The average salary for a lawyer in the United States is $176,470, but the range typically falls between $98,030 and $217,360. This corresponds to an average hourly wage of $84.84, with a range between $47.13 and $104.5.
There are approximately 731,340 people employed as a lawyer in the United States. With California, New York, Florida employing the highest number of lawyers.The state with the best pay for a lawyer is California, with an average annual salary of $213,860, while Kentucky has the lowest average annual salary of $112,900.
| Annual Salary | Hourly Wage | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $69,760 | $33.54 |
| 25th Percentile | $98,030 | $47.13 |
| Median | $145,760 | $70.08 |
| 75th Percentile | $217,360 | $104.5 |
| 90th Percentile | >$239,200 | >$115.00 |
The salary of a lawyer can vary depending on the state. Below is a map of the United States showing the average annual salary for a lawyer in each state. The darker the color, the higher the salary. The best states for lawyers are California, District of Columbia, Delaware, New York, Colorado while the worst states are Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico.
| State | Low-end | Average | High-end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $60,040 | $135,680 | $212,620 |
| Alaska | $83,450 | $136,740 | $185,180 |
| Arizona | $74,050 | $152,690 | >$239,200 |
| Arkansas | $35,980 | $113,860 | $208,680 |
| California | $97,220 | $213,860 | >$239,200 |
| Colorado | $78,710 | $194,760 | >$239,200 |
| Connecticut | $79,160 | $195,730 | >$239,200 |
| Delaware | $99,850 | $212,360 | >$239,200 |
| District of Columbia | $112,010 | $238,990 | >$239,200 |
| Florida | $57,890 | $147,320 | >$239,200 |
| Georgia | $61,550 | $169,870 | >$239,200 |
| Hawaii | $77,520 | $117,620 | $170,340 |
| Idaho | $51,990 | $118,500 | $196,360 |
| Illinois | $67,620 | $178,380 | >$239,200 |
| Indiana | $67,060 | $144,500 | >$239,200 |
| Iowa | $63,670 | $125,090 | $199,680 |
| Kansas | $60,570 | $124,700 | $205,420 |
| Kentucky | $49,050 | $112,900 | $201,890 |
| Louisiana | $58,000 | $135,780 | $233,410 |
| Maine | $59,550 | $117,960 | $210,160 |
| Maryland | $70,380 | $159,510 | >$239,200 |
| Massachusetts | $76,060 | $188,960 | >$239,200 |
| Michigan | $62,820 | $137,960 | $215,040 |
| Minnesota | $78,650 | $163,560 | >$239,200 |
| Mississippi | $46,870 | $114,400 | $199,990 |
| Missouri | $63,500 | $146,870 | $226,670 |
| Montana | $56,090 | $102,480 | $171,340 |
| Nebraska | $64,040 | $124,780 | $209,290 |
| Nevada | $71,140 | $159,840 | >$239,200 |
| New Hampshire | $73,120 | $146,840 | $218,440 |
| New Jersey | $79,800 | $177,230 | >$239,200 |
| New Mexico | $61,670 | $117,340 | $188,870 |
| New York | $78,310 | $208,480 | >$239,200 |
| North Carolina | $59,450 | $165,410 | >$239,200 |
| North Dakota | $78,020 | $128,030 | $210,110 |
| Ohio | $63,150 | $139,790 | $234,310 |
| Oklahoma | $63,760 | $127,010 | $212,360 |
| Oregon | $61,260 | $151,770 | >$239,200 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,030 | $159,290 | >$239,200 |
| Rhode Island | $80,490 | $150,810 | $224,190 |
| South Carolina | $52,410 | $119,230 | $214,920 |
| Tennessee | $64,110 | $155,100 | >$239,200 |
| Texas | $82,100 | $177,890 | >$239,200 |
| Utah | $64,090 | $147,900 | >$239,200 |
| Vermont | $66,870 | $111,490 | $175,740 |
| Virginia | $78,060 | $181,410 | >$239,200 |
| West Virginia | $59,710 | $114,460 | $187,120 |
| Wisconsin | $60,730 | $150,370 | >$239,200 |
Even between cities, the salary of a lawyer can vary. For example, the areas with the highest average salary for lawyers is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area, CA with an average salary of $268,570.The city with the lowest average salary for lawyers is Hot Springs, AR with an average salary of $73,870.
Areas with highest average salaries for lawyers
Areas with lowest average salaries for lawyers
The number of lawyers in the United States has been increasing over the years. Since 2020, the number of lawyers has increased by 73,220. On average, the number of lawyers has been increasing by 2.8% each year. The salary of lawyers has been increasing. Since 2020, the salary of lawyers has increased by $27,560. On average, the salary of lawyers has been increasing by 4.6% each year.
Lawyers are part of the legal occupations group. Below is a comparison of the average annual salary for lawyers compared to other jobs in the same occupation group. View all legal occupations jobs here.
$64,880 per year
$119,940 per year
$59,440 per year
$82,960 per year
$66,460 per year
$139,000 per year
