Lawyers Salary
Salary data across 60 metro areas in the US & CanadaUSD & CAD
Search Jobs on IndeedAvg Median Salary
$145,767
Highest Paying City
San Francisco
$204,000
Cities Tracked
60
What Do Lawyers Do?
Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes. They research laws, draft legal documents, negotiate settlements, and advocate for clients in courtrooms and before regulatory bodies.
Most work in law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies, or courtrooms. Hours can be long, especially for attorneys working on complex cases or transactions.
Key Skills for Lawyers
Education Requirements
Juris Doctor (JD) degree for lawyers; associate's or bachelor's degree for support roles
Lawyers must earn a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and pass the state bar exam. Paralegals and legal assistants typically need an associate's or bachelor's degree, and some earn professional certifications.
Career Outlook
Employment is expected to grow about as fast as average, with demand for legal services continuing across corporate, government, and private practice settings.
How to Increase Your Lawyers Salary
- 1.Build a strong professional network through bar associations and legal organizations
- 2.Develop expertise in legal technology and e-discovery tools
- 3.Consider additional certifications or an LLM for specialized practice areas
- 4.Gain trial experience or develop alternative dispute resolution skills
- 5.Stay current with changes in laws and regulations in your practice area
Lawyers Salary by City
| City | Median | Average | Range (10th-90th) | Currency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $204,000 | $214,000 | $102,000 - $280,000 | USD | Apply |
| San Jose, CA | $202,000 | $216,000 | $101,000 - $278,000 | USD | Apply |
| Seattle, WA | $191,000 | $213,000 | $96,000 - $263,000 | USD | Apply |
| Boston, MA | $183,000 | $204,000 | $92,000 - $252,000 | USD | Apply |
| Washington DC, DC | $180,000 | $201,000 | $90,000 - $248,000 | USD | Apply |
| New York, NY | $179,000 | $198,000 | $90,000 - $246,000 | USD | Apply |
| San Diego, CA | $172,000 | $187,000 | $86,000 - $236,000 | USD | Apply |
| Los Angeles, CA | $168,000 | $186,000 | $84,000 - $231,000 | USD | Apply |
| Denver, CO | $164,000 | $171,000 | $82,000 - $226,000 | USD | Apply |
| Austin, TX | $163,000 | $170,000 | $82,000 - $224,000 | USD | Apply |
| Minneapolis, MN | $162,000 | $181,000 | $81,000 - $223,000 | USD | Apply |
| Portland, OR | $162,000 | $171,000 | $81,000 - $223,000 | USD | Apply |
| Sacramento, CA | $161,000 | $179,000 | $80,000 - $221,000 | USD | Apply |
| Honolulu, HI | $161,000 | $180,000 | $80,000 - $221,000 | USD | Apply |
| Philadelphia, PA | $159,000 | $174,000 | $80,000 - $219,000 | USD | Apply |
| Baltimore, MD | $158,000 | $176,000 | $79,000 - $217,000 | USD | Apply |
| Hartford, CT | $157,000 | $163,000 | $78,000 - $216,000 | USD | Apply |
| Anchorage, AK | $156,000 | $169,000 | $78,000 - $214,000 | USD | Apply |
| Houston, TX | $152,000 | $166,000 | $76,000 - $209,000 | USD | Apply |
| Dallas, TX | $150,000 | $159,000 | $82,000 - $201,000 | USD | Apply |
| Atlanta, GA | $150,000 | $162,000 | $82,000 - $201,000 | USD | Apply |
| Chicago, IL | $149,000 | $166,000 | $82,000 - $199,000 | USD | Apply |
| Raleigh, NC | $148,000 | $158,000 | $81,000 - $198,000 | USD | Apply |
| Detroit, MI | $147,000 | $164,000 | $81,000 - $197,000 | USD | Apply |
| Charlotte, NC | $146,000 | $157,000 | $80,000 - $195,000 | USD | Apply |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $146,000 | $161,000 | $80,000 - $195,000 | USD | Apply |
| Phoenix, AZ | $145,000 | $161,000 | $80,000 - $194,000 | USD | Apply |
| Nashville, TN | $143,000 | $146,000 | $79,000 - $191,000 | USD | Apply |
| Richmond, VA | $142,000 | $159,000 | $78,000 - $190,000 | USD | Apply |
| Kansas City, MO | $141,000 | $155,000 | $78,000 - $189,000 | USD | Apply |
| Cincinnati, OH | $141,000 | $149,000 | $78,000 - $189,000 | USD | Apply |
| Milwaukee, WI | $141,000 | $156,000 | $78,000 - $189,000 | USD | Apply |
| Columbus, OH | $140,000 | $156,000 | $77,000 - $187,000 | USD | Apply |
| Las Vegas, NV | $139,000 | $154,000 | $76,000 - $186,000 | USD | Apply |
| Orlando, FL | $138,000 | $146,000 | $76,000 - $185,000 | USD | Apply |
| Cleveland, OH | $138,000 | $149,000 | $76,000 - $185,000 | USD | Apply |
| Buffalo, NY | $138,000 | $145,000 | $76,000 - $185,000 | USD | Apply |
| Toronto, ON | $138,000 | $144,000 | $76,000 - $185,000 | CAD | Apply |
| Miami, FL | $137,000 | $142,000 | $75,000 - $183,000 | USD | Apply |
| Tampa, FL | $137,000 | $153,000 | $75,000 - $183,000 | USD | Apply |
| Indianapolis, IN | $137,000 | $151,000 | $75,000 - $183,000 | USD | Apply |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $137,000 | $144,000 | $75,000 - $183,000 | USD | Apply |
| St. Louis, MO | $136,000 | $143,000 | $75,000 - $182,000 | USD | Apply |
| San Antonio, TX | $135,000 | $145,000 | $74,000 - $181,000 | USD | Apply |
| New Orleans, LA | $135,000 | $146,000 | $74,000 - $181,000 | USD | Apply |
| Birmingham, AL | $134,000 | $140,000 | $74,000 - $179,000 | USD | Apply |
| Jacksonville, FL | $132,000 | $147,000 | $73,000 - $177,000 | USD | Apply |
| Louisville, KY | $132,000 | $143,000 | $73,000 - $177,000 | USD | Apply |
| Tucson, AZ | $131,000 | $139,000 | $72,000 - $175,000 | USD | Apply |
| Vancouver, BC | $131,000 | $142,000 | $72,000 - $175,000 | CAD | Apply |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $129,000 | $142,000 | $71,000 - $173,000 | USD | Apply |
| Memphis, TN | $129,000 | $137,000 | $71,000 - $173,000 | USD | Apply |
| Calgary, AB | $127,000 | $137,000 | $70,000 - $170,000 | CAD | Apply |
| Ottawa, ON | $124,000 | $138,000 | $68,000 - $166,000 | CAD | Apply |
| Edmonton, AB | $124,000 | $138,000 | $68,000 - $166,000 | CAD | Apply |
| Hamilton, ON | $114,000 | $118,000 | $63,000 - $152,000 | CAD | Apply |
| Montreal, QC | $112,000 | $122,000 | $62,000 - $150,000 | CAD | Apply |
| Halifax, NS | $108,000 | $117,000 | $59,000 - $144,000 | CAD | Apply |
| Winnipeg, MB | $107,000 | $113,000 | $59,000 - $143,000 | CAD | Apply |
| Quebec City, QC | $104,000 | $110,000 | $57,000 - $139,000 | CAD | Apply |