Legal Occupations — sector wage premium by US state
Which US states pay above the national average for Legal Occupations?
As of May 2025 BLS OEWS data, District of Columbia pays +83.2% above the national employment-weighted average for Legal Occupations (state median: $195,190 vs national approx. $106,531). Sector GUPPI ranks 51 US states. Re-dated annually from BLS OEWS.
Gera US Sector Pay Premium Index
District of Columbia ranks #1 for Legal Occupations pay. National employment-weighted average: $106,531.
How this is calculatedLegal Occupations — GUPPI by US state
All 51 states where BLS publishes a median, ranked highest GUPPI first. SOC code 230000.
| # | State | Median salary | GUPPI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $195,190 | +83.2% |
| 2 | New York | $137,460 | +29.0% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $132,990 | +24.8% |
| 4 | California | $129,550 | +21.6% |
| 5 | Colorado | $119,510 | +12.2% |
| 6 | New Jersey | $114,270 | +7.3% |
| 7 | Virginia | $110,300 | +3.5% |
| 8 | Maryland | $108,640 | +2.0% |
| 9 | Washington | $107,090 | +0.5% |
| 10 | Alaska | $106,550 | +0.0% |
| 11 | Minnesota | $105,100 | −1.3% |
| 12 | Illinois | $105,090 | −1.4% |
| 13 | Connecticut | $100,960 | −5.2% |
| 14 | Vermont | $100,730 | −5.4% |
| 15 | Texas | $100,070 | −6.1% |
| 16 | Delaware | $98,900 | −7.2% |
| 17 | Nevada | $98,710 | −7.3% |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $96,230 | −9.7% |
| 19 | Arizona | $96,000 | −9.9% |
| 20 | Michigan | $95,850 | −10.0% |
| 21 | Ohio | $92,830 | −12.9% |
| 22 | Hawaii | $91,810 | −13.8% |
| 23 | Oregon | $91,790 | −13.8% |
| 24 | Utah | $91,190 | −14.4% |
| 25 | Georgia | $90,160 | −15.4% |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $88,760 | −16.7% |
| 27 | New Hampshire | $88,610 | −16.8% |
| 28 | New Mexico | $88,510 | −16.9% |
| 29 | South Dakota | $88,400 | −17.0% |
| 30 | Nebraska | $84,620 | −20.6% |
| 31 | Tennessee | $83,890 | −21.3% |
| 32 | Montana | $83,620 | −21.5% |
| 33 | Indiana | $83,430 | −21.7% |
| 34 | Maine | $82,490 | −22.6% |
| 35 | Kansas | $82,400 | −22.7% |
| 36 | Missouri | $81,870 | −23.1% |
| 37 | Florida | $81,850 | −23.2% |
| 38 | North Dakota | $81,110 | −23.9% |
| 39 | West Virginia | $80,060 | −24.8% |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $78,620 | −26.2% |
| 41 | Kentucky | $78,470 | −26.3% |
| 42 | Rhode Island | $78,520 | −26.3% |
| 43 | North Carolina | $77,950 | −26.8% |
| 44 | Louisiana | $77,250 | −27.5% |
| 45 | Idaho | $74,310 | −30.2% |
| 46 | Alabama | $73,480 | −31.0% |
| 47 | Arkansas | $71,410 | −33.0% |
| 48 | Iowa | $71,170 | −33.2% |
| 49 | South Carolina | $68,710 | −35.5% |
| 50 | Wyoming | $64,990 | −39.0% |
| 51 | Mississippi | $62,130 | −41.7% |
Benchmark your salary against the sector median in District of Columbia
Enter your annual salary to see how you compare to the BLS OEWS May 2025 sector median for District of Columbia.
Frequently asked questions
- Which states pay the most for Legal Occupations?
- District of Columbia is ranked #1 for Legal Occupations with a GUPPI of +83.2% and a BLS OEWS May 2025 median of $195,190/yr. The national employment-weighted average is $106,531/yr.
- Which states pay the least for Legal Occupations?
- Mississippi has the lowest sector GUPPI for Legal Occupations: −41.7% (BLS median $62,130/yr vs national average $106,531/yr).
- What does the GUPPI mean for Legal Occupations?
- GUPPI = (state median − emp-weighted national average) / national average × 100. A positive GUPPI means employers in that state pay above the national average for Legal Occupations. A negative GUPPI means they pay below. It is a raw wage premium with no cost-of-living adjustment.
- How is the Legal Occupations sector defined?
- Legal Occupations is BLS SOC major group 230000. It is the broadest level of occupational classification in BLS OEWS, covering all occupations within that sector regardless of industry. See the BLS OEWS website for the full list of occupations within this group.
Find Legal Occupations jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live vacancies where employers state salary ranges — browseLegal Occupations roles and filter by state.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — Major Group Rollups · May 2025 state estimates (major-group rollup) · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
GUPPI computed by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-20. Full methodology · ← All sectors