,400 |
| Oklahoma | $103,100 |
| West Virginia | $102,400 |
| South Dakota | $102,000 |
| Kentucky | $101,600 |
| Wyoming | $100,100 |
| Arkansas | $98,880 |
| Mississippi | $91,690 |
Highest paying cities
Metro areas, median yearly pay.
| San Jose, CA | $301,300 |
| San Francisco, CA | $212,500 |
| New York, NY | $208,900 |
| Washington, DC | $195,200 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $194,400 |
| Oxnard, CA | $185,500 |
| Boston, MA | $183,400 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $181,600 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $180,600 |
| Sacramento, CA | $178,500 |
| San Diego, CA | $178,200 |
| Denver, CO | $177,400 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $175,800 |
| Stockton, CA | $174,900 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $171,000 |
In other countries
Lawyer belongs to the international group "Lawyers".
Compare pay in 140 countriesSimilar jobs
- Judicial Law Clerk$64,920
- Administrative Law Judge$117,900
- Arbitrator$75,530
- Judge$154,000
Frequently asked questions
How much does a lawyer make an hour?
The median hourly pay is $76.76 ($159,700 a year).
How much does a lawyer make a month?
About $13,310 a month before tax, based on a median of $159,700 a year.
How much does a lawyer make starting out?
The lowest-paid 10% make $78,360 or less a year ($37.67 an hour); the top 10% make $351,600 or more.
Which state pays lawyers the most?
New York, with a median of $207,900 a year, followed by District of Columbia ($195,200) and California ($195,100).
Which city pays lawyers the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, with a median of $301,300 a year.
How many lawyers are there in the United States?
About 754,500 people work as lawyers.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS): pay in May 2025, published by BLS in 2026. Hourly pay is the yearly figure divided by 2,080 hours.