Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2010

23-0000 Legal Occupations (Major Group)

This major group comprises the following occupations: Lawyers ; Judicial Law Clerks ; Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers ; Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators ; Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates ; Paralegals and Legal Assistants* ; Court Reporters ; Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers ; Legal Support Workers, All Other

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this major group:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
992,650 0.5 % $46.60 $96,940 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this major group:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $16.44 $22.71 $35.86 $61.95 (5)
Annual Wage (2) $34,200 $47,240 $74,580 $128,850 (5)

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 592,560 53.00 $49.39 $102,730
Local Government (OES Designation) 100,620 1.80 $36.90 $76,760
State Government (OES Designation) 86,590 3.77 $37.28 $77,540
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 66,550 3.27 $49.33 $102,600
Insurance Carriers 31,870 2.68 $34.57 $71,900

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 592,560 53.00 $49.39 $102,730
State Government (OES Designation) 86,590 3.77 $37.28 $77,540
Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) 840 3.39 $50.04 $104,080
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 66,550 3.27 $49.33 $102,600
Securities and Commodity Exchanges 220 2.92 $70.42 $146,480

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 380 0.34 $93.59 $194,670
Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures 100 0.53 $79.60 $165,570
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 80 0.43 $79.45 $165,260
Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers 30 0.02 $78.84 $163,980
Remediation and Other Waste Management Services 40 0.03 $77.18 $160,530

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 114,710 8.19 1.05 $57.27 $119,130
New York 102,040 12.23 1.57 $57.53 $119,670
Florida 73,230 10.31 1.32 $41.93 $87,210
Texas 67,720 6.71 0.86 $42.97 $89,370
Illinois 43,850 7.93 1.02 $51.81 $107,770




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 37,490 58.63 7.51 $67.22 $139,820
New York 102,040 12.23 1.57 $57.53 $119,670
Delaware 4,480 11.25 1.44 $53.72 $111,730
Florida 73,230 10.31 1.32 $41.93 $87,210
Maryland 24,370 9.90 1.27 $41.00 $85,270




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 37,490 58.63 7.51 $67.22 $139,820
New York 102,040 12.23 1.57 $57.53 $119,670
California 114,710 8.19 1.05 $57.27 $119,130
Delaware 4,480 11.25 1.44 $53.72 $111,730
Illinois 43,850 7.93 1.02 $51.81 $107,770

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 73,350 14.72 1.89 $63.54 $132,160
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 59,140 25.84 3.31 $61.53 $127,980
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 37,720 9.88 1.27 $62.49 $129,970
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL Metropolitan Division 35,320 9.97 1.28 $54.80 $113,980
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 20,890 9.50 1.22 $47.64 $99,100
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 18,740 11.31 1.45 $52.22 $108,610
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 18,120 9.05 1.16 $47.68 $99,180
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 18,000 9.98 1.28 $55.60 $115,660
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 17,820 7.13 0.91 $50.17 $104,350
Baltimore-Towson, MD 15,530 12.54 1.61 $40.39 $84,020




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 59,140 25.84 3.31 $61.53 $127,980
Tallahassee, FL 3,340 21.10 2.70 $36.71 $76,350
Charleston, WV 2,280 16.11 2.06 $34.87 $72,530
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 15,070 15.88 2.03 $65.24 $135,690
Carson City, NV 430 15.71 2.01 $41.13 $85,540
Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL Metropolitan Division 14,330 14.95 1.91 $49.28 $102,500
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 73,350 14.72 1.89 $63.54 $132,160
Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, FL Metropolitan Division 9,350 13.58 1.74 $40.28 $83,790
Jefferson City, MO 950 13.23 1.69 $26.55 $55,220
Olympia, WA 1,220 12.95 1.66 $32.90 $68,430