By Aijaz Alam
How much do lawyers make in the US?
Lawyers in the US earned a median annual wage of $159,670 in May 2025, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a figure that leaves out self-employed lawyers and partners in unincorporated firms. Pay varies widely: the lowest 10% earned under $78,360 and the top 10% over $351,600. New York had the highest state median, $207,860.
- $159,670Median annual wage, US lawyersBLS, May 2025
- $185,840Mean annual wage, US lawyersBLS OEWS, May 2025
- $76.76Median hourly wage, US lawyersBLS OEWS, May 2025; mean $89.35
- 5%Projected growth in lawyer jobs, 2025-2035BLS; 3% for all occupations
The numbers
The full breakdown
How lawyer pay is spread, May 2025
| Measure | Lawyers |
|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earned less than | $78,360 |
| 25th percentile | $102,990 |
| Median | $159,670 |
| 75th percentile | $221,370 |
| Highest 10% earned more than | $351,600 |
| Mean annual wage | $185,840 |
| Median hourly wage | $76.76 |
| Mean hourly wage | $89.35 |
Median and the 10th and 90th percentiles from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook Pay tab; the other rows are Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national estimates for lawyers (23-1011), read through the BLS public API. BLS says these wage data do not cover self-employed workers or owners and partners of unincorporated businesses.
Median annual wage of lawyers in the top industries, May 2025
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Federal government | $178,380 |
| Legal services (law firms) | $157,870 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | $131,390 |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | $115,330 |
Lawyers' median annual wage by state, May 2025: highest, largest and lowest
| State | Median annual wage | Lawyers employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $207,860 | 91,870 |
| District of Columbia | $195,190 | 33,070 |
| California | $195,080 | 95,770 |
| Massachusetts | $176,680 | 23,560 |
| Delaware | $173,510 | 2,920 |
| Illinois | $160,800 | 33,590 |
| Texas | $154,200 | 56,580 |
| Florida | $133,180 | 55,210 |
| South Dakota | $102,040 | 1,360 |
| Kentucky | $101,550 | 5,770 |
| Wyoming | $100,130 | 900 |
| Arkansas | $98,880 | 3,430 |
| Mississippi | $91,690 | 3,100 |
The five highest and five lowest medians among the 50 states and DC, with Illinois, Texas and Florida, which with California and New York are the five states employing the most lawyers. OEWS May 2025 state estimates for occupation 23-1011, read through the BLS public API; wage and salary lawyers only.
Lawyer jobs and outlook, BLS
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Lawyer jobs, 2025 | 863,700 |
| Projected lawyer jobs, 2035 | 904,300 |
| Projected growth, 2025-2035 | 5% (3% for all occupations) |
| Openings each year, on average | About 28,700 |
| Share of lawyers who are self-employed | 11% |
| Share working in legal services firms | 52% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025-35 projections. Jobs here include self-employed lawyers, so they are more than the 754,500 wage and salary lawyers in the OEWS pay data.
Over time
Lawyers' pay in May of each year
| Year | Median annual wage | Mean annual wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $118,160 | $139,880 | 619,530 |
| 2017 | $119,250 | $141,890 | 628,370 |
| 2018 | $120,910 | $144,230 | 642,750 |
| 2019 | $122,960 | $145,300 | 657,170 |
| 2020 | $126,930 | $148,910 | 658,120 |
| 2021 | $127,990 | $148,030 | 681,010 |
| 2022 | $135,740 | $163,770 | 707,160 |
| 2023 | $145,760 | $176,470 | 731,340 |
| 2025 | $159,670 | $185,840 | 754,500 |
OEWS national estimates for lawyers (23-1011), from the BLS May archive page for each year (2016-2023) and the BLS public API (2025). The May 2024 archive page was not reachable on bls.gov, so 2024 is missing. Not adjusted for inflation.
Why sources differ
Same question, different answers
| Number | When | Who measured | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| $159,670 | May 2025 | BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook | Median wage of wage and salary lawyers; excludes self-employed lawyers and partners of unincorporated firms |
| $185,840 | May 2025 | BLS OEWS | Mean wage of the same lawyers; high earners lift the mean above the median |
| $157,870 | May 2025 | BLS, legal services industry | Median for lawyers employed by law firms, below the federal government's $178,380 |
| $207,860 | May 2025 | BLS OEWS, New York | Highest state median; DC and California follow at about $195,000 |
Most lawyer pay figures you will see come from the same BLS survey but use different cuts of it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics median of $159,670 is the middle wage of lawyers employed by someone else in May 2025; BLS says its wage data do not cover self-employed workers or owners and partners of unincorporated businesses, so solo practitioners who own their firm and partners in many law firms are not in it. The mean of $185,840 is higher because a smaller group of very high earners pulls the average up, and the top 10% earned more than $351,600. Lawyers in law firms had a median of $157,870, below lawyers in the federal government ($178,380), and state medians range from $91,690 in Mississippi to $207,860 in New York. Quote the national median with its date, and use the state or industry row when the reader's market differs.
What it means
How to use these numbers
A typical employed US lawyer earns about $160,000 a year, about three times the median for all workers ($50,980). But the law has one of the widest pay spreads of any profession: the bottom tenth earn under $78,360 and the top tenth over $351,600, so the median says little about any one lawyer.
Location is the biggest visible driver. New York, DC and California pay medians near or above $195,000, while Mississippi, Arkansas and Wyoming sit around $90,000 to $100,000. Federal government lawyers out-earn the median law-firm lawyer, which matters for firms recruiting associates.
Pay has risen steadily in money terms, from $118,160 in 2016 to $159,670 in 2025, and BLS expects 5% job growth over the decade, faster than average.
For a law firm owner, these are the salaries to plan against when hiring. Owners and partners themselves are not in the data, so do not use these figures to estimate what a solo practice will earn.
Method and sources
How it was measured
Method
- Publisher
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, Lawyers; Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Sample
- OEWS employer survey estimates for May of each year, national and by state, for occupation 23-1011 Lawyers
- Definition
- Median annual wage: half the workers in the occupation earned more and half earned less. Excludes self-employed workers and owners and partners of unincorporated businesses.
- Released
- OOH Lawyers page last modified 27 August 2026 (May 2025 wages, 2025-35 projections)
- Checked at source
- 31 October 2026: bls.gov OOH Lawyers page, OEWS archive pages for 2016-2023 and the BLS public API (May 2025 OEWS national and state series)
- Next release
- BLS publishes OEWS wages once a year; May 2026 estimates are next
- Last changed
- 31 Oct 2026
- Data files
- CSV · JSON (stable links)
Sources
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, US Bureau of Labor Statistics Official data
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FAQ
More questions people ask
How much do lawyers make an hour?
The median hourly wage for US lawyers was $76.76 in May 2025, and the mean was $89.35 (BLS OEWS). That is pay per hour worked, not the hourly rate a firm bills clients.
Which state pays lawyers the most?
New York, with a median of $207,860 in May 2025, followed by DC ($195,190) and California ($195,080). Mississippi was lowest at $91,690.
Do government lawyers earn more than law firm lawyers?
Federal government lawyers do: their median was $178,380 in May 2025, against $157,870 in legal services firms. State government ($115,330) and local government ($131,390) lawyers earned less.
How much has lawyer pay grown?
The median rose from $118,160 in May 2016 to $159,670 in May 2025, about 35% before inflation, per BLS OEWS.
Every number on this page was checked at its original source (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). Free to cite with a link to this page.