Attorney Salary & Career Insights

What is the average salary for an attorney in the United States?

$145,760 per year

According to the BLS.gov, the average salary for an attorney in the United States is $145,760 annually. The lowest salary is $69,760 annually, and the highest is $239,200 annually.

Job Outlook & Work Environment

Job Outlook

🚀 826,300 estimated in 2022, and 38,100 job openings projected between 2022-2032.

☀️ The projected job outlook is faster than average for attorneys. The growth projections at bls.gov states jobs will grow between 5% and 8% through 2032.

Work Environment

💼 Attorneys usually work in office settings but may travel to meet clients or to appear in court.

🏢 52% of attorneys work in legal services, including law firms, while 13% are self-employed. Others work in government: local, state, and federal.

Attorney Salary in Comparison to Patent Law Salaries

How Does an Attorney Salary Stack Up?

General attorneys typically earn around $145,000 a year, while Patent attorneys typically earn around $185,000 a year.

Your salary will likely increase if you decide to take the Patent Bar exam and become a Patent attorney.

Top Attorney Salaries by Industry

This data was taken from the BLS.gov salary data for attorneys.

IndustryAverage Salary
Water, Sewage, etc.$315,000
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services$303,190
Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers$301,780
Motion Picture and Video Industries$280,910
Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, etc.$279,510
Annual mean wages.

Salary by Attorney Industry

In the U.S., the average attorney salary is $145,760.

However, depending on the industry you get into, you may earn much more. The highest average salary is in the Water, Sewage, etc., industry at $315,000.

Industries such as Other Ambulatory Health Care Services and Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers also offer competitive attorney salaries, slightly above $300,000.

Attorneys in the industry involved in Promoting Performing Arts, Sports, etc., typically earn $279,510, still much higher than the average pay for an attorney.

Experience & Education

Here are some typical daily activities of an attorney:

  • Gathering Information — Collecting and acquiring information from all pertinent sources through observation and reception.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Delivering information to supervisors, colleagues, and team members via phone, written documents, email, or in-person discussions.
  • Decision Making and Problem Solving — Examining information and evaluating outcomes to determine the best solution and address issues.
  • Evaluating Information for Compliance — Utilizing relevant data and personal judgment to verify whether events or processes conform to laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Conflict Resolution and Negotiation — Managing complaints, resolving disputes, and negotiating to settle grievances and conflicts with others.

Here are the typical skills you need to work as an attorney:

  • Speaking — Effectively communicating information by talking to others.
  • Active Listening — Paying full attention to others, understanding their points, asking relevant questions, and avoiding untimely interruptions.
  • Critical Thinking — Applying logic and reasoning to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different solutions, conclusions, or approaches.
  • Reading Comprehension — Grasping the meaning of written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Writing — Effectively expressing ideas in writing to meet the audience’s needs.
  • Complex Problem Solving — Recognizing complex issues, reviewing related details, and developing and implementing solutions after evaluating options.

Knowledge required to work as an attorney:

  • Law and Government — Understanding laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • English Language — Grasping the structure and content of the English language, including word meanings, spelling, composition rules, and grammar.
  • Customer and Personal Service — Comprehending principles and methods for delivering customer and personal services, which include assessing customer needs, meeting quality standards, and evaluating customer satisfaction.
  • Administrative — Familiarity with administrative and office procedures and systems, such as word processing, file management, stenography, transcription, form design, and workplace terminology.

Average Education

Approximately 77% of attorneys have a Doctoral degree, while 23% have a Professional degree.

Top Attorney Salaries by Location

Factors that Impact Pay

The average attorney salary is highest in San Jose, CA, at $268,570, outpacing other top-paying cities.

Norwalk, CT, and Boulder, CO, follow closely with salaries above $250,000. Notably, San Francisco, CA, and Washington, DC, offer slightly lower average salaries.

The District of Columbia offers the highest attorney salary at $238,000, while California and Delaware are nearly tied for second place at $213,000 and $212,000, respectively.

Take a look at the average attorney salaries from top-paying cities according to Bls.gov data.

CityAverage Salary
San Jose, CA$268,570
Norwalk, CT$252,210
Boulder, CO$251,490
San Francisco, CA$235,940
Washington DC$223,890
Annual mean wages.

Look at the average attorney salaries from top-paying states according to Bls.gov data.

StateAverage Salary
District of Columbia$238,990
California$213,860
Delaware$212,360
New York$208,480
Connecticut$195,730
Annual mean wages.

Related Careers

Patent Agent

Patent agents practice patent law before the USPTO.

Average of $130,168/year

Patent Attorney

Patent attorneys can practice patent law in addition to practicing law in jurisdictions where they are currently admitted.

Average of $185,351/year

Job Openings in the United States


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