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.
Find Out: Here’s What the US Minimum Wage Was the Year You Were Born
Try This: 5 Unusual Ways To Make Extra Money (That Actually Work)
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.
Kentucky
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.89
Hourly median wage: $40.77
Annual median wage: $84,802
Read Next: Robert Kiyosaki: 7 Ways To Become Wealthy Beyond the 9-to-5
Explore More: The 50 Happiest States in America and How Much It Costs to Live There
Arkansas
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.64
Hourly median wage: $43.58
Annual median wage: $90,646
Check Out: Here’s How Much the Definition of Rich Has Changed in Every State
Wyoming
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.79
Hourly median wage: $43.84
Annual median wage: $91,187
Mississippi
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.89
Hourly median wage: $45.39
Annual median wage: $94,411
Montana
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.76
Hourly median wage: $45.56
Annual median wage: $94,765
South Dakota
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.15
Hourly median wage: $46.58
Annual median wage: $96,886
Discover More: 16 Tips To Live Well on a Low Salary, According to Dave Ramsey
New Mexico
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.25
Hourly median wage: $46.75
Annual median wage: $97,240
South Carolina
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.72
Hourly median wage: $46.94
Annual median wage: $97,635
Maine
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.16
Hourly median wage: $47.48
Annual median wage: $98,758
West Virginia
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.52
Hourly median wage: $48.46
Annual median wage: $100,797
Trending Now: A $150K Income Is ‘Lower Middle Class’ In These High-Cost Cities
Vermont
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.62
Hourly median wage: $48.75
Annual median wage: $101,400
Idaho
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.01
Hourly median wage: $48.91
Annual median wage: $101,733
Missouri
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.45
Hourly median wage: $50.24
Annual median wage: $104,499
Wisconsin
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.94
Hourly median wage: $50.51
Annual median wage: $105,061
For You: How Much Does the Average Middle-Class Person Have in Savings?
North Dakota
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.58
Hourly median wage: $50.53
Annual median wage: $105,102
Oklahoma
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.36
Hourly median wage: $50.67
Annual median wage: $105,394
Iowa
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.43
Hourly median wage: $51.92
Annual median wage: $107,994
Hawaii
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.73
Hourly median wage: $51.92
Annual median wage: $107,994
Try This: 30 Best Games That Pay Real Money in 2024
Nebraska
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.55
Hourly median wage: $52.37
Annual median wage: $108,930
Kansas
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.84
Hourly median wage: $53.08
Annual median wage: $110,406
Washington
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.86
Hourly median wage: $54.67
Annual median wage: $113,714
Ohio
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.41
Hourly median wage: $56.49
Annual median wage: $117,499
Check Out: This AI Made 265% Investing Like U.S. Politicians: How You Can Do It, Too
Louisiana
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.71
Hourly median wage: $56.79
Annual median wage: $118,123
Utah
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.28
Hourly median wage: $57.46
Annual median wage: $119,517
New Hampshire
Employment per 1,000 jobs: No data
Hourly median wage: $57.67
Annual median wage: $119,954
Alabama
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.25
Hourly median wage: $58.12
Annual median wage: $120,890
Learn More: Make Yourself Money Smart: 20 ChatGPT Prompts To Increase Your Wealth
Florida
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 6.41
Hourly median wage: $58.41
Annual median wage: $121,493
Indiana
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.82
Hourly median wage: $58.43
Annual median wage: $121,534
Michigan
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.65
Hourly median wage: $58.54
Annual median wage: $121,763
Nevada
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.44
Hourly median wage: $60.12
Annual median wage: $125,050
Explore More: Net Worth for US Families: How To Tell if You’re Poor, Middle Class, Upper Middle Class or Rich
Tennessee
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 2.92
Hourly median wage: $60.77
Annual median wage: $126,402
Pennsylvania
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.37
Hourly median wage: $62.63
Annual median wage: $130,270
Georgia
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.70
Hourly median wage: $63.03
Annual median wage: $131,102
Alaska
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.39
Hourly median wage: $63.34
Annual median wage: $131,747
Find Out: I’m a Financial Advisor: Here’s Why My Rich Clients Identify With the Middle Class
Arizona
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.17
Hourly median wage: $63.46
Annual median wage: $131,997
North Carolina
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.35
Hourly median wage: $64.01
Annual median wage: $133,141
Maryland
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.49
Hourly median wage: $64.62
Annual median wage: $134,410
Oregon
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.74
Hourly median wage: $66.02
Annual median wage: $137,322
For You: How To Make Passive Income Just by Moving Money in These Ways
Texas
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 3.39
Hourly median wage: $69.71
Annual median wage: $144,997
Massachusetts
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.98
Hourly median wage: $71.33
Annual median wage: $148,366
Rhode Island
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.30
Hourly median wage: $71.91
Annual median wage: $149,573
Minnesota
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.01
Hourly median wage: $72.11
Annual median wage: $149,989
Read Next: 5 Ways To Become a Millionaire in Your 50s
New Jersey
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 6.11
Hourly median wage: $72.68
Annual median wage: $151,174
Virginia
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.28
Hourly median wage: $76.71
Annual median wage: $159,557
Connecticut
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 4.96
Hourly median wage: $76.81
Annual median wage: $159,765
Illinois
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.20
Hourly median wage: $77.83
Annual median wage: $161,886
Discover More: How Much Household Income Will Be Considered Upper Middle Class in 5 Years?
Colorado
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 5.89
Hourly median wage: $80.08
Annual median wage: $166,566
New York
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 9.16
Hourly median wage: $86.37
Annual median wage: $179,650
Delaware
Employment per 1,000 jobs: 6.03
Hourly median wage: $88.17
Annual median wage: $183,394
California
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.
More From GOBankingRates
6 Reasons the Poor Stay Poor and Middle Class Doesn't Become Wealthy
This is The Single Most Overlooked Tool for Becoming Debt-Free
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Here’s the Insane Amount Lawyers Earn in Every State
