Lawyer Salary in United States
Lawyers in United States have a median annual salary of $159,670, which works out to about $76.76 per hour, with a typical 25th–75th percentile range of $102,990 to $221,370, based on the latest BLS OEWS data.
23-1011 · Lawyers
Lawyer pay in United States at a glance
Median annual salary
$159,670
Median hourly wage
$76.76/hr
Average annual salary
$185,840
Average hourly wage
$89.35/hr
25th percentile
$102,990
75th percentile
$221,370
10th percentile
$78,360
90th percentile
$351,600
People employed
754,500
Salary distribution
Reported wage points from the lowest to the highest paid lawyer roles in United States.
- 10th percentile
- $78,360
- 25th percentile
- $102,990
- Median percentile
- $159,670
- 75th percentile
- $221,370
- 90th percentile
- $351,600
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How much does a lawyer make in United States?
Half of lawyer roles in United States report earning more than $159,670 a year and half report earning less — that is the median. The mean (average) of $185,840 is pulled up or down by the highest and lowest earners, which is why the median is usually the better benchmark.
Salary range
A quarter of reported salaries fall below $102,990 and a quarter are above $221,370, so most lawyer pay sits between those two figures. These percentiles describe how pay is spread across all reported roles — they are not a direct measure of years of experience.
What can affect lawyer pay?
- Years of experience and level of responsibility
- Employer type and size
- Specialization within the occupation
- Certifications and licensing
- Industry
- Hours worked, shift patterns and overtime
- The local labor market where the job is based
Related salary pages
Lawyer pay in other states
- Lawyer Salary in New York
- Lawyer Salary in District of Columbia
- Lawyer Salary in California
- Lawyer Salary in Massachusetts
- Lawyer Salary in Delaware
- Lawyer Salary in Colorado
- Lawyer Salary in Virginia
- Lawyer Salary in Connecticut
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