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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

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 ; 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:

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)
1,150,780 0.5 % $52.71 $109,630 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this major group:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $18.33 $25.82 $39.34 $69.12 (5)
Annual Wage (2) $38,130 $53,710 $81,820 $143,780 (5)


Industry profile for this occupation:

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 692,320 60.41 $52.72 $109,660
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 102,760 1.85 $43.49 $90,470
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 92,860 4.27 $44.83 $93,250
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 72,400 3.60 $55.80 $116,060
Insurance Carriers 29,420 2.46 $44.35 $92,250

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 692,320 60.41 $52.72 $109,660
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 92,860 4.27 $44.83 $93,250
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 72,400 3.60 $55.80 $116,060
Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) 790 3.59 $62.90 $130,820
Insurance Carriers 29,420 2.46 $44.35 $92,250

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing 610 0.39 $91.87 $191,080
Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing 80 0.08 $90.04 $187,280
Monetary Authorities-Central Bank 170 0.89 $89.82 $186,830
Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 100 0.03 $88.84 $184,800
Cable and Other Subscription Programming 260 0.49 $88.01 $183,050


Geographic profile for this occupation:

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 137,550 7.91 1.01 $63.56 $132,200
New York 116,130 12.19 1.56 $65.60 $136,450
Florida 89,680 10.20 1.30 $46.02 $95,730
Texas 86,420 6.95 0.89 $49.65 $103,280
Illinois 50,060 8.31 1.06 $59.46 $123,690




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 39,610 54.75 6.99 $80.90 $168,280
New York 116,130 12.19 1.56 $65.60 $136,450
Delaware 4,700 10.40 1.33 $62.16 $129,290
Florida 89,680 10.20 1.30 $46.02 $95,730
Maryland 25,440 9.42 1.20 $47.55 $98,910




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 39,610 54.75 6.99 $80.90 $168,280
New York 116,130 12.19 1.56 $65.60 $136,450
California 137,550 7.91 1.01 $63.56 $132,200
Massachusetts 29,610 8.18 1.04 $63.22 $131,500
Delaware 4,700 10.40 1.33 $62.16 $129,290





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-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 118,650 12.29 1.57 $68.17 $141,800
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 68,860 21.66 2.76 $69.87 $145,320
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 62,030 9.94 1.27 $63.86 $132,820
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 43,560 9.32 1.19 $61.63 $128,190
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 35,550 13.45 1.72 $52.87 $109,980
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 30,680 10.67 1.36 $56.89 $118,320
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 26,900 7.36 0.94 $53.44 $111,150
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 26,650 9.72 1.24 $50.47 $104,980
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 25,900 9.26 1.18 $65.79 $136,840
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 25,540 10.33 1.32 $72.09 $149,940




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 68,860 21.66 2.76 $69.87 $145,320
Tallahassee, FL 3,370 19.30 2.46 $46.10 $95,880
Charleston, WV 1,700 15.43 1.97 $38.94 $81,000
Carson City, NV 400 13.68 1.75 $45.83 $95,330
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 35,550 13.45 1.72 $52.87 $109,980
Santa Fe, NM 810 13.07 1.67 $40.14 $83,490
Trenton, NJ 2,970 12.35 1.58 $54.62 $113,610
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 118,650 12.29 1.57 $68.17 $141,800
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 6,790 12.19 1.56 $45.55 $94,750
Cheyenne, WY 550 11.95 1.53 $37.38 $77,750




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 8,450 7.41 0.95 $84.23 $175,190
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 25,540 10.33 1.32 $72.09 $149,940
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 68,860 21.66 2.76 $69.87 $145,320
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 118,650 12.29 1.57 $68.17 $141,800
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 3,800 9.17 1.17 $67.45 $140,290
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 25,900 9.26 1.18 $65.79 $136,840
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 62,030 9.94 1.27 $63.86 $132,820
Napa, CA 290 3.75 0.48 $61.80 $128,550
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 43,560 9.32 1.19 $61.63 $128,190
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 17,090 11.29 1.44 $59.99 $124,780

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 1,670 4.23 0.54 $27.09 $56,340
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 1,330 7.45 0.95 $27.08 $56,320
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 1,290 9.25 1.18 $32.09 $66,740
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 1,090 5.63 0.72 $34.51 $71,780
North Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 1,080 3.91 0.50 $33.95 $70,610

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 1,290 9.25 1.18 $32.09 $66,740
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 880 9.13 1.17 $51.59 $107,300
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 1,330 7.45 0.95 $27.08 $56,320
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 530 7.41 0.95 $45.26 $94,140
West Montana nonmetropolitan area 560 7.39 0.94 $27.95 $58,130

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 720 4.92 0.63 $52.29 $108,760
Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area 660 5.41 0.69 $52.22 $108,630
Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 880 9.13 1.17 $51.59 $107,300
Central East New York nonmetropolitan area 740 4.63 0.59 $50.79 $105,640
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 480 4.74 0.61 $49.19 $102,310


About May 2019 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.

(5) This wage is equal to or greater than $100.00 per hour or $208,000 per year.

(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 OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020