Lawyers are doing their job with reputation but do you know how much do lawyers make in different US states? Yes, there is something you should know with some interesting facts. It’s important to guide someone in the field of law or you, especially for the career.

In general, most of us know, lawyers are best to make big bucks but what is the exact amount? Trust me, it’s not the same as you think. There are ups and downs in their daily, monthly, and yearly income based on location.

In this review, we discussed everything about the income of a lawyer. For some states, it’s specific. So, we are interested in discussing it with you. Let’s jump into the deep.

Know About Lawyers Salary By States:

As we know, lawyers are not only good to fight for justice but also good to earn money. They earn because they deserve it. But we all have some curiosity and most of the time ask “how much do lawyers make in different US states?”

To get the exact information you need to find information from the U.S Department of Labor. Don’t worry, we’ve collected some of these that you are looking for. Based on the states, we found the amount varies but why? Here is the answer to your question.

Lawyers make money in different percentages
Picture: Lawyers make money in different percentages

In Which States Lawyers Earn most?

We made a list of the 10 highest-paying states for lawyers in the US. Based on our collected information it seems the national average annual earning of a lawyer is $144230. It’s more than the average salary of a US citizen. It’s amazing! Isn’t it?

But this is not the actual scenario of lawyers’ earnings because it is significantly different in different states of the US. We feel comfortable mentioning the name of these states that pay the highest for lawyers and these are.

StateAverage Lawyer salary
New York$155050
New Jersey$139020

We noticed the 3rdstate ‘Massachusetts’ in this list is growing fast not in population but also in paying the average lawyer salary. They have been continuously growing for the last 5 years. In the future, they will be on top of this list soon.

Picture: Lawyers salary by US states

In Which States Lawyers Earn least?

Not every state in the US is good for paying lawyers. There are still some worst states which are considered inappropriate states for lawyers. These states are not interested in paying much money to lawyers.

There is a strong reason behind it. The population of these states is less than most states of the US. But telling about it cannot reflect the data we’ve found. Take a look at the table given below to know about the lowest-paying states in the US.

StateAverage Lawyer Salary
West Virginia$98630
South Carolina$105320
New Mexico$105910

Don’t get frustrated because some of these states are promising to pay high. Yes, the prospects are looking bright. The percentage of paying is rising. As an example, the percentage of paying lawyers in Montana risen by 17.6%. On the other hand, another state named Wyoming raised its percentage by 18.3. See, days for the lawyer in these states are changing. Few states are not rising in the same way as Montana and Wyoming do.

Read More: How To Read A Check

Look at Idaho, the 5th state on the list. Its paying ratio for the lawyer is going down by 5.7%. Now you have a clear idea of which states are best and which one is worse for the lawyer.

Picture: Lawyers wages in the chart

What Are The Highest Paying Industries For Lawyers?

You just count states to consider the earnings for lawyers. There are lots of facts and reasons working behind it that dramatically influence this earning. You already know about the highest paying industries for lawyers.

Some specific areas like industries and metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas pay differently but are high for the lawyer. When you think ‘where do lawyers earn the most money? ‘ Then you must take a quick look at the chart given below.

IndustryAnnual Mean Wages for Lawyers
Cable and Other Subscription Programming$234310
Pipeline transportation of Crude Oil$215700
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$205610
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing$204710
Petroleum and Coal Products manufacturing$200830

The statistics I’ve shown in this table are found in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In this sector, competition is reaching the sky as well as legal support.

That means the scopes for the legal job and the paying amount are also increasing. But the sad news is, these statistics don’t reflect the whole community of lawyers. Because approximately 110 lawyers among 400000 lawyers, you’ll find in these areas.

So, how can we compare it? It will be best to calculate average annual wages for the layer in the US and the amount is $150200.

Picture: Different types of lawyer earn different amount

Highest Paying Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas:

Now you know why areas (metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas) are important for lawyers. There are also some differences in earnings. Here is the list below for more help.

Metropolitan Areas (highest paying)

Metropolitan AreasAnnual Mean Wage
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$207950
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA$183070
Washington-Arlington- Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$1179980
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$176020
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX$175380

Non-Metropolitan Areas (Highest Paying)

Non-Metropolitan AreasAnnual Mean Wage
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California$159320
West Texas Region of Texas$153490
Central New Hampshire$130300
Arizona nonmetropolitan area$127210
Alaska nonmetropolitan area$126940


After going through this review, I hope you got a crystal clear idea about the earnings of lawyers in different states. In the days of competition, different states and areas pay different amounts to the lawyer.

Most of the time, such statistics let you choose suitable states for the lawyer after knowing ‘how much do lawyers make in different US states?’ From this article. However, the amount varies a lot, even though there are huge differences between top paying states and least paying states.

If you’re a lawyer and seeking scope to earn a higher salary, then you must pick the state first then the sector. This will be more helpful for you.

Read More: Does Accredited Debt Relief Hurt Your Credit?

Previous articleWhy You Shouldn’t Never Follow Investing Tips from Reddit?
Next articleAll The Difference Between 403b And 401k Plans You Should Know About:


Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here
