Lawyers salary
Lawyers earn a median of $159,670 a year ($76.76/hr) in the U.S. – from $91,690 in Mississippi to $207,860 in New York. Enter your pay below to see how you compare.
Median pay, United States$76.76/hr · $159,670 a year
Pay range
90% earn more$78,360$37.67/hr
75% earn more$102,990$49.51/hr
half earn more, half less$159,670$76.76/hr
25% earn more$221,370$106.43/hr
top 10% earn more$351,600$169.04/hr
pulled up by top earners$185,840$89.35/hr
How does my pay compare?
Enter your pay to see where you stand among lawyers. Nothing you type leaves your device.
Pay by state
States ranked by median annual wage for lawyers. Tap a state for its minimum wage.
91,870 jobs · $99.93/hr$207,860
33,070 jobs · $93.84/hr$195,190
95,770 jobs · $93.79/hr$195,080
23,560 jobs · $84.94/hr$176,680
2,920 jobs · $83.42/hr$173,510
16,720 jobs · $81.02/hr$168,520
18,580 jobs · $80.39/hr$167,210
8,420 jobs · $78.66/hr$163,600
23,160 jobs · $77.61/hr$161,430
33,590 jobs · $77.31/hr$160,800
27,170 jobs · $75.57/hr$157,180
12,380 jobs · $74.59/hr$155,140
56,580 jobs · $74.13/hr$154,200
12,770 jobs · $74.10/hr$154,130
6,490 jobs · $72.36/hr$150,510
1,120 jobs · $72.09/hr$149,940
13,810 jobs · $66.88/hr$139,110
1,840 jobs · $66.81/hr$138,960
7,150 jobs · $66.45/hr$138,210
9,010 jobs · $65.47/hr$136,180
23,930 jobs · $64.82/hr$134,830
11,640 jobs · $64.55/hr$134,260
11,560 jobs · $64.16/hr$133,450
55,210 jobs · $64.03/hr$133,180
7,020 jobs · $63.86/hr$132,830
6,730 jobs · $63.45/hr$131,970
19,950 jobs · $62.99/hr$131,020
16,620 jobs · $62.75/hr$130,520
17,000 jobs · $61.40/hr$127,710
1,330 jobs · $61.21/hr$127,310
8,970 jobs · $60.99/hr$126,860
9,160 jobs · $60.94/hr$126,760
2,270 jobs · $60.09/hr$124,990
3,550 jobs · $59.40/hr$123,550
2,250 jobs · $58.08/hr$120,810
7,890 jobs · $57.84/hr$120,310
3,380 jobs · $57.54/hr$119,680
2,280 jobs · $54.39/hr$113,120
3,490 jobs · $52.49/hr$109,170
1,050 jobs · $51.39/hr$106,880
4,190 jobs · $51.28/hr$106,650
10,200 jobs · $50.05/hr$104,100
2,380 jobs · $49.87/hr$103,720
2,490 jobs · $49.71/hr$103,400
6,980 jobs · $49.55/hr$103,060
2,440 jobs · $49.24/hr$102,420
1,360 jobs · $49.06/hr$102,040
5,770 jobs · $48.82/hr$101,550
900 jobs · $48.14/hr$100,130
3,430 jobs · $47.54/hr$98,880
3,100 jobs · $44.08/hr$91,690
No wage estimate published for: Puerto Rico.
Related jobs
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), SOC code 23-1011. Wages exclude the self-employed. All jobs · Minimum wage by state
Questions & answers
How much do lawyers make?
The median wage for lawyers in the U.S. was $76.76 an hour or $159,670 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $102,990 and $221,370 a year.
Which state pays lawyers the most?
New York has the highest median wage for lawyers: $207,860 a year. The lowest published median is in Mississippi at $91,690. Living costs also differ a lot between states.
How many lawyers are there?
BLS estimates 754,500 lawyers were employed in the U.S. in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
What is the difference between median and average pay?
The median is the middle wage: half of workers earn more and half earn less. The average (mean) adds everyone up and divides, so a few very high earners pull it up. The median is usually the better guide to typical pay.
What does the 10th or 90th percentile mean?
The 10th percentile is the wage that only 10% of workers earn less than – often entry-level pay. The 90th percentile is the wage that only 10% earn more than – usually the most experienced or highest-paid workers.