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Attorney Salary & Career Insights
What is the average salary for an attorney in the United States?
Our salary data comes from BLS.gov. The salaries presented here are the 2023 median pay.
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
Top Attorney Salaries by Industry
This data was taken from the BLS.gov salary data for attorneys.
Industry | Average 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 |
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.
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.
City | Average Salary |
---|---|
San Jose, CA | $268,570 |
Norwalk, CT | $252,210 |
Boulder, CO | $251,490 |
San Francisco, CA | $235,940 |
Washington DC | $223,890 |
Look at the average attorney salaries from top-paying states according to Bls.gov data.
State | Average Salary |
---|---|
District of Columbia | $238,990 |
California | $213,860 |
Delaware | $212,360 |
New York | $208,480 |
Connecticut | $195,730 |
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