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How much does a lawyer make?

Typical yearly pay for lawyers in the United States.

$159,670

median pay per year, about $13,306 a month or $76.76 an hour.

That's more than 96% of the 100 jobs in our salary guide, ranking #5 of 100.

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Where it ranks

CEO$213,990
IT manager$175,140
Dentist$170,950
Lawyer$159,670
Judge$153,990
Air traffic controller$148,080
Petroleum engineer$144,910

Similar jobs

How much does a lawyer make per hour?

About $76.76 an hour, if you spread the median yearly pay over a standard 40-hour week, 52 weeks a year. Actual hourly pay varies with overtime, shift work and location.

Becoming a lawyer

The U.S. Department of Labor's career profile covers the training, licenses and day-to-day tasks for this job.

How to become a lawyer

About this number

This is the national median wage for the occupation “Lawyers” (code 23-1011.00) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 release, as published on O*NET OnLine. The median is the middle value: half of workers earn more, half earn less.