How Much Do Lawyers Make? Attorney Salary Data
BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS occupation: SOC 23-1011 Lawyers
Lawyers earned a median $159,670 a year, or $76.76 an hour, in May 2025.
The middle half of lawyers earned between $102,990 and $221,370, and the 90th percentile was about $351,600.
All lawyers, wage-and-salary workers; excludes the self-employed and partners paid from firm profits.
Annual figures are BLS hourly wages × 2,080 hours.
OEWS covers wage-and-salary workers only, so it leaves out the self-employed, overtime pay and most bonuses.
How pay spreads across Lawyers
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $78,360 | $37.67 |
| 25th | $102,990 | $49.51 |
| 50th (median) | $159,670 | $76.76 |
| 75th | $221,370 | $106.43 |
| 90th | about $351,600 | about $169.04 |
| Mean (average) | $185,840 | $89.35 |
SOC 23-1011 Lawyers: 754,500 wage-and-salary jobs, BLS OEWS May 2025.
BLS marks lawyer wages of $239,200 a year ($115 an hour) or more with a footnote in its own tables; values at or above that line are shown as "about" because BLS does not publish them as precise.
Pay by employer type
| Employer sector (BLS) | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Legal Services (NAICS 5411) | $157,870 |
| Federal Executive Branch | $178,380 |
| State Government excl. schools/hospitals | $115,330 |
| Local Government excl. schools/hospitals | $131,350 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises (in-house proxy) | $223,560 |
Median annual wage for SOC 23-1011 Lawyers by industry, BLS OEWS May 2025.
What new lawyers earn
NALP's 2025 Associate Salary Survey put the median first-year associate base salary at $200,000 as of January 1, 2025, and $215,000 at firms of more than 700 lawyers.
Among firms of 250 or fewer lawyers, a first-year salary of $150,000 or less was the most common answer, given by 44% of offices.
NALP's salary curve for the Class of 2025 has two peaks: salaries of $60,000 to $100,000 made up half of 22,715 reported full-time salaries, while $225,000 accounted for 21.5%.
NALP says the unadjusted mean starting salary overstates the true average by about 5.5%, because large-firm salaries are reported more completely.
The associate survey is large-firm heavy and predates the 2026 raises, so treat it as a large-firm snapshot, not what most new lawyers earn.
Source: NALP 2025 Associate Salary Survey and NALP Class of 2025 salary distribution.
NALP surveys law firms and graduates; it is a different dataset from BLS OEWS and the two should not be mixed.
Lawyer Salary by State
Median annual wage for SOC 23-1011 Lawyers in each state BLS published, BLS OEWS May 2025, alphabetical. "vs. U.S." compares the state median with the national median of $159,670; it is not adjusted for living costs.
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th–90th | Jobs | vs. U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $131,970 | $63.45 | $62,310–about $249,090 | 6,730 | −17% |
| Alaska | $149,940 | $72.09 | $86,230–about $281,780 | 1,120 | −6% |
| Arizona | $134,260 | $64.55 | $85,990–about $268,170 | 11,640 | −16% |
| Arkansas | $98,880 | $47.54 | $49,900–$220,660 | 3,430 | −38% |
| California | $195,080 | $93.79 | $97,950–about $369,180 | 95,770 | +22% |
| Colorado | $168,520 | $81.02 | $83,350–about $336,970 | 16,720 | +6% |
| Connecticut | $163,600 | $78.66 | $91,180–about $342,970 | 8,420 | +2% |
| Delaware | $173,510 | $83.42 | $101,200–about $354,910 | 2,920 | +9% |
| District of Columbia | $195,190 | $93.84 | $120,580–about $392,750 | 33,070 | +22% |
| Florida | $133,180 | $64.03 | $75,530–about $301,050 | 55,210 | −17% |
| Georgia | $134,830 | $64.82 | $58,750–about $317,820 | 23,930 | −16% |
| Hawaii | $124,990 | $60.09 | $73,890–$179,010 | 2,270 | −22% |
| Idaho | $103,400 | $49.71 | $50,730–$216,660 | 2,490 | −35% |
| Illinois | $160,800 | $77.31 | $82,160–about $330,200 | 33,590 | +1% |
| Indiana | $126,860 | $60.99 | $65,750–about $327,960 | 8,970 | −21% |
| Iowa | $123,550 | $59.40 | $63,790–about $268,460 | 3,550 | −23% |
| Kansas | $106,650 | $51.28 | $76,300–$213,360 | 4,190 | −33% |
| Kentucky | $101,550 | $48.82 | $63,010–$187,180 | 5,770 | −36% |
| Louisiana | $104,100 | $50.05 | $50,140–$227,230 | 10,200 | −35% |
| Maine | $113,120 | $54.39 | $76,820–$215,610 | 2,280 | −29% |
| Maryland | $139,110 | $66.88 | $81,730–about $269,020 | 13,810 | −13% |
| Massachusetts | $176,680 | $84.94 | $82,100–about $374,410 | 23,560 | +11% |
| Michigan | $130,520 | $62.75 | $77,180–$238,370 | 16,620 | −18% |
| Minnesota | $155,140 | $74.59 | $79,820–about $341,170 | 12,380 | −3% |
| Mississippi | $91,690 | $44.08 | $47,670–$176,750 | 3,100 | −43% |
| Missouri | $133,450 | $64.16 | $67,020–about $299,990 | 11,560 | −16% |
| Montana | $103,720 | $49.87 | $62,090–$179,620 | 2,380 | −35% |
| Nebraska | $109,170 | $52.49 | $65,030–$217,700 | 3,490 | −32% |
| Nevada | $150,510 | $72.36 | $96,010–about $414,290 | 6,490 | −6% |
| New Hampshire | $120,810 | $58.08 | $65,670–about $358,300 | 2,250 | −24% |
| New Jersey | $161,430 | $77.61 | $93,810–about $328,270 | 23,160 | +1% |
| New Mexico | $119,680 | $57.54 | $76,100–$232,890 | 3,380 | −25% |
| New York | $207,860 | $99.93 | $85,200–about $391,420 | 91,870 | +30% |
| North Carolina | $127,710 | $61.40 | $61,610–about $323,720 | 17,000 | −20% |
| North Dakota | $106,880 | $51.39 | $70,500–$194,840 | 1,050 | −33% |
| Ohio | $131,020 | $62.99 | $69,790–about $269,530 | 19,950 | −18% |
| Oklahoma | $103,060 | $49.55 | $57,950–$207,340 | 6,980 | −35% |
| Oregon | $138,210 | $66.45 | $73,610–about $263,790 | 7,150 | −13% |
| Pennsylvania | $157,180 | $75.57 | $77,100–about $323,370 | 27,170 | −2% |
| Rhode Island | $138,960 | $66.81 | $80,710–about $268,270 | 1,840 | −13% |
| South Carolina | $120,310 | $57.84 | $63,140–about $301,140 | 7,890 | −25% |
| South Dakota | $102,040 | $49.06 | $76,920–$234,690 | 1,360 | −36% |
| Tennessee | $136,180 | $65.47 | $76,510–about $324,880 | 9,010 | −15% |
| Texas | $154,200 | $74.13 | $79,340–about $349,490 | 56,580 | −3% |
| Utah | $132,830 | $63.86 | $59,990–about $347,090 | 7,020 | −17% |
| Vermont | $127,310 | $61.21 | $85,510–about $336,450 | 1,330 | −20% |
| Virginia | $167,210 | $80.39 | $79,330–about $320,220 | 18,580 | +5% |
| Washington | $154,130 | $74.10 | $94,260–about $298,210 | 12,770 | −3% |
| West Virginia | $102,420 | $49.24 | $64,950–$206,370 | 2,440 | −36% |
| Wisconsin | $126,760 | $60.94 | $76,010–about $362,040 | 9,160 | −21% |
| Wyoming | $100,130 | $48.14 | $61,170–$233,950 | 900 | −37% |
BLS marks lawyer wages of $239,200 a year ($115 an hour) or more with a footnote in its own tables; values at or above that line are shown as "about" because BLS does not publish them as precise.
Job outlook
BLS projects lawyer employment to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 28,700 openings a year, many from replacing lawyers who retire or change careers.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (Occupational Outlook Handbook).
Pay by attorney role
BLS publishes one lawyer occupation.
It has no split by practice area, seniority or employer, so every attorney role below shows the same all-lawyer median as a labelled proxy; each role page explains what that number can and cannot say.
| Role | Median shown | What the number is |
|---|---|---|
| Attorney | $159,670 | BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Associate Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Senior Associate | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Of Counsel | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Law Firm Partner | $159,670 | Weak proxy: employed lawyers only (SOC 23-1011) |
| Personal Injury Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Family Law Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Criminal Defense Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Immigration Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Estate Planning Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Real Estate Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Employment Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Bankruptcy Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Workers' Compensation Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Insurance Defense Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Corporate Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Litigation Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Intellectual Property Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Tax Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| In-House Counsel | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Contract Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Document Review Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Public Defender | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Prosecutor | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
| Government Attorney | $159,670 | Proxy: broader BLS occupation (SOC 23-1011) |
What these figures leave out
OEWS wage estimates exclude self-employed workers, so they do not measure what solo practitioners or equity partners earn.
BLS footnotes lawyer wages of $239,200 a year or more in its own tables.
The figures above that line on this page are shown as "about" for that reason.
OEWS wage figures leave out most bonuses, so at firms that pay year-end or special bonuses, total pay runs higher than the wage shown here.
Lawyer salary questions
01How much do lawyers make a year?
The median annual wage for lawyers was $159,670 in May 2025 (BLS OEWS).
Half earned more and half earned less.
The 10th percentile was $78,360 and the 90th percentile about $351,600.
02How much do lawyers make an hour?
The median hourly wage was $76.76 in May 2025.
BLS converts between hourly and annual figures at 2,080 hours a year, so this is the same median expressed per hour, before overtime or bonuses.
03How much do lawyers make a month?
BLS does not publish a monthly figure.
Dividing the $159,670 annual median by 12 gives about $13,306 a month before tax; that is our arithmetic, not a BLS statistic.
04Which state pays lawyers the most?
New York had the highest median in May 2025 at $207,860.
Mississippi had the lowest at $91,690.
These are not adjusted for living costs; the state table above lists every state BLS published.
05What is the average lawyer salary?
The mean (average) annual wage was $185,840 in May 2025, above the $159,670 median because a smaller number of very high earners pull the average up.
The median is the better guide to a typical salary.
06Do these figures include law firm partners and solo lawyers?
No. OEWS covers wage-and-salary employees and leaves out the self-employed, so it does not measure what solo practitioners or equity partners earn from their own practices.