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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

23-1011 Lawyers

Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.


National estimates for Lawyers
Industry profile for Lawyers
Geographic profile for Lawyers

National estimates for Lawyers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Lawyers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
731,340 0.7 % $ 84.84 $ 176,470 1.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for Lawyers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 33.54 $ 47.13 $ 70.08 $ 104.50 (5)
Annual Wage (2) $ 69,760 $ 98,030 $ 145,760 $ 217,360 (5)


Industry profile for Lawyers:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Lawyers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 445,110 37.49 $ 87.51 $ 182,020
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 57,160 1.04 $ 63.60 $ 132,290
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 47,650 2.25 $ 51.16 $ 106,420
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) 40,630 1.90 $ 76.58 $ 159,280
Management of Companies and Enterprises 22,110 0.80 $ 114.12 $ 237,370

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Lawyers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services 445,110 37.49 $ 87.51 $ 182,020
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) 47,650 2.25 $ 51.16 $ 106,420
Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) 450 2.03 $ 89.74 $ 186,650
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) 40,630 1.90 $ 76.58 $ 159,280
Other Investment Pools and Funds 320 1.70 $ 90.31 $ 187,830

Top paying industries for Lawyers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 30 0.05 $ 151.44 $ 315,000
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 140 0.04 $ 145.77 $ 303,190
Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers 40 (7) $ 145.09 $ 301,780
Motion Picture and Video Industries 1,100 0.27 $ 135.06 $ 280,910
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events 180 0.11 $ 134.38 $ 279,510


Geographic profile for Lawyers:

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



Map of employment of lawyers by state, May 2023


States with the highest employment level in Lawyers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 94,300 5.25 1.09 $ 102.82 $ 213,860
New York 86,000 9.16 1.90 $ 100.23 $ 208,480
Florida 61,320 6.41 1.33 $ 70.83 $ 147,320
Texas 45,950 3.39 0.70 $ 85.53 $ 177,890
District of Columbia 34,660 49.38 10.25 $ 114.90 $ 238,990


Map of location quotient of lawyers by state, May 2023


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

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 34,660 49.38 10.25 $ 114.90 $ 238,990
New York 86,000 9.16 1.90 $ 100.23 $ 208,480
Florida 61,320 6.41 1.33 $ 70.83 $ 147,320
New Jersey 25,680 6.11 1.27 $ 85.21 $ 177,230
Delaware 2,830 6.03 1.25 $ 102.09 $ 212,360


Map of annual mean wages of lawyers by state, May 2023


Top paying states for Lawyers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 34,660 49.38 10.25 $ 114.90 $ 238,990
California 94,300 5.25 1.09 $ 102.82 $ 213,860
Delaware 2,830 6.03 1.25 $ 102.09 $ 212,360
New York 86,000 9.16 1.90 $ 100.23 $ 208,480
Connecticut 8,230 4.96 1.03 $ 94.10 $ 195,730



Map of employment of lawyers by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Lawyers:

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 90,980 9.58 1.99 $ 102.61 $ 213,420
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 48,470 15.67 3.25 $ 107.64 $ 223,890
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 43,410 7.02 1.46 $ 105.64 $ 219,740
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 28,220 10.37 2.15 $ 74.43 $ 154,810
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 26,750 5.94 1.23 $ 89.59 $ 186,340
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 19,190 6.78 1.41 $ 83.46 $ 173,590
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 18,900 6.84 1.42 $ 94.79 $ 197,150
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 17,940 6.37 1.32 $ 85.47 $ 177,770
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 17,010 7.02 1.46 $ 113.43 $ 235,940
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 14,720 3.71 0.77 $ 90.56 $ 188,350


Map of location quotient of lawyers by area, May 2023


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

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 48,470 15.67 3.25 $ 107.64 $ 223,890
Tallahassee, FL 2,040 11.29 2.34 $ 50.90 $ 105,860
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 28,220 10.37 2.15 $ 74.43 $ 154,810
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 90,980 9.58 1.99 $ 102.61 $ 213,420
Trenton, NJ 2,170 9.09 1.89 $ 74.54 $ 155,050
Santa Fe, NM 530 8.62 1.79 $ 56.28 $ 117,070
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 4,230 8.22 1.71 $ 70.20 $ 146,010
Charleston, WV 830 8.09 1.68 (8) (8)
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 12,480 7.84 1.63 $ 95.55 $ 198,750
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 3,380 7.69 1.60 $ 65.13 $ 135,470