Philadelphia lawyer salary: rankings and context
Monthly take-home on that median is roughly US$11,700; local prices sit at COL 100, so its buying power is about US$170,700.
Lawyer pay in Philadelphia: national and in-state ranking
San Jose leads at US$301,320, 77% above Philadelphia, while Jacksonville sits at US$127,920. The neighbours in the ranking are Denver and Dallas.
Philadelphia is the only observed PA metro for this role, so there is no in-state average to compare; the national and metro ranking above is the better reference.
Take-home, rent and buying power for Philadelphia lawyers
With a COL index of 100, there is little difference between headline pay and price-adjusted pay (US$170,700).
Adjusting for prices does not move Philadelphia in the ranking: it is 9th of 21 on both cash and buying power.
Run the median through our simplified tax model (17% effective) and about US$11,700 lands each month. Budget US$1,650 for a modeled 1-bedroom — 14% of pay — and other modeled costs, and roughly US$8,250 remains.
If you compared Philadelphia with similarly priced cities
New York (similar cost level, COL 100) pays US$208,880, 22% more than Philadelphia; modeled monthly leftover is US$2,420 higher.
In Los Angeles — similar cost level, COL 100 — the median is US$194,410 (+14% vs Philadelphia), and the modeled budget leaves US$1,500 more each month.
A lawyer moving from Philadelphia to Chicago (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median fall 3% to US$165,660, with US$320 less left over monthly in our model.
Where Lawyer ranks among Philadelphia jobs
Among the 9 occupations with observed Philadelphia data on this site, Lawyer pays the most. Next is Software Engineer at US$133,040.
Entry-level vs senior lawyer pay in Philadelphia
The Philadelphia market rewards seniority more than entry: the 90th percentile (US$344,160) ranks 10th of 21, but the 10th (US$84,840) only 12th.
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$421,000 at the 90th percentile, +22% against Philadelphia.
How wide lawyer pay runs in Philadelphia
The 90th percentile (US$344,160) is 4.1× the 10th (US$84,840), a wide band that usually reflects different seniority levels and employer types under one title.