Lawyer earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level lawyer earnings begin at:

$84.97 per hour

$176,750 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level lawyer earnings begin at:

$62.58 per hour

$130,170 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level lawyer earnings begin at:

$44.08 per hour

$91,690 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level lawyer earnings begin at:

$30.60 per hour

$63,650 per year

10th percentile

Starting level lawyer earnings begin at:

$22.92 per hour

$47,670 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Lawyer salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Arkansas $98,880
Mississippi $91,690
Puerto Rico $61,710
New York $207,860
District of Columbia $195,190
California $195,080
Massachusetts $176,680
Delaware $173,510
Colorado $168,520
Virginia $167,210
Connecticut $163,600
New Jersey $161,430
Illinois $160,800
Pennsylvania $157,180
Minnesota $155,140
Texas $154,200
Washington $154,130
Nevada $150,510
Alaska $149,940
Maryland $139,110
Rhode Island $138,960
Oregon $138,210
Tennessee $136,180
Georgia $134,830
Arizona $134,260
Missouri $133,450
Florida $133,180
Utah $132,830
Alabama $131,970
Ohio $131,020
Michigan $130,520
North Carolina $127,710
Vermont $127,310
Indiana $126,860
Wisconsin $126,760
Hawaii $124,990
Iowa $123,550
New Hampshire $120,810
South Carolina $120,310
New Mexico $119,680
Virgin Islands, U.S. $116,840
Maine $113,120
Nebraska $109,170
North Dakota $106,880
Kansas $106,650
Louisiana $104,100
Guam $104,000
Montana $103,720
Idaho $103,400
Oklahoma $103,060
West Virginia $102,420
South Dakota $102,040
Kentucky $101,550
Wyoming $100,130

How much does a Lawyer earn?

Becoming a lawyer is still a financially-booming career path and has significant monetary perks. According to the Bottom Line blog of MSNBC, lawyers were number five on the list with an average salary of $130,490, coming in behind petroleum engineers (average salary of $138,980), chief executive officers (average salary of $176,550), orthodontists and dentists (average salary ranging from $161,750 to $204,670), and doctors and surgeons (average salary ranging from $168,650 to $234,950).

For new lawyers who join high-paying firms like New York’s Cravath, Swaine & Moore or Los Angeles-based Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, first-year compensation for most associates is set at $160,000. Most associates at top firms receive salaries that go up in what’s known as “lockstep” compensation from year to year, from $160,000 to $170,000, $185,000, $210,000, etc. Some firms also give generous bonuses. The nation’s highest-paying firm, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, is known to pay bonuses equal to a full year’s salary.

Do Men or Women Earn More?

Sky Analytics (a legal invoicing company) analyzed $3.4 billion in invoices from more than 3,000 law firms, including many of the largest in the country. It found that no matter what tier firm women work at, determined by the number of attorneys and its geographic footprint, they will be billed at “significantly lower rates per hour” than men, on average getting $47, or 10 percent, less per hour. While 2 percent of men at top tier firms are billed at over $1,000 an hour, virtually no women make that rate, and while about half of them charge more than $500 an hour, less than a third of women bill that rate.

How do lawyer salaries compare to similar careers?

Lawyers earn 30% more than similar careers in Mississippi. On average, they make more than special agents.

Career Median Salary
Lawyer salary $92K
Hearing officer salary $66K
Coroner salary $67K
Customs inspector salary $59K
Special agent salary $59K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)