How much do lawyers make? Averages by industry and state
Key takeaways
- The median annual salary for lawyers was $145,760 in 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- The highest average lawyer salaries are for people based in the District of Columbia, California and Delaware.
- According to a survey conducted by the American Bar Association, the average student debt for lawyers in 2021 was $130,000.
On average, lawyers have annual salaries of well over six figures. But that’s an average — how much you earn will depend on many factors, including where you live, the industry you choose to work in and what type of lawyer you become. Earning a law degree can lead to a lucrative and rewarding career, but a potential trade-off is that you may have to take on significant debt to cover law school tuition.
How much money do lawyers make?
The average lawyer salary in the United States is $176,470, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Of course, as in most professions, your earnings as an attorney will likely begin on the lower side and increase over time. The BLS reports that the average lawyer salary ranges from $69,760 to $239,200. The assumption is that lower salaries go to those just starting, and attorneys who earn at the higher end of the scale are years or even decades into their careers. The average salary for lawyers can also depend on the type of law you practice and the industries you tend to work with.
However, that number can be much higher depending on your location and the size of the law firm. The National Association of Law Placement (NALP), for instance, reports a median starting salary of $200,000.
Lawyer salaries by industry
The amount of money an individual attorney makes depends on what industry they’re in and what type of law they practice.
Here are some of the best-paying industries, according to the BLS:
- Water, Sewage and Other Systems: $315,000
- Other Ambulatory Health Care Services: $303,190
- Clothing Retailers: $301,780
- Motion Picture and Video: $280,910
- Performing Arts, Sports and Similar Event Promoters: $279,510
And some of the worst paying industries, according to data from the BLS and Indeed:
- State government, excluding education and hospitals: $100,670
- Public defenders: $86,749
Lawyer salaries by state
The state you live in, and specific metropolitan areas, can also play a significant role in your salary as a lawyer. States with the highest annual mean wages for lawyers include:
| State | Average lawyer salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $238,990 |
| California | $213,860 |
| Delaware | $212,360 |
| New York | $208,480 |
| Connecticut | $195,730 |
If you plan to live in a big city or a major metropolitan area, you should also know which regions have the highest annual salaries nationwide. The highest-paid metropolitan areas currently include:
| Metropolitan area | Average lawyer salary |
|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $213,420 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $223,890 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $219,740 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL, IN and WI | $186,340 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $154,810 |
What other careers can law students pursue?
After you graduate with a law degree, there’s a possibility you could end up working in another related field. Some of the top related careers for people with law degrees fall within the fields of corrections, law enforcement and politics.
If you have some flexibility in your desired career field, BLS lists average salaries as the following:
| Job | Average salary |
|---|---|
| Arbitrators, mediators and conciliators | $95,370 |
| Bailiffs | $58,460 |
| Judges, magistrate judges and magistrates | $139,000 |
| Law teachers, postsecondary | $142,440 |
| Legal support workers | $82,960 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | $66,460 |
| Political scientists | $132,020 |
Is a law degree worth it?
Law school can potentially be a stepping stone toward a successful and lucrative career in the legal field. But you’ll need to consider whether the average lawyer salary is worth everything you’ll have to give up along the way.
Before applying to law school – and especially before you enroll – you should take the time to ask yourself some important questions, like:
- What is the cost of tuition? The average annual law school tuition is around $29,610 for in-state students at public universities, according to the most recent figures from Law School Transparency. Graduate students attending private law schools face a much higher price tag of $53,034.
- Do you plan to attend a top school? If you plan to earn your law degree at an Ivy League institution, you’ll need to weigh the cost of attendance against your potential salary. For example, tuition at Columbia University worked out to $81,888 for the 2024-25 school year, while attending law school at Harvard would set you back $78,692
- Does the law school you’re considering have a solid reputation? Degrees from lower-tier schools may not open the door to the higher-paying opportunities you hope to land after graduation.
- Do I have the time and dedication to succeed? The last thing you want to do is start law school, incur student debt and decide to drop out before earning your degree. You should also consider whether you can commit the time and energy necessary to earn good grades. After all, your GPA might impact your job opportunities after graduation — especially in highly competitive positions.
- Which legal specialty should I study? Beyond picking the right law school, it may pay off to focus your legal studies on a field in high demand.
Student loans for law school
You can take out both federal and private student loans for law school. Graduate students are eligible for federal student loans, but there is an aggregate cap of $138,500 for graduate or professional students — including any loans for undergraduate studies.
Once you’ve exhausted your federal student loan eligibility, you can fill in the gap with private loans. Some of the top lenders allow you to borrow up to your school’s cost of attendance. While you may be able to fund your law degree with private loans, they may lack borrower protections like loan forgiveness or income-based repayment plans.
Managing law school debt
Because of the high cost of law school, many students need to find a source of financing to cover tuition, fees and other educational expenses. One of the most popular ways to do this is through law school loans. A study by the American Bar Association (ABA) found that respondents had an average debt load of $108,000 in law school loans and $130,000 in all loans combined at graduation. This debt could be hard to manage in the early stages of your career.
If you’re struggling with payments, you do have options. Some ways to manage your debt include:
- Income-based repayment: Depending on the types of loans you used to finance your education, you may be eligible for a federal income-driven repayment plan, which could lower your monthly payments to a more manageable level.
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness: If you are willing to work in an eligible public service position, you could have your federal student loans forgiven after 10 years of on-time payments through a program known as Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
- Refinancing: Refinancing your private student loans could potentially help you find a lower interest rate or a smaller monthly payment.
- Employer assistance: Employers can contribute up to $5,250 per year on a tax-free basis toward student loans or college tuition through 2025. This benefit can be given tax-free on behalf of the employer, but it’s also tax-free for the employee.
How long does it take to pay off law school loans?
The answer depends on many factors. The top factor is which industry you work in, as Water, Sewage and Other Systems makes upwards of $315,000 for average pay, while other types of lawyers like public defenders make more modest salaries of $86,749 on average. The area you live in can also affect your pay, as some states have lawyers that make an average pay below $100,000 and other areas go well up above $200,000 for average pay. The more you make, the more you can potentially put towards paying down student loans.
Outside of how much you make, the type of loan can also impact how long it takes to pay back student debt for law school. For instance, federal student loans have a standard repayment plan of 10 years, and federal student loans that run an income-based repayment plan can take 20 to 25 years. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs for federal loans can take 10 years and are income-based. Private student loans typically have terms of five to 25 years.
Next steps
Weighing the benefits and drawbacks of any career decision upfront is important, and that’s true no matter which occupation you decide to pursue. Becoming an attorney has proven to be a lucrative career choice for many people, but getting a law degree is expensive and highly competitive. Take your time and make sure that law school is the right move for you before committing to such a big investment of your time and money.
Are you ready to move forward? Federal and private law school loans may be available to help you cover your education expenses, depending on your situation. Shop around and compare law school loans to find one that works best for you.
