Lawyer Salary
Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues, and prepare and file legal documents such as lawsuits, wills, and contracts.
Median annual wage
$159,670
SOC 23-1011 · National cross-industry annual wage estimates, latest published year.
The full wage range
A single average hides how wide the real range is. Here's every percentile the BLS publishes for lawyers nationally.
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $78,360 |
| 25th percentile | $102,990 |
| Median (50th) | $159,670 |
| 75th percentile | $221,370 |
| 90th percentile | $351,600 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), pulled 2026-09-19. National, cross-industry.
Is this job at risk from AI?
Two real datasets, from two different eras, rather than one vague "safe" or "at risk" label:
2013 automation-probability study
3.5%
Ranked 115 of 702 occupations studied (lower rank = lower automation probability).
Current AI usage intensity
0.7x
For Lawyers, Judges & Related Workers. 1.0x = proportional to workforce size; above 1.0x = overrepresented in real AI conversations.
Sources: Frey, C.B. & Osborne, M.A. (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Oxford Martin School -- Published 2013, before generative AI existed -- it measured broad automation potential (robotics, software, machine learning of that era), not exposure to today's large language models specifically. Treat it as a historical baseline, not a current forecast. And Technology Policy Institute analysis of the Anthropic Economic Index (Claude.ai usage, August 2025, mapped to BLS 2024 employment) -- "Intensity" = an occupation's share of Claude.ai conversations divided by its share of U.S. employment. Above 1.0 means the occupation shows up in AI conversations more than its workforce size would predict; below 1.0 means less. It measures current usage, not job risk directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median salary for a lawyer?
$159,670 per year, nationally, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Half of lawyers in the U.S. earn more than this, and half earn less.
What's the real range, not just the average?
The 10th percentile is $78,360/year and the 90th percentile is $351,600/year -- a 4.5x spread between the lowest- and highest-paid lawyers the BLS tracks nationally. A single "average" number hides how wide that real range is.
Why use percentiles instead of just an average?
A simple average can be pulled up or down by a small number of very high or very low earners. Percentiles show the real distribution -- the 25th percentile ($102,990) and 75th percentile ($221,370) bracket where the middle half of real lawyers actually land, which is usually more useful than one blended number.
Does this include overtime, bonuses, or benefits?
This is base wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) -- it doesn't include the value of benefits (health insurance, retirement contributions) or, depending on the occupation, irregular bonuses. Real total compensation can run higher once those are added.