Lawyer earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level lawyer earnings begin at:

$76.19 per hour

$158,480 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level lawyer earnings begin at:

$58.35 per hour

$121,360 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level lawyer earnings begin at:

$48.02 per hour

$99,880 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level lawyer earnings begin at:

$37.16 per hour

$77,280 per year

10th percentile

Starting level lawyer earnings begin at:

$29.51 per hour

$61,380 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Lawyer salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Hawaii $99,880
Louisiana $99,490
Iowa $98,870
Nebraska $98,870
West Virginia $98,870
New Hampshire $98,820
North Dakota $95,840
South Carolina $95,400
Oklahoma $94,250
Kansas $91,090
New Mexico $90,000
Kentucky $82,150
South Dakota $81,240
Idaho $80,860
Arkansas $80,750
Montana $80,750
Mississippi $80,650
Maine $80,450
Vermont $78,480
Wyoming $77,010
Puerto Rico $58,660
District of Columbia $172,490
New York $164,180
California $162,700
Massachusetts $153,570
Rhode Island $151,300
Delaware $137,890
New Jersey $132,660
Connecticut $132,300
Virginia $131,520
Texas $131,150
Illinois $129,090
Nevada $128,370
Oregon $128,000
Washington $127,660
Colorado $126,990
Maryland $126,360
Minnesota $124,560
Pennsylvania $121,060
Virgin Islands, U.S. $116,840
Wisconsin $115,340
Alabama $110,730
North Carolina $105,140
Utah $104,100
Georgia $103,750
Missouri $103,750
Alaska $103,680
Guam $103,010
Arizona $102,390
Ohio $102,290
Tennessee $101,270
Michigan $101,190
Indiana $101,110
Florida $100,420

How do lawyer salaries compare to similar careers?

Lawyers earn about the same as related careers in Hawaii. On average, they make less than compliance managers but more than coroners.

Career Median Salary
Compliance manager salary $108K
Customs inspector salary $100K
Detective salary $100K
Special agent salary $100K
Lawyer salary $100K
Hearing officer salary $99K
Sheriff salary $79K
Police officer salary $79K
Coroner salary $67K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)