SolutionsHire top legal talent for any scope of workGet Started Contact us to find the best fit for any in-house or law firm role Testimonials Trusted by the world's leading legal departments FAQ Frequently asked questions about working with Legal.ioEmployer Resources Tools and guides for hiring managers A look at how much lawyers make in every US state, based on statistics by the Bureau of Labor.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national average annual wage of a lawyer is $135,740. Employment of lawyers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.
However, not all jurisdictions are created equal. In the highest paying state, California, lawyers' average salary is $201,530, or about $110,000 more than the average salary of a lawyer in Wyoming, the lowest paying state. The District of Columbia is ahead of California, with an average annual salary of $226,510.
The five highest paying states are California ($201,530), Massachusetts ($196,230), New York ($188,900), Delaware ($176,904) and Connecticut ($174,520). The five lowest paying states are Wyoming ($88,570), Idaho ($96,810), Montana ($98,170), Kentucky ($99,840) and Mississippi ($101,240).
The states that saw the biggest increase in average salary over the last 10 years are Rhode Island (+57.86%), Massachusetts (+46.03%), Indiana (+44.17%), Wisconsin (+40.40) and Tennessee (37.70%). The growth trajectory of the top 10 highest paying states can be visualized as follows:
A full overview of the data is accessible below. Explore Legal.io's Salary Insights for more detailed data per role.
| Rank | State | 2022 Avg. Salary | 2021 Avg. Salary | 2020 Avg. Salary | 2019 Avg. Salary | 2018 Avg. Salary | 2017 Avg. Salary | 2016 Avg. Salary | 2015 Avg. Salary | 2014 Avg. Salary | 2013 Avg. Salary | 5-Year Change | 10-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $201,530 | $176,610 | $179,470 | $173,970 | $171,550 | $168,200 | $162,010 | $163,020 | $158,200 | $155,750 | 19.82% | 29.39% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $196,230 | $167,980 | $169,120 | $164,800 | $165,610 | $157,450 | $158,760 | $152,990 | $144,030 | $134,380 | 24.63% | 46.03% |
| 3 | New York | $188,900 | $179,060 | $174,060 | $168,780 | $167,110 | $165,260 | $161,260 | $155,050 | $154,340 | $153,490 | 14.30% | 23.07% |
| 4 | Delaware | $176,904 | $173,531 | $170,223 | $166,978 | $163,795 | $160,673 | $157,610 | $152,330 | $145,940 | $152,490 | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| 5 | Connecticut | $174,520 | $153,200 | $158,190 | $154,610 | $153,640 | $152,540 | $151,540 | $147,100 | $140,040 | $139,920 | 14.41% | 24.73% |
| 6 | Colorado | $168,680 | $141,760 | $148,330 | $150,630 | $147,560 | $141,200 | $138,130 | $135,880 | $130,620 | $136,120 | 19.46% | 23.92% |
| 7 | Nevada | $166,740 | $135,200 | $129,480 | $131,190 | $138,920 | $138,850 | $134,440 | $120,360 | $123,850 | $122,770 | 20.09% | 35.81% |
| 8 | Texas | $166,620 | $150,350 | $142,730 | $144,110 | $150,250 | $145,800 | $149,400 | $143,490 | $141,240 | $134,200 | 14.28% | 24.16% |
| 9 | Georgia | $165,560 | $133,020 | $140,300 | $130,320 | $128,930 | $136,190 | $133,030 | $130,710 | $132,540 | $137,280 | 21.57% | 20.60% |
| 10 | New Jersey | $163,690 | $153,800 | $151,550 | $147,170 | $139,020 | $140,340 | $144,190 | $145,970 | $140,770 | $133,330 | 16.64% | 22.77% |
| 11 | Minnesota | $163,480 | $133,750 | $131,460 | $124,510 | $119,330 | $124,230 | $133,390 | $128,320 | $128,290 | $126,520 | 31.59% | 29.21% |
| 12 | Virginia | $162,640 | $146,140 | $151,970 | $143,220 | $139,180 | $136,790 | $139,050 | $135,180 | $131,320 | $129,800 | 18.90% | 25.30% |
| 13 | Washington | $162,200 | $136,210 | $131,530 | $129,550 | $136,480 | $129,220 | $126,900 | $124,000 | $120,740 | $119,900 | 25.52% | 35.28% |
| 14 | Maryland | $158,150 | $140,450 | $139,610 | $135,500 | $128,340 | $126,480 | $123,220 | $121,530 | $126,060 | $127,040 | 25.04% | 24.49% |
| 15 | Illinois | $158,030 | $148,280 | $153,720 | $157,010 | $152,980 | $140,920 | $129,070 | $125,920 | $124,680 | $132,910 | 12.14% | 18.90% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $156,300 | $148,770 | $134,370 | $124,600 | $125,330 | $129,410 | $131,430 | $129,100 | $119,010 | $99,010 | 20.78% | 57.86% |
| 17 | Tennessee | $149,050 | $123,180 | $121,790 | $124,370 | $124,470 | $129,830 | $127,700 | $125,530 | $113,580 | $108,240 | 14.80% | 37.70% |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $147,530 | $131,630 | $124,410 | $129,440 | $130,450 | $123,600 | $111,080 | $101,990 | $101,980 | $105,080 | 19.36% | 40.40% |
| 19 | North Carolina | $146,890 | $131,960 | $132,190 | $133,290 | $129,990 | $137,200 | $138,470 | $123,940 | $118,310 | $114,840 | 7.06% | 27.91% |
| 20 | Arizona | $144,890 | $126,600 | $140,520 | $136,170 | $145,750 | $138,680 | $130,630 | $125,660 | $117,380 | $131,200 | 4.48% | 10.43% |
| 21 | Oregon | $144,610 | $139,520 | $128,160 | $116,860 | $119,500 | $117,810 | $114,730 | $117,800 | $114,870 | $111,640 | 22.75% | 29.53% |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $144,570 | $133,330 | $139,120 | $142,890 | $138,610 | $139,050 | $134,600 | $131,090 | $129,460 | $134,250 | 3.97% | 7.69% |
| 23 | Indiana | $143,060 | $123,370 | $117,820 | $111,790 | $113,360 | $113,850 | $114,270 | $110,240 | $103,010 | $99,230 | 25.66% | 44.17% |
| 24 | Missouri | $138,680 | $126,940 | $111,020 | $109,820 | $113,780 | $115,520 | $116,060 | $114,480 | $121,500 | $116,190 | 20.05% | 19.36% |
| 25 | Alabama | $138,250 | $127,910 | $121,130 | $114,240 | $117,100 | $117,640 | $118,420 | $114,820 | $113,010 | $106,790 | 17.52% | 29.46% |
| 26 | Florida | $135,840 | $129,390 | $139,160 | $130,010 | $128,920 | $127,730 | $131,990 | $128,050 | $122,020 | $123,040 | 6.35% | 10.40% |
| 27 | Utah | $133,920 | $129,090 | $141,460 | $134,770 | $112,380 | $109,280 | $108,670 | $113,550 | $118,910 | $115,930 | 22.55% | 15.52% |
| 28 | Ohio | $130,320 | $122,550 | $128,170 | $124,160 | $121,520 | $113,610 | $113,400 | $113,360 | $113,200 | $108,950 | 14.71% | 19.61% |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $130,130 | $124,230 | $129,590 | $126,220 | $125,890 | $119,650 | $115,410 | $114,470 | $111,050 | $112,710 | 8.76% | 15.46% |
| 30 | Louisiana | $127,150 | $110,340 | $112,190 | $108,070 | $105,490 | $101,170 | $105,740 | $111,240 | $113,830 | $110,760 | 25.68% | 14.80% |
| 31 | Michigan | $127,030 | $121,780 | $119,150 | $116,310 | $110,180 | $112,740 | $110,760 | $110,920 | $116,710 | $114,460 | 12.68% | 10.98% |
| 32 | West Virginia | $122,070 | $107,380 | $109,290 | $102,040 | $98,630 | $95,220 | $100,430 | $98,270 | $94,010 | $90,240 | 28.20% | 35.27% |
| 33 | North Dakota | $120,780 | $107,190 | $113,480 | $113,280 | $107,290 | $97,680 | $102,660 | $101,840 | * | $90,850 | 23.65% | 32.94% |
| 34 | Alaska | $120,590 | $113,910 | $116,440 | $115,260 | $121,680 | $122,870 | $123,770 | $121,910 | $117,910 | $120,500 | -1.86% | 0.07% |
| 35 | Nebraska | $119,310 | $106,560 | $118,070 | $112,860 | $108,170 | $110,950 | $107,590 | $106,460 | $93,820 | $95,220 | 7.53% | 25.30% |
| 36 | Iowa | $117,500 | $117,580 | $122,400 | $119,700 | $112,630 | $113,470 | $108,660 | $106,820 | $106,080 | $106,920 | 3.55% | 9.90% |
| 37 | Arkansas | $116,730 | $107,750 | $94,800 | $94,000 | $98,780 | $99,100 | $103,980 | $100,320 | $100,690 | $101,340 | 17.79% | 15.19% |
| 38 | Kansas | $115,860 | $102,640 | $117,910 | $110,290 | $109,020 | $104,730 | $106,470 | $105,790 | $98,850 | $98,750 | 10.63% | 17.33% |
| 39 | South Carolina | $115,230 | $107,780 | $114,320 | $111,090 | $105,320 | $104,300 | $107,230 | $109,250 | $113,760 | $108,790 | 10.48% | 5.92% |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $114,470 | $105,370 | $122,040 | $116,270 | $118,790 | $115,260 | $123,510 | $116,900 | $112,520 | $101,310 | -0.69% | 12.99% |
| 41 | New Mexico | $110,970 | $116,220 | $107,700 | $103,290 | $105,910 | $99,510 | $97,100 | $91,430 | $96,520 | $98,150 | 11.52% | 13.06% |
| 42 | South Dakota | $109,190 | $100,100 | $111,930 | $112,810 | $109,070 | $100,000 | $101,360 | $96,580 | $98,360 | $99,650 | 9.19% | 9.57% |
| 43 | Hawaii | $106,520 | $102,090 | $114,520 | $109,420 | $111,290 | $113,190 | $106,650 | $104,180 | $105,410 | $108,820 | -5.89% | -2.11% |
| 44 | Maine | $102,060 | $100,890 | $98,980 | $106,350 | $107,120 | $102,040 | $106,270 | $99,260 | $100,720 | $93,940 | 0.02% | 8.64% |
| 45 | Vermont | $101,610 | $94,810 | $100,950 | $104,790 | $107,490 | $105,900 | $103,970 | $106,610 | $101,620 | $98,580 | -4.05% | 3.07% |
| 46 | Mississippi | $101,240 | $97,440 | $93,380 | $95,040 | $97,990 | $106,360 | $114,710 | $103,180 | $99,470 | $92,640 | -4.81% | 9.28% |
| 47 | Kentucky | $99,840 | $96,940 | $105,130 | $102,980 | $100,100 | $95,890 | $93,020 | $93,560 | $92,090 | $90,200 | 4.12% | 10.69% |
| 48 | Montana | $98,170 | $96,200 | $93,220 | $83,030 | $88,600 | $83,150 | $83,330 | $82,070 | $75,720 | $75,360 | 18.06% | 30.27% |
| 49 | Idaho | $96,810 | $99,740 | $108,470 | $105,450 | $99,360 | $98,390 | $91,390 | $96,900 | $100,900 | $105,380 | -1.61% | -8.13% |
| 50 | Wyoming | $88,570 | $92,410 | $102,810 | $100,090 | $105,600 | $98,090 | $112,710 | $102,130 | $103,290 | $89,280 | -9.71% | -0.80% |
Source: Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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