Lawyer pay in Denver, by the numbers
Here is how that number compares with the rest of the United States, with CO, and with other jobs in Denver.
How Denver compares with United States and CO
On a United States league table of 21 metros, Denver comes 8th. One place higher is San Diego at US$178,220, one lower is Philadelphia at US$170,660, and San Jose tops the list.
With Denver as the sole CO entry for lawyers, the useful benchmarks are national: 8th of 21, +11% vs the median.
Cost of living and take-home in Denver
Price levels in Denver (index 100) neither inflate nor shrink the paycheck much; adjusted for costs it is worth about US$177,400.
Cash rank and buying-power rank match for Denver: 8th of 21.
Take-home on the median comes to roughly US$12,200 monthly (18% effective tax in our simplified model). Rent for a modeled 1-bedroom is 14% of it, and the single-adult budget ends about US$8,680 in the black.
Metros with a cost level like Denver
A lawyer moving from Denver to New York (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median rise 18% to US$208,880, with US$1,990 more left over monthly in our model.
Los Angeles (similar cost level, COL 100) pays US$194,410, 10% more than Denver; modeled monthly leftover is US$1,070 higher.
A lawyer moving from Denver to Chicago (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median fall 7% to US$165,660, with US$750 less left over monthly in our model.
Where Lawyer ranks among Denver jobs
No tracked occupation in Denver out-earns lawyer (9 roles compared); the runner-up, Software Engineer, sits at US$137,610.
Entry-level vs senior lawyer pay in Denver
Starting pay holds up better than senior pay here. The 10th percentile places 8th nationally among observed metros; the 90th places 11th.
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$421,000 at the 90th percentile, +25% against Denver.
The lawyer pay range in Denver
Pay is spread out: US$90,640 at the 10th percentile to US$337,050 at the 90th (3.7×). Level and setting matter more than the city average here.