Lawyer pay in the United States: San Jose leads, Jacksonville trails
A lawyer in the United States earns a national median of US$160,000. San Jose pays the most of 21 observed metros (US$301,320); Jacksonville pays the least (US$127,920).
BLS OEWS (May 2025) publishes the national spread for the matching occupation: US$78,360 at the 10th percentile and US$351,600 at the 90th, a 4.5× gap.
San Jose is +88% against the national median and Jacksonville -20%. In between: San Francisco US$212,500, New York US$208,880, Washington US$195,190, and Los Angeles US$194,410.
Why a United States-median offer can be low in San Jose
San Jose’s observed median is US$301,320, with a local band of about US$129,350–US$421,000. An offer pitched at the national median (US$160,000) would sit 88% under the local midpoint.
Lawyer pay in official statistics for the United States
The closest official occupation is Lawyers (SOC 23-1011). In May 2025 its national median was $159,670 a year.
The headline median at the top of this page comes from this same table, rounded to the nearest hundred.
The published 10th and 90th percentiles are $78,360 and $351,600, a 4.5× spread.
BLS estimates 754,500 jobs in this occupation nationwide.
51 states have a published figure. New York is highest at $207,860 (+30% vs national) and Mississippi lowest at $91,690, a 2.27× gap.
10 of the 51 pay above the national median; the next highest after New York are District of Columbia ($195,190) and California ($195,080).
Lawyer pay in the United States vs other countries
The United States is 1st of 6 countries for this role once medians are converted at the same exchange rate (US$160,000). Australia pays 17% less (US$132,168). The gap between the highest and lowest market is 7.3×.
That median is about 1.8× GDP per person (US$90,000, World Bank 2025). That is a rough sign of how far the role pays above the average national income.
By national median, it is number 5 of 27 roles we track there. Cloud Architect is the next step up at US$172,000, and Product Manager the next step down at US$158,000.
Lawyer is the best-paid legal role we cover, ahead of Paralegal (US$68,000).
Lawyer take-home pay in the United States (estimate)
Using our take-home calculator for the United States, the US$160,000 median loses income tax US$27,134, Social Security US$9,920 and Medicare US$2,320, leaving US$120,626 a year or US$10,052 a month. Total deductions: 25% of gross.
At the published 10th percentile from BLS OEWS (May 2025) (US$78,360) deductions are 18%; at the 90th (US$351,600) they reach 30%, leaving US$20,625 a month.
The United States: prices, jobs and holidays
Consumer prices in the United States rose 2.9% in 2024 (World Bank). Matching that on the US$160,000 median takes a raise of about US$4,640.
Unemployment was 4.2% of the labour force in 2025.
The United States has 14 public holidays in 2026 (Nager.Date); at the median, one working day is worth about US$615 before tax.
United States
Australia