Lawyers Salary in the US
A lawyers earns a national median of $159,670 a year (mean $185,840) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #35 of 825.
How much does a lawyers earn in the US?
A lawyers in the United States earns a median of $159,670 a year (mean $185,840), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 213% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 754,500 people work in this occupation (SOC 23-1011), ranked #35 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$159,670
per year
Mean
$185,840
per year
Employment
754,500
US workers
National rank
#35
of 825 by median
What a lawyers earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a lawyers (SOC 23-1011) earns a median annual wage of $159,670 and a mean (average) of $185,840. The median is the midpoint — half of lawyers earn more and half earn less — and is 213% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a lawyers in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for lawyers is $159,670, and the mean (average) is $185,840. The median is the midpoint — half of lawyers earn more and half earn less.
- How does lawyers pay compare to the US average?
- At $159,670, a lawyers earns 213% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many lawyers are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 754,500 lawyers employed nationally (SOC 23-1011), across all industries.
- Where does this lawyers salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 23-1011. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
Compare nearby occupations
- Dentists, General$170,950
- Natural Sciences Managers$167,220
- Marketing Managers$166,790
- Financial Managers$166,570
- Computer Hardware Engineers$161,740
- Podiatrists$160,300
- Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates$153,990
- Human Resources Managers$149,280
- Compensation and Benefits Managers$149,230
- Sales Managers$148,270
- Purchasing Managers$148,080
- Air Traffic Controllers$148,080
Find lawyers jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which lawyers roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 23-1011 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries