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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

23-0000 Legal Occupations (Major Group)

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


National estimates for Legal Occupations
Industry profile for Legal Occupations
Geographic profile for Legal Occupations

National estimates for Legal Occupations:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Legal Occupations:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
1,216,600 0.5 % $ 59.87 $ 124,540 2.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for Legal Occupations:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 21.80 $ 29.00 $ 45.76 $ 78.53 $ 112.97
Annual Wage (2) $ 45,340 $ 60,320 $ 95,170 $ 163,340 $ 234,970


Industry profile for Legal Occupations:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Legal Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 737,190 62.45 $ 59.19 $ 123,120
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 104,240 1.94 $ 49.85 $ 103,680
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 94,150 4.44 $ 50.82 $ 105,710
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 72,690 3.49 $ 60.61 $ 126,070
Insurance Carriers 33,740 2.80 $ 49.71 $ 103,390

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Legal Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 737,190 62.45 $ 59.19 $ 123,120
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 94,150 4.44 $ 50.82 $ 105,710
Other Investment Pools and Funds 610 3.54 $ 68.64 $ 142,780
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 72,690 3.49 $ 60.61 $ 126,070
Insurance Carriers 33,740 2.80 $ 49.71 $ 103,390

Top paying industries for Legal Occupations:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 50 0.10 $ 126.71 $ 263,560
Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers 50 0.01 $ 114.34 $ 237,820
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 780 0.50 $ 113.84 $ 236,780
Spectator Sports 250 0.19 $ 112.71 $ 234,440
Business Schools and Computer and Management Training 390 0.49 $ 112.43 $ 233,840


Geographic profile for Legal Occupations:

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



Map of employment of legal occupations by state, May 2022


States with the highest employment level in Legal Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 146,600 8.31 1.01 $ 74.00 $ 153,910
New York 125,210 13.75 1.67 $ 74.71 $ 155,400
Florida 104,060 11.30 1.37 $ 50.39 $ 104,810
Texas 87,620 6.74 0.82 $ 59.37 $ 123,480
Illinois 50,820 8.64 1.05 $ 60.24 $ 125,290


Map of location quotient of legal occupations by state, May 2022


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Legal Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 41,020 59.45 7.23 $ 97.35 $ 202,480
New York 125,210 13.75 1.67 $ 74.71 $ 155,400
Florida 104,060 11.30 1.37 $ 50.39 $ 104,810
Delaware 5,140 11.29 1.37 $ 68.47 $ 142,420
Colorado 25,890 9.36 1.14 $ 63.04 $ 131,120


Map of annual mean wages of legal occupations by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Legal Occupations:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 41,020 59.45 7.23 $ 97.35 $ 202,480
Massachusetts 31,450 8.82 1.07 $ 75.72 $ 157,490
New York 125,210 13.75 1.67 $ 74.71 $ 155,400
California 146,600 8.31 1.01 $ 74.00 $ 153,910
Delaware 5,140 11.29 1.37 $ 68.47 $ 142,420



Map of employment of legal occupations by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Legal Occupations:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 125,390 13.65 1.66 $ 77.22 $ 160,620
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 69,000 22.79 2.77 $ 83.82 $ 174,340
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 63,020 10.33 1.26 $ 72.64 $ 151,090
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 43,010 16.39 1.99 $ 55.08 $ 114,570
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 42,640 9.66 1.17 $ 62.30 $ 129,580
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 30,450 10.99 1.34 $ 59.92 $ 124,640
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 28,650 10.50 1.28 $ 60.47 $ 125,770
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 27,960 11.68 1.42 $ 86.91 $ 180,770
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 27,390 7.20 0.88 $ 68.26 $ 141,980
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 27,020 9.99 1.21 $ 79.26 $ 164,860


Map of location quotient of legal occupations by area, May 2022


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Legal Occupations:

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 69,000 22.79 2.77 $ 83.82 $ 174,340
Tallahassee, FL 3,470 19.66 2.39 $ 41.44 $ 86,200
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 43,010 16.39 1.99 $ 55.08 $ 114,570
Charleston, WV 1,580 15.73 1.91 $ 50.35 $ 104,720
Santa Fe, NM 920 15.34 1.86 $ 45.12 $ 93,860
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 7,340 14.17 1.72 $ 52.09 $ 108,350
Carson City, NV 410 13.88 1.69 $ 51.71 $ 107,550
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 125,390 13.65 1.66 $ 77.22 $ 160,620
Trenton, NJ 3,220 13.59 1.65 $ 60.82 $ 126,510
Cheyenne, WY 610 13.14 1.60 $ 37.99 $ 79,010


Map of annual mean wages of legal occupations by area, May 2022


Top paying metropolitan areas for Legal Occupations:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 8,250 7.35 0.89 $ 101.35 $ 210,810
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 27,960 11.68 1.42 $ 86.91 $ 180,770
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 69,000 22.79 2.77 $ 83.82 $ 174,340
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 27,020 9.99 1.21 $ 79.26 $ 164,860
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 125,390 13.65 1.66 $ 77.22 $ 160,620
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 4,090 10.40 1.26 $ 74.74 $ 155,460
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 63,020 10.33 1.26 $ 72.64 $ 151,090
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 2,010 6.41 0.78 $ 69.06 $ 143,650
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 27,390 7.20 0.88 $ 68.26 $ 141,980
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA 13,700 9.20 1.12 $ 67.81 $ 141,040

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Legal Occupations:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 1,490 3.89 0.47 $ 34.80 $ 72,390
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 1,360 9.34 1.14 $ 38.97 $ 81,060
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 1,140 4.17 0.51 (8) (8)
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 1,130 6.29 0.76 $ 33.61 $ 69,920
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 1,080 5.76 0.70 $ 35.85 $ 74,570

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Legal Occupations:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 890 9.91 1.20 $ 38.71 $ 80,510
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 1,360 9.34 1.14 $ 38.97 $ 81,060
West Montana nonmetropolitan area 620 7.78 0.95 $ 38.52 $ 80,120
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 470 6.97 0.85 $ 40.23 $ 83,680
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 410 6.74 0.82 $ 36.22 $ 75,340

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Legal Occupations:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 400 3.99 0.49 $ 56.16 $ 116,820
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 410 3.94 0.48 $ 55.22 $ 114,870
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area 900 5.84 0.71 $ 55.00 $ 114,390
Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 220 3.61 0.44 $ 52.89 $ 110,020
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 770 5.64 0.69 $ 52.85 $ 109,920


About May 2022 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023