How much does an Attorney make?

Updated Dec 9, 2023

Experience

Industry

Total Pay Range
$110K - $196K/yr
Base Pay
$101K - $179K/yr
Additional Pay
$9K - $17K/yr

$147K

/yr
$110K$196K
Most Likely Range

The estimated total pay for a Attorney is $146,628 per year in the United States area, with an average salary of $134,410 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated additional pay is $12,218 per year. Additional pay could include cash bonus, commission, tips, and profit sharing. The "Most Likely Range" represents values that exist within the 25th and 75th percentile of all pay data available for this role.

How accurate is this most likely Total Pay range (base + additional) of $110K-$196K/yr?

Total Pay Trajectory

For Attorney

$146,628 /yr
Attorney
$184,310 /yr
Senior Attorney
$162,841 /yr
Attorney IV
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Attorney?

Job TitleSalary
Attorney$146,628 /yr
Senior Attorney$184,310 /yr
Attorney IV$162,841 /yr

Top Paying Companies

For an Attorney in United States

Below is the total pay for the top 10 highest paying companies for an Attorney in United States. Employers include Google, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Milbank LLP.

1
Google
Google
$281,736/yr
1K open jobs
5
eBay
$249,174/yr
10
Shearman & Sterling
$239,952/yr
See pay for all companies for an Attorney in United StatesView data as table

Top Paying Companies

For Attorney in United States

1Google$281,736
2Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati$263,846
3Milbank LLP$257,385
4Sheppard Mullin$253,825
5eBay$249,174
6Morgan Lewis$243,825
7King & Spalding$242,444
8Kirkland & Ellis$242,147
9Simpson Thacher$241,829
10Shearman & Sterling$239,952
Total Pay Trajectory

For Attorney

$146,628 /yr
Attorney
$184,310 /yr
Senior Attorney
$162,841 /yr
Attorney IV
See Full Career Path

Download as data table

What is the total pay trajectory for Attorney?

Job TitleSalary
Attorney$146,628 /yr
Senior Attorney$184,310 /yr
Attorney IV$162,841 /yr

What are total pay estimates for an Attorney at different companies?

or
Sort:
Company
Jobs
Total Pay Range
SelfEmployed.com
4.4
AttorneySee 325 salaries from all locations

$132,166

 / yr
Self Opportunity
4.3
AttorneySee 206 salaries from all locations

$136,678

 / yr
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
4.1
AttorneySee 201 salaries from all locations

$193,460

 / yr
United States Federal Government
4.1
AttorneySee 200 salaries from all locations

$114,365

 / yr
LawFirm.com
4
AttorneySee 181 salaries from all locations

$171,481

 / yr
Latham & Watkins
4.3
AttorneySee 161 salaries from all locations

$199,039

 / yr
Davis Polk
3.9
AttorneySee 151 salaries from all locations

$238,653

 / yr

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US Department of Justice
4.1
AttorneySee 148 salaries from all locations

$115,827

 / yr
Axiom Law
4
AttorneySee 145 salaries from all locations

$150,740

 / yr
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith
3.1
AttorneySee 114 salaries from all locations

$149,875

 / yr
Social Security Administration
3
AttorneySee 107 salaries from all locations

$107,176

 / yr
SelfEmployed.com
4.4
LawyerSee 106 salaries from all locations

$146,523

 / yr
US Army
3.8
AttorneySee 103 salaries from all locations

$105,373

 / yr
GEICO
2.8
AttorneySee 97 salaries from all locations

$136,210

 / yr
Liberty Mutual Insurance
3.8
AttorneySee 90 salaries from all locations

$136,305

 / yr
IRS
3.6
AttorneySee 90 salaries from all locations

$112,267

 / yr
State of Florida
3.5
AttorneySee 90 salaries from all locations

$93,439

 / yr
Thomas J. Henry Law, PLLC
3.9
AttorneySee 89 salaries from all locations

$147,566

 / yr
Cole, Scott & Kissane
3.6
AttorneySee 78 salaries from all locations

$145,400

 / yr
LawFirm.com
4
LawyerSee 78 salaries from all locations

$167,069

 / yr
Download as data table

Attorney Salaries

Job TitleSalary
SelfEmployed.com Attorney salaries - 325 salaries reported$132,166/yr
Self Opportunity Attorney salaries - 206 salaries reported$136,678/yr
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Attorney salaries - 201 salaries reported$193,460/yr
United States Federal Government Attorney salaries - 200 salaries reported$114,365/yr
LawFirm.com Attorney salaries - 181 salaries reported$171,481/yr
Latham & Watkins Attorney salaries - 161 salaries reported$199,039/yr
Davis Polk Attorney salaries - 151 salaries reported$238,653/yr
US Department of Justice Attorney salaries - 148 salaries reported$115,827/yr
Axiom Law Attorney salaries - 145 salaries reported$150,740/yr
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith Attorney salaries - 114 salaries reported$149,875/yr
Social Security Administration Attorney salaries - 107 salaries reported$107,176/yr
SelfEmployed.com Lawyer salaries - 106 salaries reported$146,523/yr
US Army Attorney salaries - 103 salaries reported$105,373/yr
GEICO Attorney salaries - 97 salaries reported$136,210/yr
Liberty Mutual Insurance Attorney salaries - 90 salaries reported$136,305/yr
IRS Attorney salaries - 90 salaries reported$112,267/yr
State of Florida Attorney salaries - 90 salaries reported$93,439/yr
Thomas J. Henry Law, PLLC Attorney salaries - 89 salaries reported$147,566/yr
Cole, Scott & Kissane Attorney salaries - 78 salaries reported$145,400/yr
LawFirm.com Lawyer salaries - 78 salaries reported$167,069/yr
Viewing 1 - 20 of 10,000

Top Paying Industries

For an Attorney in United States

The top 5 paying industries for an Attorney in United States are Telecommunications with a median total pay of $182,745, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology with a median total pay of $169,221, Information Technology with a median total pay of $162,718, Real Estate with a median total pay of $160,271, and Energy, Mining & Utilities with a median total pay of $159,378.

IndustryTotal PayTotal Pay Insight
  • TelecommunicationsTelecommunications$182,745

    23% Higher than other industries

  • Pharmaceutical & BiotechnologyPharmaceutical & Biotechnology$169,221

    17% Higher than other industries

  • Information TechnologyInformation Technology$162,718

    14% Higher than other industries

  • Real EstateReal Estate$160,271

    12% Higher than other industries

  • Energy, Mining & UtilitiesEnergy, Mining & Utilities$159,378

    12% Higher than other industries

Telecommunications

Top paying companies in Telecommunications for Attorney are AT&T, Verizon, and American Tower.

AT&TAT&T$186,861/yr
VerizonVerizon$182,745/yr
American TowerAmerican Tower$156,412/yr

Glassdoor Economist Pay Overview

What is the pay outlook for Legal?

The legal field is expected to see continued demand to meet increased regulatory and tax compliance needs in the future. Employees will increasingly work with artificial intelligence and automated services, with workers shifting towards advisory roles rather than document review. Companies are expected to shift more work to in-house legal staff and away from law firm partnerships due to the high cost of outside counsel. Most work in the field requires higher education and offers above-median pay.

Attorney pay FAQ

The average salary for an Attorney is $146,628 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 25056 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by an Attorney employees in United States.

The highest salary for an Attorney in United States is $195,885 per year.

The lowest salary for an Attorney in United States is $110,216 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming an Attorney or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of an Attorney.

Pay for attorneys remains high, as they typically face tight deadlines, long hours, and significant barriers to entry. Prospective lawyers must hold a Juris Doctorate degree and pass their state’s bar exam. Partners at law firms receive partial ownership of the firm, which entitles them to a portion of its profits. Other firm employees, as well as corporate in-house counsel and government employees, are usually paid a standard salary. Some attorneys receive further contingency fees when they win a case.

Powered by Glassdoor Economic Research

Compensation for attorneys varies dramatically depending on factors like geographic location and type of legal practice. Approximately 72% say they're satisfied with how much they earn in the field. A potential additional pay of $12,218.00 for attorneys can come from benefits like profit-sharing.

Attorneys make approximately $134,410.35, which increases to $146,628.35 after bonuses and profit-sharing benefits. Brand-new attorneys lean more toward a minimum total pay of $85,274.60, and you'll have the potential to reach $253,418.75 after gaining experience and showing your litigation skills. As you progress through your career as an attorney, you can earn certifications and expand to new practice areas to increase your salary.

Staying on top of legal trends can help you decide where to focus your energy to make more money as an attorney. Some of the highest-paid specialty areas include patents and intellectual property law, mergers and acquisitions, and health care. In many states, you can pass a special bar exam to get certified in various practice areas, which will increase your earnings as you illustrate your ability to bring more business to your practice. You can also work as a staff attorney and work your way up to an executive role as a chief legal officer.

You can negotiate a higher salary by understanding how much attorneys jobs pay in the city where you plan to practice. As a new graduate of law school, emphasize volunteer work and leadership roles that reflect your commitment to serving your clients as an attorney. If you've sought board certification in specialty areas, make sure you factor the additional preparation and education into your salary expectations. Since first-year associates usually get about a 7% raise, ask for about 15% if you're switching to a new firm and you've already been an attorney for a few years.

Additional Resources

Attorney Job Description Template

Salaries

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