Here’s the Insane Amount Lawyers Earn in Every State

Lawyers are important players in the legal system, and their jobs are not easy. It’s no surprise that the salaries lawyers earn are typically much higher than other jobs.

Lawyers had a median annual salary of $145,760 across the country in 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, the top earners in this profession earned more than $229,000.

While salaries do vary from state to state, lawyers, on average, make excellent money in almost every state.

To find out exactly how much lawyers make in every state, GOBankingRates analyzed occupational data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. States on both the West Coast and the East Coast show up as the highest paying parts of the country, with salaries rising into the $180,000s — whereas the Southern states find lawyers struggling to even break $90,000 in some cases. Even so, aspiring lawyers can expect their earnings to remain higher than many other professions.

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.89
• Hourly median wage: $40.77 
• Annual median wage: $84,802 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.64
• Hourly median wage: $43.58 
• Annual median wage: $90,646 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.79
• Hourly median wage: $43.84 
• Annual median wage: $91,187 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.89
• Hourly median wage: $45.39 
• Annual median wage: $94,411 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.76
• Hourly median wage: $45.56 
• Annual median wage: $94,765 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.15
• Hourly median wage: $46.58 
• Annual median wage: $96,886 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.25
• Hourly median wage: $46.75 
• Annual median wage: $97,240

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.72
• Hourly median wage: $46.94 
• Annual median wage: $97,635 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.16
• Hourly median wage: $47.48 
• Annual median wage: $98,758

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.52
• Hourly median wage: $48.46 
• Annual median wage: $100,797

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.62
• Hourly median wage: $48.75 
• Annual median wage: $101,400 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.01
• Hourly median wage: $48.91 
• Annual median wage: $101,733 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.45
• Hourly median wage: $50.24 
• Annual median wage: $104,499 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.94
• Hourly median wage: $50.51 
• Annual median wage: $105,061 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.58
• Hourly median wage: $50.53 
• Annual median wage: $105,102 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.36
• Hourly median wage: $50.67 
• Annual median wage: $105,394 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.43
• Hourly median wage: $51.92 
• Annual median wage: $107,994 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.73
• Hourly median wage: $51.92 
• Annual median wage: $107,994 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.55
• Hourly median wage: $52.37 
• Annual median wage: $108,930

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.84
• Hourly median wage: $53.08 
• Annual median wage: $110,406 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.86
• Hourly median wage: $54.67 
• Annual median wage: $113,714 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.41
• Hourly median wage: $56.49 
• Annual median wage: $117,499 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.71
• Hourly median wage: $56.79 
• Annual median wage: $118,123 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.28
• Hourly median wage: $57.46 
• Annual median wage: $119,517 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: No data
• Hourly median wage: $57.67 
• Annual median wage: $119,954 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.25
• Hourly median wage: $58.12 
• Annual median wage: $120,890

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 6.41
• Hourly median wage: $58.41 
• Annual median wage: $121,493 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.82
• Hourly median wage: $58.43 
• Annual median wage: $121,534 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.65
• Hourly median wage: $58.54 
• Annual median wage: $121,763

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.44
• Hourly median wage: $60.12 
• Annual median wage: $125,050 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.92
• Hourly median wage: $60.77 
• Annual median wage: $126,402

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.37
• Hourly median wage: $62.63 
• Annual median wage: $130,270 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.70
• Hourly median wage: $63.03 
• Annual median wage: $131,102 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.39
• Hourly median wage: $63.34 
• Annual median wage: $131,747 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.17
• Hourly median wage: $63.46 
• Annual median wage: $131,997 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.35
• Hourly median wage: $64.01 
• Annual median wage: $133,141 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.49
• Hourly median wage: $64.62 
• Annual median wage: $134,410 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.74
• Hourly median wage: $66.02 
• Annual median wage: $137,322 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.39
• Hourly median wage: $69.71 
• Annual median wage: $144,997  

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.98
• Hourly median wage: $71.33 
• Annual median wage: $148,366

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.30
• Hourly median wage:  $71.91 
• Annual median wage: $149,573 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.01
• Hourly median wage: $72.11 
• Annual median wage: $149,989 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 6.11
• Hourly median wage: $72.68 
• Annual median wage: $151,174 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.28
• Hourly median wage: $76.71 
• Annual median wage: $159,557

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.96
• Hourly median wage: $76.81 
• Annual median wage: $159,765 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.20
• Hourly median wage: $77.83 
• Annual median wage: $161,886 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.89
• Hourly median wage: $80.08 
• Annual median wage: $166,566 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 9.16
• Hourly median wage: $86.37 
• Annual median wage: $179,650

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 6.03
• Hourly median wage: $88.17 
• Annual median wage: $183,394 

• Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.25
• Hourly median wage: $88.96 
• Annual median wage: $185,037 

Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed occupational data for lawyers for each state in the United States for find how much lawyers make across the country. Using the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, a number of factors can be found, including total statewide employment, employment per 1,000 jobs, hourly median wage, annual median wage, hourly mean wage and annual mean wage. The states were sorted to show the states where lawyers make the least to most. All data was collected on and is up to date as of April 25, 2024.