Legal Occupations Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for legal occupationss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $139,510 ≈ $67/hr
National median salary $102,500
Total employment 1,305,620 nationwide
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$213,270
- New York$176,900
- California$174,130
- Massachusetts$168,560
- Colorado$162,080
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$81,680
- Wyoming$90,980
- Idaho$92,870
- West Virginia$94,040
- Montana$94,350
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $213,270 | $195,190 | $103 | +52.9% | 41,700 |
| 2 | New York | $176,900 | $137,460 | $85 | +26.8% | 135,540 |
| 3 | California | $174,130 | $129,550 | $84 | +24.8% | 158,370 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $168,560 | $132,990 | $81 | +20.8% | 35,100 |
| 5 | Colorado | $162,080 | $119,510 | $78 | +16.2% | 26,740 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $143,410 | $114,270 | $69 | +2.8% | 38,190 |
| 7 | Nevada | $141,820 | $98,710 | $68 | +1.7% | 12,160 |
| 8 | Illinois | $141,420 | $105,090 | $68 | +1.4% | 52,860 |
| 9 | Georgia | $139,990 | $90,160 | $67 | +0.3% | 42,750 |
| 10 | Vermont | $139,760 | $100,730 | $67 | +0.2% | 2,200 |
| 11 | Virginia | $137,770 | $110,300 | $66 | -1.2% | 36,930 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $135,690 | $100,960 | $65 | -2.7% | 15,550 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $133,860 | $105,100 | $64 | -4% | 21,720 |
| 14 | Delaware | $133,810 | $98,900 | $64 | -4.1% | 6,150 |
| 15 | Texas | $132,190 | $100,070 | $64 | -5.2% | 101,050 |
| 16 | Washington | $129,230 | $107,090 | $62 | -7.4% | 26,640 |
| 17 | Alaska | $128,970 | $106,550 | $62 | -7.6% | 2,220 |
| 18 | Maryland | $128,120 | $108,640 | $62 | -8.2% | 23,710 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $127,170 | $96,230 | $61 | -8.8% | 47,170 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $127,090 | $88,610 | $61 | -8.9% | 4,090 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $126,780 | $88,760 | $61 | -9.1% | 15,670 |
| 22 | Utah | $124,720 | $91,190 | $60 | -10.6% | 12,660 |
| 23 | Indiana | $123,780 | $83,430 | $60 | -11.3% | 17,660 |
| 24 | Missouri | $117,670 | $81,870 | $57 | -15.7% | 21,470 |
| 25 | Ohio | $117,480 | $92,830 | $56 | -15.8% | 34,550 |
| 26 | Oregon | $116,610 | $91,790 | $56 | -16.4% | 13,890 |
| 27 | Florida | $115,640 | $81,850 | $56 | -17.1% | 109,140 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $115,000 | $83,890 | $55 | -17.6% | 18,410 |
| 29 | Arizona | $114,590 | $96,000 | $55 | -17.9% | 23,160 |
| 30 | Michigan | $114,330 | $95,850 | $55 | -18% | 29,190 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $114,310 | $77,950 | $55 | -18.1% | 32,500 |
| 32 | New Mexico | $109,100 | $88,510 | $52 | -21.8% | 6,160 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $108,210 | $84,620 | $52 | -22.4% | 5,950 |
| 34 | Rhode Island | $107,220 | $78,520 | $52 | -23.1% | 4,450 |
| 35 | South Dakota | $106,800 | $88,400 | $51 | -23.4% | 2,210 |
| 36 | Hawaii | $105,000 | $91,810 | $50 | -24.7% | 4,280 |
| 37 | Maine | $104,670 | $82,490 | $50 | -25% | 3,980 |
| 38 | Kansas | $101,750 | $82,400 | $49 | -27.1% | 7,720 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $100,640 | $77,250 | $48 | -27.9% | 17,160 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $100,410 | $81,110 | $48 | -28% | 2,170 |
| 41 | Alabama | $99,500 | $73,480 | $48 | -28.7% | 14,110 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $98,280 | $68,710 | $47 | -29.6% | 17,430 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $98,060 | $71,410 | $47 | -29.7% | 6,620 |
| 44 | Iowa | $97,870 | $71,170 | $47 | -29.8% | 8,280 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $97,350 | $78,620 | $47 | -30.2% | 12,410 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $97,070 | $78,470 | $47 | -30.4% | 10,580 |
| 47 | Montana | $94,350 | $83,620 | $45 | -32.4% | 4,180 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $94,040 | $80,060 | $45 | -32.6% | 5,310 |
| 49 | Idaho | $92,870 | $74,310 | $45 | -33.4% | 5,650 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $90,980 | $64,990 | $44 | -34.8% | 1,730 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $81,680 | $62,130 | $39 | -41.5% | 6,140 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 519 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $195,190 | $228,260 | 9,120 |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $175,070 | $189,490 | 68,280 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $159,680 | $189,510 | 28,330 |
| 4 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $150,990 | $182,690 | 135,520 |
| 5 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $139,720 | $156,240 | 11,370 |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $135,160 | $176,660 | 29,540 |
| 7 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $132,690 | $164,010 | 18,270 |
| 8 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $130,320 | $149,870 | 1,930 |
| 9 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $128,110 | $178,720 | 69,230 |
| 10 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $126,570 | $154,420 | 13,860 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do legal occupations make in the U.S.?
The median legal occupations salary in the United States is $102,500 per year (mean $139,510), and about 80% earn between $49,400 and $287,070.
How much do legal occupations make per hour?
Roughly $67 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $139,510 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays legal occupations the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for legal occupations at $213,270 per year (median $195,190).