Lawyer Salary by State
How much lawyers earn in each state. SOC code 23-1011 (Lawyers). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$159,670Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$185,840Average of all workers
- Median hourly wage$76.76Mean $89.35/hour
- U.S. employment754,500Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateDistrict of Columbia$242,800 mean
- States with data51 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do lawyers make?
Nationally, lawyers earn a median of $159,670 a year and a mean of $185,840 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $102,990 (25th percentile) and $221,370 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $78,360 and the top 10% more than $351,600.
That median is 3.1× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $242,800 in District of Columbia (highest) to $108,930 in Mississippi (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, New York comes out on top at $192,641 in national-average dollars.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $78,360 | $6,530 | $37.67 |
| 25th | $102,990 | $8,582 | $49.51 |
| Median | $159,670 | $13,306 | $76.76 |
| 75th | $221,370 | $18,448 | $106.43 |
| 90th | $351,600 | $29,300 | $169.04 |
| Mean | $185,840 | $15,487 | $89.35 |
25th and 75th percentile hourly figures are annual ÷ 2,080 hours.
Lawyer salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $242,800 | $195,190 | $93.84 | $120,580 | $392,750 | $177,607 | 33,070 |
| California | $230,040 | $195,080 | $93.79 | $97,950 | $369,180 | $176,224 | 95,770 |
| New York | $220,180 | $207,860 | $99.93 | $85,200 | $391,420 | $192,641 | 91,870 |
| Colorado | $206,440 | $168,520 | $81.02 | $83,350 | $336,970 | $163,453 | 16,720 |
| Massachusetts | $205,980 | $176,680 | $84.94 | $82,100 | $374,410 | $166,994 | 23,560 |
| Nevada | $205,630 | $150,510 | $72.36 | $96,010 | $414,290 | $150,510 | 6,490 |
| Delaware | $199,970 | $173,510 | $83.42 | $101,200 | $354,910 | $173,858 | 2,920 |
| Georgia | $191,190 | $134,830 | $64.82 | $58,750 | $317,820 | $140,010 | 23,930 |
| Connecticut | $186,170 | $163,600 | $78.66 | $91,180 | $342,970 | $157,915 | 8,420 |
| New Jersey | $184,090 | $161,430 | $77.61 | $93,810 | $328,270 | $148,373 | 23,160 |
| Illinois | $181,240 | $160,800 | $77.31 | $82,160 | $330,200 | $160,800 | 33,590 |
| Texas | $180,370 | $154,200 | $74.13 | $79,340 | $349,490 | $158,805 | 56,580 |
| Vermont | $179,630 | $127,310 | $61.21 | $85,510 | $336,450 | $129,908 | 1,330 |
| Virginia | $179,240 | $167,210 | $80.39 | $79,330 | $320,220 | $165,391 | 18,580 |
| Indiana | $175,850 | $126,860 | $60.99 | $65,750 | $327,960 | $135,970 | 8,970 |
| Minnesota | $174,300 | $155,140 | $74.59 | $79,820 | $341,170 | $157,343 | 12,380 |
| New Hampshire | $172,990 | $120,810 | $58.08 | $65,670 | $358,300 | $115,940 | 2,250 |
| Wisconsin | $171,200 | $126,760 | $60.94 | $76,010 | $362,040 | $134,708 | 9,160 |
| Washington | $169,940 | $154,130 | $74.10 | $94,260 | $298,210 | $144,047 | 12,770 |
| Utah | $169,480 | $132,830 | $63.86 | $59,990 | $347,090 | $134,307 | 7,020 |
| Pennsylvania | $169,170 | $157,180 | $75.57 | $77,100 | $323,370 | $161,045 | 27,170 |
| Alaska | $167,890 | $149,940 | $72.09 | $86,230 | $281,780 | $146,426 | 1,120 |
| Tennessee | $163,870 | $136,180 | $65.47 | $76,510 | $324,880 | $148,183 | 9,010 |
| Missouri | $162,820 | $133,450 | $64.16 | $67,020 | $299,990 | $146,971 | 11,560 |
| Florida | $162,060 | $133,180 | $64.03 | $75,530 | $301,050 | $128,801 | 55,210 |
| North Carolina | $160,340 | $127,710 | $61.40 | $61,610 | $323,720 | $135,429 | 17,000 |
| Rhode Island | $159,690 | $138,960 | $66.81 | $80,710 | $268,270 | $135,836 | 1,840 |
| Maryland | $157,370 | $139,110 | $66.88 | $81,730 | $269,020 | $132,486 | 13,810 |
| Arizona | $157,190 | $134,260 | $64.55 | $85,990 | $268,170 | $133,327 | 11,640 |
| Oregon | $156,620 | $138,210 | $66.45 | $73,610 | $263,790 | $133,665 | 7,150 |
| Ohio | $151,140 | $131,020 | $62.99 | $69,790 | $269,530 | $141,185 | 19,950 |
| Michigan | $148,820 | $130,520 | $62.75 | $77,180 | $238,370 | $135,676 | 16,620 |
| Alabama | $146,630 | $131,970 | $63.45 | $62,310 | $249,090 | $148,615 | 6,730 |
| Iowa | $144,760 | $123,550 | $59.40 | $63,790 | $268,460 | $140,718 | 3,550 |
| South Carolina | $144,700 | $120,310 | $57.84 | $63,140 | $301,140 | $128,399 | 7,890 |
| New Mexico | $138,250 | $119,680 | $57.54 | $76,100 | $232,890 | $129,805 | 3,380 |
| Nebraska | $133,490 | $109,170 | $52.49 | $65,030 | $217,700 | $121,165 | 3,490 |
| South Dakota | $132,270 | $102,040 | $49.06 | $76,920 | $234,690 | $115,169 | 1,360 |
| Arkansas | $131,680 | $98,880 | $47.54 | $49,900 | $220,660 | $113,786 | 3,430 |
| Kansas | $130,530 | $106,650 | $51.28 | $76,300 | $213,360 | $118,368 | 4,190 |
| Maine | $129,600 | $113,120 | $54.39 | $76,820 | $215,610 | $116,619 | 2,280 |
| North Dakota | $128,680 | $106,880 | $51.39 | $70,500 | $194,840 | $120,090 | 1,050 |
| Louisiana | $127,520 | $104,100 | $50.05 | $50,140 | $227,230 | $118,027 | 10,200 |
| Hawaii | $127,280 | $124,990 | $60.09 | $73,890 | $179,010 | $113,627 | 2,270 |
| Idaho | $125,070 | $103,400 | $49.71 | $50,730 | $216,660 | $108,272 | 2,490 |
| Wyoming | $125,050 | $100,130 | $48.14 | $61,170 | $233,950 | $108,015 | 900 |
| West Virginia | $123,210 | $102,420 | $49.24 | $64,950 | $206,370 | $114,436 | 2,440 |
| Oklahoma | $122,750 | $103,060 | $49.55 | $57,950 | $207,340 | $117,380 | 6,980 |
| Kentucky | $120,730 | $101,550 | $48.82 | $63,010 | $187,180 | $112,583 | 5,770 |
| Montana | $115,830 | $103,720 | $49.87 | $62,090 | $179,620 | $109,641 | 2,380 |
| Mississippi | $108,930 | $91,690 | $44.08 | $47,670 | $176,750 | $105,391 | 3,100 |
Highest median pay
- New York — $207,860
- District of Columbia — $195,190
- California — $195,080
- Massachusetts — $176,680
- Delaware — $173,510
Lowest median pay
- Mississippi — $91,690
- Arkansas — $98,880
- Wyoming — $100,130
- Kentucky — $101,550
- South Dakota — $102,040
Best pay after cost of living
- New York — $192,641
- District of Columbia — $177,607
- California — $176,224
- Delaware — $173,858
- Massachusetts — $166,994
The most lawyers work in California (95,770 jobs), New York and Texas.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a lawyer make?
The national median wage for lawyers is $159,670 a year and the mean is $185,840, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays lawyers the most?
District of Columbia has the highest mean wage for lawyers at $242,800, and New York has the highest median at $207,860.
Which state pays lawyers the least?
Mississippi has the lowest mean wage for lawyers among states with published data, at $108,930.
Where do lawyers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, New York ranks first at $192,641 in national-average dollars, followed by District of Columbia and California.