Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Doctoral or professional degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Lawyers play a central role in the legal system and have a substantial presence in the labor market, with national employment of 865,000. The typical entry point into this field is a doctoral or professional degree, reflecting the advanced knowledge and preparation required. The national median annual salary of $151,160 indicates strong earning potential, with even higher medians in several key states and metro areas. Projected employment growth of 4.1% and about 32,000 annual openings suggest a steady flow of opportunities over time. Success in this career is supported by strengths in writing and reading, speaking and listening, problem solving and decision making, and critical and analytical thinking. Detail orientation, adaptability, customer service, and interpersonal skills also contribute to effectiveness. For people interested in law-related work, similar occupations include public relations managers, public relations specialists, judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates, human resources managers, and postsecondary education teachers, which may offer alternative career paths that use some overlapping skill sets.
The national median annual salary for lawyers is $151,160, and many locations offer higher median pay. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $154,130 in Washington to $207,860 in New York. California reports a median of $195,080 and Massachusetts $176,680, while Colorado stands at $168,520. At the metro level, salary levels can rise even further. The San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA, metro shows a median of $301,320, and the New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ, metro reports $208,880. Other top metros such as San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA ($212,500), Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV ($195,190), and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH ($183,350) also exceed the national median. These figures indicate that location can significantly influence earning potential for lawyers.
Lawyers have a sizable national employment base of 865,000, reflecting a large established profession. Projected employment growth of 4.1% indicates that overall demand is expected to increase over time. In addition, about 32,000 annual openings are projected. These openings can reflect a mix of new positions and the need to fill existing roles that become available. The same 4.1% growth rate appears across the top states and metro areas by opportunity score, suggesting a consistent projected expansion in many of the strongest markets for this career. For students, career changers, and experienced professionals, this combination of a large existing workforce, measurable projected growth, and thousands of annual openings suggests that the field is expected to continue offering opportunities across a range of locations and career stages.
Location plays an important role in the career landscape for lawyers, with notable differences across top states and metro areas. Among states, California and New York both combine high employment (95,770 and 91,870, respectively) with high median salaries ($195,080 and $207,860) and strong opportunity scores above 65. Massachusetts and Colorado offer smaller employment bases (23,560 and 16,720) but still report solid median salaries of $176,680 and $168,520. Washington has 12,770 employed lawyers and a median salary of $154,130. All of these states share the same 4.1% projected growth rate. At the metro level, San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA, stands out with a median salary of $301,320 and an opportunity score of 77.42, while the New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ, metro combines very high employment (94,610) with a median salary of $208,880. Other metros such as San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA; Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV; and Boston–Cambridge–Newton, MA–NH also show strong salaries and opportunity scores.
The typical education requirement for lawyers is a doctoral or professional degree, indicating that this career expects advanced formal training before entry. This level of education aligns with the need for strong foundational skills such as writing and reading, speaking and listening, and critical and analytical thinking. Problem solving and decision making are also central, supporting the ability to evaluate information and choose appropriate courses of action. The profession benefits from detail orientation, which helps with accuracy, as well as adaptability in handling changing situations. Customer service and interpersonal skills are important for working with clients and colleagues. Creativity and innovation, along with project management, support the ability to organize work and develop effective approaches. Individuals considering this path should be prepared for an intensive educational journey and ongoing development of these core skills, which together form the professional profile expected of lawyers.
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